What is an EV?

EV stands for Electric Vehicle which is a vehicle using electric motors to power movement. An Electric Vehicle can have a range of different motors with some being powered by only electric and others being hybrid were both petrol and electric motors are used. Most people think of an EV as being an electric car however the term EV can cover any transportation vehicle with an electric motor e.g. an electric motorbike, scooter, UAV or even electric aircraft.

Further History of the Electric Vehicle can be seen on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle

There are a few terms that you’ll need to know if you’re looking more into EV’s. These include PHEV, BEV, EV and the difference between them.

What is PHEV?

PHEV is Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. This means a vehicle that has both an electric motor as well as a petrol motor where the electric motor can be directly plugged in and charged on its own. A PHEV usually has the advantage where the electric motor can be used for short travelling distances e.g. within cities and then the petrol motor can be used in conjunction for longer range or highway driving where more power is needed.

What is BEV?

BEV stands for Battery Electric Vehicle. A battery electric vehicle is powered via batteries without any other engine configurations e.g. no internal combustion engine. BEV is often used by car companies to show that a specific car is not a hybrid and has no internal combustion engine.