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What electric car examples are there?

I don’t know anything about cars, and my 18-year-old wants an electric vehicle for his birthday. My husband is throwing around all these acronyms, and I don’t know what any of it means. I need a guide with examples of the different kinds. What electric car examples are there?

avatar
Bellina Gaskey · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Great question! There are three types of electric vehicles. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) like a Tesla Model S, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) like the Ford Escape PHEV, and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) like the Toyota Prius.
The three are different depending on what kind of range and dependability you’re looking for.
BEVs are also called all-electric vehicles. These operate solely off a large battery pack that you charge by plugging in, either at a home charging station, a public station or even a Supercharger.
The Tesla Model S is an excellent example of this. It operates entirely off electricity, with no gas in sight.
Hybrids are a mash-up of electric vehicles and gas vehicles to get better gas mileage and be more eco-friendly. Gas vehicles have an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) that uses gasoline to create a chemical reaction in the engine and then harnesses that reaction to move the vehicle.
HEVs have an ICE and a small battery that (depending on the model) is charged by the gas engine. The Toyota Prius is a great example of this.
PHEVs have an ICE and a battery that needs to be plugged-in to recharge. It doesn’t charge itself. An example of a PHEV is a
Ford
Escape PHEV.
Whether you drive gas or electric, get yourself the most affordable insurance.
Jerry
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