The 3 Types of Common EVs and charging solutions

EVs are gradually taking over the automobile market. Despite the emergence of COVID-19 and the resulting supply chain bottlenecks, there is still significant growth in the electric vehicle (EV) market. Compared to 2021, sales of new electric vehicles in 2022 have increased by 15%. 

If you’re also deciding to switch to an EV, we’ve prepared everything you’ll want to know about the most common types of electric cars: battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV),  hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)—and how we can charge them.

Battery Electric Vehicle

Battery Electric Vehicles, also called standard EVs, are fully electric vehicles with rechargeable batteries and no gasoline or internal combustion engines. Instead, BEVs are entirely run by batteries and electric motors. Thus, BEVs are designed to be compatible with most EV chargers, including DC fast charging, Level 1 and Level 2 charging.

BEV Examples:

Tesla, BMW i3, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Ford Mustang Mach-e, Hyundai Ioniq Electric, 
Kia Niro EV, Lordstown Endurance, Lucid Air Dream Edition

Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Hybrid electric vehicles run on both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. All energy of the battery is obtained through regenerative braking and movement, meaning there is no need to charge. Thus, this type of EV cannot be plugged into the grid for charging, nor can an EV Charger be used.

HEV Examples:

Toyota Prius, Toyota Corolla, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion Hybrid SE Automatic etc.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

The only difference between PHEVs and hybrid electric vehicles is that PHEVs have a battery, and are able to plug into the grid to recharge. However, compared to standard EVs, PHEVs have a shorter battery range. For Charging, PHEVs can charge with a level 1 & level 2 charger, but most are not capable of supporting DC fast charging.

PHEV Examples:

Hyundai Sonata, Jeep Wrangler, Audi A3 E-Tron, Chevy Volt, Toyota RAV4 • Volvo XC90 TB