Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Explained

A small electric motor enhances the efficiency of a conventional engine for even greater fuel economy and reduced emissions. In Mild Hybrid vehicles, the two sources of energy work together to power your engine and electrical systems (e.g. radio) in the best way. The electric motor does not power the car on its own, it just helps it. Electricity comes from regenerative braking which captures energy typically lost using the brakes and from a generator powered by the conventional engine.

For seamless switching between conventional engine power and electric power, self-charging Hybrid vehicles can choose automatically between the modes or use both to power the vehicle as needed. For example, electric energy reduces emissions at lower speeds (e.g. in traffic), whereas conventional power can cover a greater range (e.g. motorways). There's no need to plug in your vehicle to charge it. Firstly, regenerative braking recaptures energy usually wasted when using the brakes, then uses it to charge the battery. Secondly, the petrol engine powers a generator that also sends energy to the battery.

Plug-in Hybrid electric vehicles have the two sources of power like a Hybrid, but with a larger, high-voltage battery, letting you drive longer distances just using electric power. As their name suggests, the larger battery in Plug-in Hybrids can be plugged-in to charge either from mains electricity sockets, from a special dedicated 'wallbox' charger you can install at home for faster charging or from a public charging station (for even quicker charging). Once the special PHEV battery is flat, the vehicle behaves like a conventional Hybrid vehicle with the engine running when needed. On 100% charge, the range of a Plug-in Hybrid running solely on electric power is around 30 miles.

A 100% all-electric vehicle (also sometimes known as a pure electric vehicle, battery electric vehicle (BEV) or only-electric vehicle) can simply be charged up from your mains electricity sockets, a 'wallbox' (a special dedicated charger you can install at home for quicker charging overnight) or a public charging station (for even faster charging). All-electric cars are only powered by electricity, they do not have a petrol engine, so they have to be charged before you drive. The range on a 100% charged All-Electric vehicle varies from about 100 miles on older models to around 300 miles on newer models.