Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming very popular. Thinking about buying? Read below before deciding on if you want your car to be powered by gas, electricity, or both.
Understanding how they work and the categories within EVs can be confusing. We’ve done our best to break it down in the simplest of terms for you.
What To Know About Electric Vehicles
CONVENTIONAL HYBRID: A BLEND OF ELECTRIC AND GAS
- A hybrid car combines the power of an electric battery-operated motor with gasoline to move the car.
- A conventional hybrid’s system (battery) recharges via regenerative braking (uses the heat as an energy source when the car is stopped) and can tap into the gas engine to charge the battery, too. It does not get plugged in to recharge.
- Depending on the trip, sometimes the gas engine is doing all the work, sometimes it’s the electric motor (not often), and most of the time, they both work together.
- Adding electric power can boost a vehicle’s performance and results in less gasoline burned, so better fuel economy.
- You still have to stay on top of engine and oil maintenance.
PLUG-IN HYBRID
- It’s pretty self-explanatory with its name. Plug-in hybrid cars have a larger battery that must be recharged by plugging into an external charging station.
- The larger battery is like having a larger gas tank, as long as it’s fully charged, you can drive all-electric for farther distances compared to a conventional hybrid. And if you were doing small commutes around town, you’d likely be running on electricity only, which means filling up your gas tank less frequently.
- If you’re driving and run out of electric power, your car reverts to a normal hybrid, using gas to get you where you need to go.
- Plug-in hybrids cost more than a regular hybrid car, plus the charging stations are an additional expense.
PLUG-IN ELECTRIC
- Fully electric cars operate solely off a plug-in charge point. The gas tank is metaphorically replaced by a battery that’s used to power an electric motor, which gets the wheels moving!
- How far you can travel before having to re-charge depends on the vehicle and its battery size.
- There are different battery charging speeds, but the most used would be charging overnight around 8-10 hours.
- They can be a costly investment upfront, but there are lower ongoing costs, like gas, and lower maintenance needs.
- Because there’s no exhaust system, plug-in electrics are quiet and operate smoothly.
- Plug-in EVs emit zero CO2 or greenhouse gases into the air, making them environmentally friendly.
We hope this EV cheat sheet helped you learn more about electric cars and what to know when you're buying your next vehicle!
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