What’s the difference between EV and PHEV?
Electric cars are the talk of the town these days due in part to cheaper priced offerings from Chinese manufacturers. Their existence is meant to help wean us off fossil fuels and embrace the “future”. But did you know that EVs aren’t a monolith? Instead, they are comprised of two different schools of thought.
There are EVs and then there are PHEVs. The former is an abbreviation for electric vehicles, which solely rely on its electric motor for propulsion and a battery pack to supply electricity. Though they come in various shapes and sizes, they operate the same way.
What’s An EV Like?
An example of this is the Tesla Model 3. It’s a mainstream “affordable” EV that’s available in two versions. There’s the all-wheel-drive unit that features dual electric motors and the rear-wheel-drive one with a single motor that powers the back wheels.
The long-range AWD has a battery pack that offers a range of 629km (WLTP) while the RWD can cover 513km (WLTP) on a single charge. As you’d imagine, the former due to its larger battery and dual motor setup is heavier at 1,828kg. The latter with its simpler setup weighs 1,765kg.
Charging speeds are different as well because the AWD car can accept 250kW supercharging, while the RWD car can only be charged at 170kW. Both cars can receive 282km of range by being charged for just 15 minutes.
What’s A PHEV?
Other EVs in the segment will be similar in terms of how they work, the range offered and charging speed. PHEVs on the other hand are a little more complicated. PHEV stands for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, and they rely on both a conventional petrol engine and an electric motor for propulsion.
The idea here is that the electric motor assists the engine, when possible, to reduce overall petrol consumption. Though it’s a more complicated setup than a regular EV, many people prefer PHEVs because they rely on proven technology (ICE) to keep them going even as the battery pack gradually degrades over time.
An example of a PHEV is the latest Toyota Prius. It has a 2.0-litre petrol engine that is assisted by an electric motor. Working together they offer a total output of 220hp. It offers a range of about 70km on electric power alone. Once the battery is depleted or the motor overwhelmed, the petrol engine kicks in to take over.
The Toyota Prius has a charging port like a full EV to recharge its batteries and a filler for the petrol tank on the other side of the car. You can fill up either one, and cover long distances without experiencing any range anxiety. PHEVs are also called hybrids because they combine petrol power with electric propulsion.
Some people consider PHEVs as more practical than EVs because they have a longer service life and the cost of replacing their battery packs is significantly cheaper than a full-fledged electric vehicle. But as the latter get more advanced, hybrids will no longer be the better option.
