Did you know that there are different types of electric vehicles and that not all of them run exclusively on electricity?
As confusing as this sounds to be, this is how it works. But, calm down, because the idea of this article is precisely to explain how this happens, in practice.
So let's check out the types of electric vehicles available today on the market and what are they different from?
Types of electric vehicles: do you know what they are?
Electric vehicles are those that use electric energy to move, right? Not always.
As much as these types of cars have been establishing themselves as an alternative for urban mobility, there are still many doubts about their operation.
And one of them is precisely the false idea that electric vehicles work completely and exclusively through electric propulsion.
In fact, there are also some types of electric vehicles on the market that use fuel and are therefore partially powered by an electric motor.
There are even cases in which the vehicle cannot be recharged directly using electricity and others in which the electric motor is not even adopted as the main one.
Were you curious? So let's decipher this story.
Discover 7 types of electric vehicles
1. All-electric vehicles
To begin with, let's talk about all-electric vehicles, which are those that run on an electric motor rather than a combustion engine.
This means that such vehicles do not use any fuel other than electricity.
What's more, the cars feature automatic engine shutdown at each stop to reduce energy loss.
Also, regenerative braking, a technology that converts part of the energy lost in braking into electricity.
What you may not know is that they are divided into battery electric vehicles (BEV) and combustion cell electric vehicles (FCEV).
Understand, below, the difference between these two types of electric vehicles.
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1.1 BEV – Battery Electric Vehicles
Battery electric vehicles can be charged even at conventional sockets
Battery electric vehicles (BEV) do not have a combustion engine, but an electric motor, which is powered by the electricity stored in the battery.
The great advantage of this type of vehicle is that the battery can be recharged from the mains, either using conventional outlets or using a plug.
1.2 FCEV – Fuel cell electric vehicles
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) use hydrogen gas, a renewable and non-polluting source, as their main fuel source.
These models have a tank that needs to be filled with hydrogen, combined with oxygen, to produce electricity and feed the electric motor.
The challenge, however, is precisely to find charging stations that supply pressurized hydrogen, a reality that has not yet reached territory.
2. HEV – Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Among the types of electric vehicles available on the market, we also have those that work partially through an electric motor.
This is the case of hybrid vehicles, which have both an electric motor and a combustion engine.
This means that these types of electric vehicles can be fueled with fossil fuels and can also be powered by electricity.
However, the electric motor only comes as a complement in this case, since gasoline, ethanol or diesel are the main ways to feed the combustion engine.
In practice, it works as follows: while the combustion engine moves the car and generates energy to charge the batteries, the electric one complements the activity when at low speeds and helps to increase torque and efficiency.
Even so, the two engines can work together, mainly to ensure greater acceleration and power for the vehicle.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that electric vehicles cannot be charged directly from the outlets.
3. PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles
Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles count as both types of engines: electric and combustion
Furthermore, we cannot fail to mention plug-in hybrid vehicles, the evolution of hybrid vehicles.
Vehicles of this type also have two engines (combustion and electric), which allows them to be fueled both with fossil fuels and with electrical energy.
However, in this case, the electric motor is adopted as the main one and the combustion engine starts working only when the battery runs out.
It is even possible to charge the battery of PHEVs in two ways. The first is through regenerative braking and the second is via cable, directly to the electrical network.
4. MHEV - Light Hybrid Vehicle
Among the hybrid vehicles, we also have the mild hybrid or partial hybrid vehicle.
Despite this model prioritizing the combustion engine, it manages to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
In addition, such cars have a small electric motor, which comes into action only for specific purposes that demand extra power, such as pulling off.
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5. REEV – Extended Autonomy Electric Car
Finally, we have the extended-range electric car, which works in the opposite way to the partial hybrid.
In this case, the electric motor is the main one, while the combustion engine is only intended to generate energy and not move the vehicle.
It is an alternative to extend the vehicle's autonomy, especially in cases where the battery is low and there is no nearby recharge source.
Types of electric vehicles: which is the best?
Now that you know the different types of electric vehicles available on the market, you might be wondering which one is the best one.
However, this is an issue that depends on the lifestyle, needs and driving habits of each driver, among other variables.
In short, the idea of this article is to show that there are a variety of technologies on the market, which are evolving every day.
On the other hand, we cannot fail to point out that electric vehicles, regardless of category, are actually more efficient than conventional ones.
And that, in addition to contributing to the environment, offer a better cost-benefit ratio, mainly because they guarantee significant savings in the medium and long term.