Electric Vehicle Glossary & Hybrid Car Glossary

Charging Point: A location where an electric vehicle can be charged.

EV: Electric vehicle. (hybrid vehicles may also be called "EVs")

E-REV: Extended Range Electric Vehicle. These vehicles have electric motors and can meet the needs of most commuters. They also have (typically small) gas engines that increase their range significantly, allowing long-distance travel. In E-REVs, the purpose of the gas engine is to keep the vehicle's batteries charged.

Fast Charge: A charging capability that can fully charge a vehicle in 3 to 4 hours.

HCU: Home charging unit. A charging device for use at the driver's home. HCUs provide safety features that prevent fires and other dangers.

Hybrid: A car that employs both an electric motor and a gas engine. "Hybrid" may also be used as an adjective, as in "He likes hybrid cars." Usually, "hybrid" refers to a car that is charged by its own ICE and can't be charged by an electric charging station.

ICE: Internal combustion engine. An engine that runs on petrol, diesel or another fossil fuel.

kWh: Kilowatt hour. A unit of energy that equals the energy consumption in one hour by one kilowatt of power. 3.6 megajoules.

Li-ion Battery: Lithium ion battery. A type of battery that generally holds a strong charge for about a decade, after which the range of the vehicle will start to decline and the owner may decide to replace the battery.

MPGe: Miles per gallon equivalent. 33.7 kWh of electricity is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline, for the purposes of this metric.

PHEV: Plug-in hybrid vehicle. A hybrid vehicle that can be plugged into a charging unit and typically has 10 to 15 more miles in its range, compared to standard hybrids.

Rapid Charge: A technology that allows charging to 80% in 30 minutes or less. It reduces the lifespan on the battery, on the downside.

Range: The distance a vehicle can travel on a single charge or tank of fuel.

Regenerative Braking: A technology that helps to slow the vehicle while simultaneously charging its batteries.