4 Types of Electric Vehicles—Which is Better?

Electric vehicles (EVs) are slowly becoming a fixture on our roads and in our parking lots. From replica racing cars to electric buses, EVs are proving to be more than just a fad—they're providing a reliable and cost-effective alternative to the ever-increasing number of cars on our roads. 

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With the number of electric vehicles growing significantly, there comes a new set of questions about what exactly defines an electric vehicle and what the four types of electric vehicles are.

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What Is An Electric Vehicle?

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The main characteristic of an EV is that it uses electricity as its primary energy source. The power stored in the batteries enables the car to be propelled, and for EVs with plug-in capabilities, recharging them is possible through a standard electrical outlet or charging station—similar to the process of charging a cell phone.

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The different types of electric vehicles available on the market today are further proof that these environmentally friendly cars are here to stay, so let's take a closer look. What are the four types of electric vehicles and how are they different from each other?

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There are four classifications of electric vehicles currently on the market: battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Read on to learn about their differences.

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

A battery electric vehicle runs completely on electricity, so it only uses the battery.

However, the batteries must be recharged by plugging into an electrical outlet or charging station. Since this type of EV does not have a gasoline engine, automakers refer to these as "full" EVs—in other words, they're examples of "pure" electric vehicles. BEVs are considered zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles.

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BEVs: Range & Efficiency of Electric Vehicle Operation

All BEVs have a range limit. That’s because their batteries need to be recharged, which takes time and current from an electrical grid or charging station. The average BEV has a range of 100-250 miles per charge, but this varies depending on the battery's wattage and capacity. For example, today’s BEVs with a 60-100 kWh battery pack provide 200+ miles of range.

BEVs require a charging infrastructure to make long-distance travel possible. At charging stations, drivers can recharge their batteries from about 10 percent to 80 percent of capacity in around 30 minutes if using a DC Fast Charger.

According to the EPA, a Tesla Model 3 results in an energy-efficiency ratio of about 134 miles per gallon equivalent (mpge). This efficiency rating is how the EPA ranks electric vehicles against gas-powered cars.

The cost of BEVs typically ranges between $30,000 to $100,000. The Tesla 3 Model costs around $35,000.

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Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

An HEV incorporates two power sources to provide energy for it to run. A conventional internal combustion engine—aka ICE—is used in conjunction with an onboard, non-rechargeable battery.

While this may seem counterproductive due to the fact that both engines use different energy sources, the two systems actually complement each other through a process known as regenerative braking. 

In an HEV, the gas engine does most of the work while the battery provides backup power. An HEV can be thought of as an ICE with a substantial boost. The battery stores the regenerative brakes' kinetic energy, which an electric motor then uses to accelerate or climb hills, resulting in considerable fuel savings compared to traditional vehicles. 

Energy collected from braking charges a flywheel to store this regenerative energy, which can then be released back into the vehicle during acceleration.

Energy collected from air resistance is also rerouted to spin up this flywheel, which also reduces drag on the vehicle enabling better mileage. The ICE charges the battery when it's slowing down, while the electric propulsion system provides extra power.

HEVs combine the best properties of gasoline and electric vehicles while using fewer fossil fuels than conventional cars on average. These hybrids have a significantly smaller battery than both the BEVs and the PHEVs.

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HEVs: Price

The costs of HEVs are competitive with traditional vehicles. The more affordable hybrids can cost less than $25,000. 

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

A PHEV is very similar to a typical hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), but it has the ability to recharge its battery from an external source. The car harnesses energy stored in the battery first, then uses the added power of gasoline once the battery is drained.

PHEVs are generally considered "range extenders" because they use gasoline only when the battery runs low and not as a continuous source of energy.

PHEVs: Range & Charging

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are EVs that offer greater range and faster fueling than traditional hybrids. They have a gasoline-powered engine and an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery.

In addition to being plugged in, PHEVs have a backup gas tank that allows them to travel long distances when the batteries are drained. A PHEV can be charged from any standard electrical outlet, but if the battery gets low, the engine kicks in to keep it going.  

Many models of this variety are also capable of traveling more than 10-50 miles without needing to use gasoline. This makes EVs with plugs extremely versatile —they can easily make long trips as well as short ones. 

PHEVs: Price

PHEVs cost less than BEVS, starting at around $25,000. This is due to the smaller size of the battery packs for PHEVs. An affordable PHEV costs around $25,000 to $35,000. 

Fuel-cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)

Fuel-cell electric vehicles are electric cars that are powered by the chemical energy stored in hydrogen. As the least popular type of EV,  the number of FCEVs sold in the world is considerably low.

The hydrogen is stored onboard the vehicle, often as compressed gas inside a tank. Fuel cells use hydrogen and oxygen, producing water as their only emission.

This electrical power is used to charge an onboard battery and drive the car’s motor. An FCEV can travel about 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen.

The usefulness of these vehicles is limited by three main factors: available hydrogen storage/distribution technology, cost to produce hydrogen, and lack of infrastructure for fueling/re-fuelling. 

Currently, only a few types of hydrogen-powered cars exist. The most well-known is the Toyota Mirai, which starts at $58,000.

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A significant reason for the slow adoption of FCEVs is their prohibitively expensive infrastructure costs and lack of convenience features. For example, since hydrogen is difficult to store and transport, it needs to be made using electricity. This means that in most cases, the hydrogen must be compressed or liquefied. 

These methods are expensive and only add to the already-high cost of FCEVs. Since refueling stations also use electricity, they are not an efficient way to get hydrogen into cars either. This results in significantly less driving range than gasoline vehicles, which limits their applications.

Another concern with fuel cell technology is safety. While hydrogen itself is not flammable, it can cause explosions when combined with oxygen in the presence of heat or if it gets trapped in confined spaces. However, this risk could be reduced by improving on current designs of FCEV tanks. 

These vehicles are powered by electricity generated from fuel cells using hydrogen and air. While hydrogen is highly combustible, fuel cells themselves produce no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions when running properly—in fact, they release pure water vapor as a waste product. These cars produce no noise while running either since there are no internal combustion engines involved. 

The Future of EVs

Overall, the most efficient electric vehicles are BEVs and PHEVs. They’re the most popular, and they can travel longer distances without having to recharge. FCEVs cannot be considered as efficient as BEVs and PHEVs, but they still produce no or almost no emissions. While still a popular option, HEVs always require gasoline in the tank.

In the future, it’s expected that BEVs will be more efficient since batteries are being developed with better energy densities. PHEVs and FCEVs might even become standard in public transportation systems where they can take advantage of hydrogen fueling stations.

The four types of electric vehicles each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but one thing is certain: within the next few decades, electric vehicles will be dominant on roads worldwide.

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