There are several types of plug-in electric vehicles, each with different features to fit a wide range of driving needs and styles. Talk with the dealers to see how the cars may fit your needs. And, like cars today, your actual range may vary due to driving conditions and styles.
A Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is fully electric. The car or truck is completely powered by the on-board battery. The initial models of BEVs are expected to go up to 100 miles on a full charge. The batteries will then need to be plugged in to recharge. An example of a BEV is the Nissan Leaf. The major auto manufacturers are expected to launch additional models in the coming months and years
An Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) is similar, but it may have an on-board gas fuelled generator to provide additional energy when the batteries are low. These may have up to about 50 miles range on the initial battery energy and the on board generator may allow the car to travel significantly further before needing to recharge. An example of an EREV is the Chevy Volt. The major auto manufacturers are expected to launch additional models in the coming months and years.
A Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) has both an electric motor and a typical gas or diesel engine that are linked to power the car. The electric and gas drives are controlled by the onboard computer to give you the power you need while adjusting the car to get very efficient overall mileage. These cars have an on-board battery to support the electric motor and will need to be plugged in to fully recharge the battery and get the greatest efficiency. The batteries also take in the regenerated energy from the braking and deceleration and recycle it through the battery to help power the vehicle. When the plug-in battery is depleted, the car reverts to the standard hybrid operation.
These are similar to the standard Hybrid Electric cars and trucks like the Prius, Fusion, Escape, Camry and Silverado that you can buy today, but they have larger batteries to give you more electric driving range. The Hybrid electric cars and trucks do not need to be plugged in to recharge the batteries. The hybrid electric drive uses the factory installed on-board battery power and electric drive to operate the car while idling and at slow speeds and to provide additional boost during acceleration. The batteries are recharged as the car slows or brakes through regenerative braking. Auto manufacturers are expected to release additional models in the coming years.
