EV purchase prices are generally more expensive than vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, too. Chiefly, the time required to fully recharge their batteries is much longer than refueling a gas car, and they can’t travel as far as most gas cars before needing a charge. During our testing, the Model Y Performance needed only 3.6 seconds to zoom to 60 mph.ĭespite all the excitement around electric vehicles, there are still some drawbacks. As you guessed, the Model Y Performance counters this with faster acceleration and a higher top speed. The Long Range provides an EPA-estimated 330 miles of range, versus 303 miles in the Performance and 279 miles for the base model. For example, the Tesla Model Y offers base, Long Range, and Performance trims. This flexibility allows a car shopper the choice to prioritize things like a lower base price, added performance, or more driving range. Many BEVs-often referred to simply as EVs-offer at least two sizes of battery pack and two powertrain configurations. Popular examples of BEVs include all Teslas, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the Chevrolet Bolt, to name a few. These employ a minimum of one electric motor and a battery pack. We’re officially done with fossil fuels and gas tanks when talk turns to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Michael Simari | Car and Driver Battery Electric Vehicles That said, these types of vehicles never have to be plugged in for a recharge, as they can always run in their hybrid mode. Many plug-in hybrids also deliver performance and fuel-economy benefits when working in cooperation with the gas engine.Īs the name implies, a plug-in hybrid can be plugged in to recharge its battery pack. Oftentimes, the benefits of a plug-in hybrid go beyond the fuel savings realized by cruising on battery power. A plug-in hybrid employs a larger battery, one that’s capable of powering the vehicle on electric power for a significant distance, typically in the range of 20 to 50 miles before the gas engine needs to kick in to help.ĭrivers of a fully charged 2o23 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, for example, can drive an estimated 38 miles on battery power alone before the gas-fed engine fires into action. The differentiator here is the size of the battery pack. Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid Electric VehiclesĮven the most techno-phobic car shopper will quickly grasp the difference between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The recently discontinued BMW i3 city car was available with a series hybrid powertrain. The gas engine is there only to serve as an onboard generator to recharge the battery and add range. By contrast, a series hybrid employs a similar layout, though only the electric motor powers the car. Unlike plug-in hybrids and battery electrics, a hybrid never needs to be recharged using a plug and outlet.īecause the gas engine and electric motors work together to power the vehicle, the Prius is what’s known as a parallel hybrid. Energy is fed back to the battery by the car’s regenerative braking system. The Prius can drive purely on electric power for short periods of time, though only at low speeds. Keep in mind, this is the same basic engineering blueprint used in a plug-in hybrid vehicle, though we’ll touch more on PHEVs in a moment.įor example, the 2023 Prius's 150-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder is paired with two electric motors, and these three power sources are combined in a way that creates a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which metes out power to the front wheels. A hybrid’s powertrain consists of an internal-combustion engine paired with at least one electric motor and a battery pack. The most popular example of the breed, the fuel-sipping Toyota Prius, has been on sale for more than two decades. Hybrids are the most common electrified cars. Let’s look at their similarities and differences, along with the pros and cons of each type. That’s why it doesn’t make the cut in this list of four electric car categories. While this technology helps save fuel or add extra power as needed, this type of hybrid-assist system cannot power a vehicle without the use of the gasoline-fed engine. An example is the Ram 1500 full-size pickup, which comes standard with the brand's eTorque hybrid-assist system fitted to its 3.6-liter V-6. You might have heard the term “mild-hybrid,” too. When automakers promise to “fully electrify” their lineup of vehicles, they’re typically talking about offering a combination of vehicles that fall under one of the four aforementioned categories. Future EVs: Every Electric Vehicle Coming SoonĮlectrified cars and trucks can be broken down into four main categories: hybrid electric vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV battery electric vehicles (BEVs), including the Tesla Model 3 and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, such as the Toyota Mirai.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |