What Type of Electric Vehicles Are There?

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more common, and there are several varieties to choose from. Here are the most prevalent types of EVs.

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

BEVs are purely electric and do not have a gasoline engine. They are considered zero-emission vehicles as they do not produce tailpipe emissions or air pollution like traditional cars. Instead, they run on power from a rechargeable battery pack.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

HEVs have both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. During braking, the battery can recharge through regenerative braking, which captures energy that's typically wasted in conventional cars. This energy can then assist the gasoline engine during acceleration.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

PHEVs also have both a gasoline engine and an electric motor, but they have larger batteries than HEVs. They can be charged by plugging into the grid, and they can travel for several dozen miles on battery power alone before the gasoline engine takes over. Once the all-electric range is depleted, they function like regular hybrids and use gasoline to power the car.