Electric cars are growing in popularity. The best electric cars are fun to drive, extremely quiet, have no harmful emissions, cheap to run and benefit the environment. As battery technology improves, the distance electric cars can go between charges is increasing, as is the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points, making them more practical for many people.
A fully electric vehicle has no standard combustion engine and runs purely off an electric motor, therefor producing zero emissions. It is the most environmentally friendly modern vehicle type. This also means electric vehicles are incredibly cost-effective as they require no external fuel costs.
No tailpipe carbon dioxide or nitrogen oxide emissions. Nothing but the pure joy of freedom without the environment having to pay the price.
Battery technology is a constantly improving thing with both power and range seeing the main benefits. As an example, some vehicles have an electric range of over 300 miles on average before it requires a charge. Of course, these figures can vary but for those concerned about their carbon footprint and who want to travel shorter distances without ever having to pay refuel costs the electric car makes perfect sense.
Hybrid vehicles offer incredibly low emissions and combine a standard engine with at least one electric motor. They generate their electricity whilst you drive using two main techniques - regenerative braking, and an electrical generator. Regenerative braking harvests heat and kinetic energy usually wasted during braking and converts it into electrical energy to be stored in the battery whereas an electrical generator runs directly off the combustion engine.
When cruising, particularly at low speeds, a hybrid will draw its power from the vehicle's fitted electric motor. When this speed starts to increase, the hybrid will seamlessly integrate the standard combustion engine in order to accommodate the greater demand. In particular testing circumstances such as driving over rough terrain or up a hill the vehicle will use both systems alongside each other to gain extra power and torque.
When braking or slowing down, the brake energy is transferred back to the battery for a longer range. This also gives you one pedal drive for a smoother and more controlled drive.
One of the biggest benefits of a hybrid vehicle is that while its main fuel source is still gasoline it requires a lot less of this than a standard combustion engine vehicle and therefore running costs are often minimal.
A traditional combustion engine combined with a battery-powered electric motor. There are several key differences between a standard hybrid vehicle and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). In the simplest of terms, a Plug-In Hybrid is a hybrid vehicle that needs to be plugged into a power outlet in order to charge its electric motor, as opposed to a regular (HEV) where the electricity is generated as you drive. Unlike a conventional hybrid, a PHEV is powered by electricity from the grid and will generally have a greater range on purely electric power.
Another notable difference is that instead of using the electric motor only at lower speeds, the plug-in hybrid will use the electric motor at most points until it reaches its limit or pre-determined battery state of charge (SOC). It is at this point that the vehicle's combustion engine is designed to kick-in, and supply added power to the electric motor.
Yes. For short journeys of up to 30 miles, dependent on the model.
The time it takes to charge an electric car can be as little as 30 minutes or more than 12 hours. This depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point. A typical electric car (60kWh battery) takes just under 8 hours to charge from empty-to-full with a 7kW charging point.
Most drivers top-up charge rather than waiting for their battery to recharge from empty-to-full. For many electric cars, you can add up to 100 miles of range in 35 minutes with a 50kW rapid charger. The bigger your car’s battery and the slower the charging point, the longer it takes to charge from empty to full.
