Today, many vehicles use electricity in addition to or instead of gasoline. These vehicles are designed to improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and lower operating costs. The three main types are hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and electric vehicles.
Hybrid Vehicles
A hybrid vehicle uses both a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine and an electric battery. The battery helps power the vehicle, but a hybrid cannot be plugged in to charge. Instead, the battery is recharged through regenerative braking and by the engine during normal driving.
Regenerative braking is a system that captures some of the energy normally lost when the vehicle slows down and sends that energy back to the battery. Because the battery helps the engine, the vehicle uses less gasoline than a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle. This makes hybrid vehicles more fuel-efficient than standard internal combustion engine vehicles.
Plug-In- Hybrid Vehicles
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV, also uses both a gasoline engine and an electric battery. However, a PHEV has a larger battery than a standard hybrid. This allows the vehicle to drive on electricity alone for a limited distance, usually about 10 to 30 miles, before the gasoline engine is needed.
Unlike a regular hybrid, a plug-in hybrid can be charged by plugging it into an electrical outlet or charging station. This makes PHEVs a good choice for drivers with short daily commutes, especially if the commute is within the vehicle’s electric-only range. For longer trips, the gasoline engine provides flexibility because the driver can refuel at a gas station as usual.
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) run entirely on electricity. They do not have a gasoline engine, and they produce no tailpipe emissions because there is no combustion happening in the vehicle. Because electric vehicles convert electrical energy directly to mechanical energy to turn the wheels, the are more efficient than internal combustion engines. EVs are recharged by plugging them into the electrical grid.
Because electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, they usually require less maintenance. For example, they do not need oil changes and have fewer engine-related parts that can wear out. However, EVs are often heavier than gasoline vehicles because of their large battery packs.