Electric Vehicles

Types of Electric Cars and Vehicles

Author Image Sam Allibone
23rd May 2022

The term 'EV' has become an umbrella term which covers both fully electric and hybrid vehicles, but there are actually five main types of electric vehicles! Our guide covers everything you need to know about each EV, so you can choose the best vehicle for your needs.

Types of Electric Cars and Vehicles Types of Electric Cars and Vehicles

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If you're thinking about buying an electric vehicle, these are the five main types you'll want to know about: 

 

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV)

Battery electric vehicles, also known as ‘BEVs’, are fully electric vehicles that are powered by a battery and not an internal combustion engine. 

One of the main considerations to think about when buying an electric vehicle is its range, which is the distance it can travel on a single charge. The battery pack on a BEV can store lots of energy, which allows it to run for many miles before needing to recharge. Many of the latest fully electric vehicles are now achieving ranges that exceed 300 miles!

Going fully electric comes with many positive environmental impacts. BEVs don't have a tailpipe and run on battery power instead, which means they don’t emit any harmful exhaust gases. This helps to reduce local air pollution and improve air quality in congested urban areas. Over the course of a year, one EV can save an average of 1.5 million grams of CO2 from getting pumped into the environment.

Examples of Battery Electric Vehicles:

  • BYD Atto 3 - a SUV with a range of 261 miles.

  • Volkswagen ID.7 - a hatchback with a range of 424 miles, also available as an estate car.

  • Peugeot E-3008 - an SUV car with a range of 326 miles.

  • Polestar 2 - a fastback with a range of 406 miles.

  • MG ZS - a SUV with a range of 198 miles.

  • BMW i5 - a saloon car with a range of 356 miles.

  • Lexus RZ - an SUV with a range of 252-297 miles.

Pros Cons
  • Zero carbon emissions.
  • Quiet to drive.
  • Lower running costs.
  • Can be expensive to buy, but leasing is a more accessible option.
  • Charging can be slow if you’re not using a rapid charger.

 

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (or 'PHEVs') have a battery just like a BEV but with a much smaller capacity. PHEVs include a standard combustion engine too, which takes control when the battery runs low.

As the name suggests, PHEVs can be recharged by plugging in. However, you will need to keep the petrol or diesel topped up too. A typical range on a PHEV car tends to be around 30-80 miles on electric power alone, so it can manage short journeys without switching to traditional fuel. Regenerative braking can also help to recharge the battery too, which works by converting kinetic energy produced when braking to electricity to charge your battery.

PHEVs offer an economical alternative for those who aren't ready to commit to fully electric driving yet.

Examples of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles:

Pros Cons
  • Better range than BEVs as the backup petrol or diesel engine will take over when the battery is low
  • Uses traditional and electric power efficiently to manage longer journeys and reduce range anxiety.
  • Lower emissions than petrol or diesel vehicles.
  • Higher maintenance costs compared to BEVs due to complex engine components.
  • Requires two types of fuel, meaning a trip to the fuel station and a charging station. A home charging point could make this easier.
  • Produces some carbon emissions.

 

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV/FHEV)

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (or 'HEVs') are similar to PHEVs but do not have plug-in charging capabilities. Also known as a 'self-charging hybrid', HEVs run on an electric battery before switching over to petrol or diesel power. You may also see these referred to as Fully Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FHEVs).

The battery is small and is used to start the electric motor and drive the car only for very short distances. Regenerative braking technology and the petrol engine help to ensure that the battery charges back up. An internal computer in the car can calculate the most efficient driving to get the most out of the battery.

Examples of Hybrid Electric Vehicles:

Pros Cons
  • Doesn’t need to be plugged in at home or at charging stations.
  • Generally cheaper than PHEVs and BEVs.
  • More fuel-efficient than petrol and diesel cars to keep emissions low.
  • May only be available until 2030, or when petrol and diesel cars are no longer sold.
  • Limited electric-only range.
  • Higher emissions than BEVs and PHEVs.

 

Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles (MHEV)

Sometimes confused with HEVs, Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles (MHEV) contain a smaller battery and don't run on electric power. Instead, a MHEV uses its electric power when setting off as a way of lowering emissions, but the vehicle itself is still reliant on fossil fuel power. Driving a MHEV will feel the same as any other ICE car but with a little boost to your fuel economy.

Examples of Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles:

Pros Cons
  • Costs to buy are around the same as a conventional car, cheaper than BEVs or HEVs.
  • Slightly lower emissions than ICE vehicles.
  • Unable to use electric power to drive any distance.
  • Technically not a proper hybrid.
  • Reliant on a traditional petrol or diesel engine.

 

Extended-Range Electric Vehicles (EREV/REEV)

An Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), or a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV), is an EV that runs solely on electricity via a battery that gets recharged by a ‘range extender’. The range extender is usually a small petrol engine that drives an electric generator that charges the battery.

This type of vehicle is less available than other electric and hybrid vehicles, and is likely to decline even further as petrol and diesel cars won’t be sold in the UK within the next decade.

Pros Cons
  • Longer range than BEVs and other hybrids.
  • Limited choice of vehicles, particularly in the UK.

What are the benefits of electric vehicles?

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular, and it’s easy to see why! These powerful and reliable alternatives to traditional fuel types offer bundles of benefits to you and the environment.
  • Lower fuel costs - charging prices are much more affordable and are not impacted by price hikes like petrol and diesel are.
  • Low or zero carbon emissions - fully electric vehicles produce no emissions, while emissions from hybrids are significantly lower than Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles.
  • Lower maintenance costs - there are less parts in an EV, which means less things that need to be replaced and maintained!
  • Easier driving - if you’re still driving a vehicle with a manual transmission, you’ve probably noticed drivers of electric vehicles whizzing off at traffic lights before you’ve even had a chance to get out of first gear. EVs have automatic transmission so you can say goodbye to gears.
  • Lower noise pollution - another big positive of owning an electric car is its sound — or lack thereof. In fact, EVs were so quiet that a new law was passed in 2019 that required them to be fitted with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS), an artificial sound to alert others of their presence when reversing or moving at a speed below 12mph.

Get more tech, more economy, and more fun with EVs

While there’s a lot of electric vehicle terminology to get your head around, there’s no doubt that EVs are the way forward. Whether you’re looking for a swanky new fleet of electric cars to demonstrate your business’ dedication to lowering emissions, or want to upgrade your personal car to a future-proof fuel type, explore Jurni’s electric car deals today to find a contract that works for you.
 
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