OVERVIEW OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more popular. Nearly every manufacturer offers at least one model, and the technology continues to improve. EVs provide environmental benefits, lower operating costs, and a quiet, smooth, fun ride. Is it smart to rely on such a “new” technology? Electric-powered vehicles are actually not a new technology. In fact, they have been around for over a century. In the 1890s, electric cars were more popular than gas-powered cars because of their simplicity, reliability and low cost to operate. Henry Ford’s wife even drove an EV. For a variety of reasons, EVs disappeared for much of the 20th century, but the vehicles are on the rise once again. This resurgence is fueled by significant advancements in power electronics and battery technologies. What do the terms mean? We are most familiar with conventional combustion-engine vehicles, but the market is changing, and it can be hard to keep up with the latest technologies, models and terminology. For simplicity, vehicles can be sorted into four main categories. 1
Conventional vehicles have an internal combustion engine, with the most common fuels being gasoline and diesel.
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Hybrid electric vehicles have both a gasoline engine and an electric motor and battery; both gas and electricity power the wheels. The electric motor and battery are designed to improve fuel economy, so less gasoline is used to operate the vehicle. The battery is charged solely by operating the vehicle; it is not possible to charge by plugging in.
3 Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have larger batteries than hybrids and use both gas and electricity to power the
wheels. These vehicles vary in their electric range but shift to gasoline-only operation when battery power is depleted or in certain other conditions. The vehicles plug in to charge the battery.
4 Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have much longer electric ranges than PHEVs, are powered solely by electricity and are
charged by plugging in.
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