In a more modern world that looks energy savings to fight climate change, the different types of electric vehicles are making a great difference at the moment to move us in a safe, fast and less pollutant way.
We all have heard of the existence of these cars, maybe, even we have heard it circulate on streets, but a few know that exist different classes of these.
In today’s ride we are going to explore the different types of electric vehicles. Stay with us and explore more about them.
Types of electric vehicles
Even though we might think all the electric cars are the same, the truth is that exist different class of these. Yes, all of them work with electricity, have certain components and features that differentiate with others.
Here we will mention different types of electric vehicles that exist:
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
It’s the cleaner electric car, but also polemic one, due a fact that we will mention later.
BEV are also called pure electric vehicles. The reason of this is that moves thanks to the stored energy on their batteries. It’s connected to charge its battery and the loading speed depends on the power of chargers.
The University of Cambridge catalog them as the most efficient cars in this field. However, even though in their driving don’t pollute (with zero emission label), their manufacturing process affects more to environment than a combustion car.
Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV)
In comparison to the others, the cars boosted by hydrogen don’t need batteries. Their battery needs electricity through electrolysis of hydrogen. The most interesting thing, is that as a residual, issues H₂0 (water).
Great companies bet the hydrogen battery as the future of sustainable mobility for a simple reason, hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in our planet; unfortunately, their production has an increased energetic cost and exist a few hydrogens station. These also have the zero emissions environmental label.
Plug-In-Hybrid-Electric-Vehicle (PHEV)
This car has different electric motors and one of combustion. Even though is hard to believe, all of them can move the car independently or by group, the electric motors can be included in wheels, axes or even in the transmission.
Even though battery doesn’t has a great capacity, if exceeds the 24.8 mph of autonomy, receive the 0 label; on the other hand, will have the ECO label. The recharges are performed through connection to electricity grid.
If car work with electric or combustion motors, it totally depends in the choice of motorist. However, it can combine the functioning of both to prolong the autonomy if possible.
Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EVER)
It’s a complex car but an interesting one according to the functioning, their motor or motors boost the wheels through accumulated energy in their batteries but are complemented with a thermal motor that works as a generator.
The interesting thing is that, to don’t being considered hybrid, thermal motor don’t have to boost wheels and this should be driven as a pure electric car most of the time. Now, the charge, is as a normal electric car; if the electric motor by itself has an autonomy superior to 24.8 mph, receives the ZERO emissions label.
Hybrid electric vehicle
Hybrid electric vehicle change electric motor for combustion. In this case, the first one assist immediately to the second, and most of the time work with combustion motor; but the purpose is the last one consumes less fuel.
Due to the electric autonomy doesn’t exceeds the 24.8 mph and works most of the time with combustion motor, receive the ECO environmental label.
It must be noted that, even though can move in an electric way, their batteries are small and recourse to regenerative braking to the proper thermal motor to recharge.
In summary
With so many terms, acronyms and functioning, is easy to get lost. But, is short, we could say that the types of electric vehicles are distinguished in the following way:
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV): boosted by electric motor. Produce zero emissions and don’t require fuel.
Fuel Combustible Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV): use electric motor but their batteries are charged for the cell use of hydrogen combustible that generate electricity. As a result, produce water vapor.
Plug in Electric Vehicles (PHEV): combine fuel motor traditional with electric motor that recharges when connecting to an external power supply source.
Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EVER): conformed by many electric motors and a thermal one, but must work as an electric one most part of the time
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV): similar to the PHEV but use regenerative brakes instead of a plug to recharge battery.
If you, as us, believed that exist different models of electric cars, but not all with the same functioning and charge type, well, now you know the difference between the different classes of these cars.
At the end, all have the same mission of generate the less environmental impact during their functioning. Even if their manufacturing of these requires from a more elevated environmental cost, over years, their benefit can be greater for planet by polluting less in their mobility.
