How does a battery electric vehicle work?

In simple terms, energy is stored in a large battery, which drives a powerful electric motor. Easy. To charge it, simply plug it into a home chargepoint, or a public charger when you’re out and about, and the car will take care of the rest. Plug it in at home, and you wake up every morning with a ‘full tank’* – in the case of the e-Niro, that’s a potential 282-mile range! The car then drives on battery power alone, there is no need to add petrol or diesel. It can even add charge to the battery while you are driving by recovering energy that would normally be lost – when braking for example.

What are the benefits of going electric?

There are many substantial benefits to owning a battery-electric car. Here are just few reasons to Stop Wondering. Start Driving.

Cheap to run

Luckily, being kind to the environment is also good for your wallet – electricity is much cheaper than petrol or diesel, so your journey may cost less than a third of what it would in a combustion-engined car. And that’s before you take into account the fact that battery-electric vehicles can also travel in the UK’s new and upcoming Clean Air Zones – and London’s Congestion Zone – for free.

Zero Emissions

There are no exhaust emissions from the tailpipe of an electric vehicle – in fact, it doesn’t even have a tailpipe – this is particularly helpful for improving air quality in urban areas.

Charge at home

Another major perk is home charging. Imagine waking up every day with a ‘full tank’. You can get a £500 OLEV grant to help you pay for the home charger, too. Just plug in when you get home, and your car takes care of the rest

Relaxing drive

Of course, electric cars are incredibly quiet inside, making for a relaxing atmosphere. Driving is easy, too, because electric motors produce maximum torque at all revs, so acceleration is instant.

What is it like to drive an electric car?

Rather fun, actually. Electric cars are incredibly responsive. That’s because unlike combustion engines, electric motors produce maximum torque at any rpm. So you can enjoy brisk, instant acceleration at any speed without worrying about gear changes – all that torque means electric cars only need one forward gear!

Handling can be impressive, too. Because the batteries are in the floor, electric cars have a low centre of gravity, which helps minimise body roll while making the car feel planted, providing a fun, dynamic drive.

If efficiency is your main concern, there’s an eco mode, too. For some everyday context, the average UK commute is just 10 miles – so the average person could do more than two weeks of commuting without needing to charge once.

Most charging with an electric car is done at home. But If you want to top up on the go, there are more than 7,000 public charging locations in the UK, and most of them have multiple connectors.

How does a plug-in hybrid car work?

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) works in a similar way to a self-charging hybrid– there is a petrol engine that works with an electric motor and a battery. In a plug-in hybrid, the battery is much larger than in a self-charging hybrid. This means the car is able to travel around 30 miles on battery power alone – more than enough for the UK average daily commute – but it can also call on the petrol engine for longer trips.

Like a self-charging hybrid, the battery can be charged a little while driving, but for the full benefit, you will need to plug in. Charging a PHEV should take less than three hours. Put this all together and you can enjoy miles of low-cost, all-electric driving while still having a petrol engine for those rare long distance trips. Perfect.

What are the benefits of a plug-in hybrid?

There are plenty of benefits to owning a plug-in hybrid car, here are some of our favourites.

Flexibility

If you aren’t quite ready to go fully electric, a plug-in hybrid is the perfect compromise. You get around 30-miles of electric driving, which should be more than enough for most journeys, but you always have the petrol engine to fall back on if you’re planning a longer trip.

Zero emissions driving

Most of your driving will be on battery power, which is particularly helpful for improving air quality in urban areas.

Cheap to run

Electricity is much cheaper than petrol or diesel, so when running on battery power, your journey may cost less than a third of what it would in a combustion-engined car. There are tax incentives, too. VED is lower for PHEV drivers, and for company car drivers BIK tax is also reduced. There’s even an OLEV grant available that puts £500 towards your home charger.

Charge at home

Home charging is a major perk. Imagine waking up every day knowing you have 30 miles of electric range. Even if you’re low on fuel, you know you’ll have plenty of range to get to a filling station. You can get a £500 OLEV grant to help you pay for the home charger, too. Just plug in when you get home, and your car takes care of the rest.

Relaxing drive

When running on battery power, PHEVs are incredibly quiet inside, making for a relaxed atmosphere. Driving is easy, too, because electric motors produce maximum torque at all revs, so acceleration is instant.

What’s it like to drive a PHEV?

Relaxing and rather fun, actually. When running on battery power, PHEVs are very responsive, because unlike combustion engines, electric motors produce maximum torque at any rpm. Acceleration is instant.

Most charging in the UK is done at home, but If you want to top up on the go, there are more than 7,000 public charging locations in the UK. Or, you can simply let the petrol engine take over when you run out of charge.

All you have to worry about is driving as you normally would, while reaping the benefits of improved fuel economy and lower emissions.

How does a self-charging hybrid car work?

In terms of how you use it, a self-charging hybrid car works just like a conventional car – there is no need to plug in – simply fill up with petrol at the pumps, and off you go! So what does hybrid mean? It’s pretty simple, along with a petrol or diesel engine, hybrid cars also have an electric motor that is powered by a small battery. The aim of the electric motor is to assist the engine and occasionally drive very short distances on battery power – as opposed to driving long distances on battery power alone as a plug-in hybrid or a battery-electric vehicle would.

The battery is charged by recovering energy that would otherwise be wasted – when slowing down for example. The battery then feeds this energy to the electric motor to help with acceleration or to drive the car at low speeds. This means lower emissions, better fuel economy and more money to spend on the things you enjoy. Great!

What are the benefits of a self-charging hybrid car?

There are several benefits to owning a self-charging hybrid car.

Lower emissions

Because the electric motor can assist with acceleration, there is less strain on the engine. This results in lower emissions. The electric motor can also take over at low speeds – in stop-start traffic in town centres for example. That means the engine doesn’t have to be running for as long, which results in cleaner air for everybody.

Reduced running cost

Using less fuel is not only good for the environment, it’s also good for your finances! Improved fuel economy means less money spent on fuel, and less time wasted at the pumps. The lower emissions also mean a reduced VED rate and lower BIK tax.

Doesn’t require you to make any changes

If you aren’t quite ready to switch to a plug-in vehicle, or don’t have the option of a home charge point, hybrid cars might be the solution you’re looking for. A hybrid car doesn’t require you to do anything different than you would do in a conventional car. The car’s clever electronics take care of how the energy is recovered and used. All you have to worry about is keeping it topped up with petrol.

Relaxing drive

The assistance from the electric motor means the engine doesn’t have to work as hard and that makes for a quieter journey. The added torque also means effortless acceleration for a more relaxing driving experience.

What is it like to drive a self-charging hybrid car?

Very similar to driving a conventional car, but with a few bonuses. The best part is that the car’s clever systems decide how to use the battery and electric motor in the most efficient way possible. You just need to drive as you normally would, while enjoying improved fuel economy and lower emissions.

If you want to have more of a say, you can change driving modes to encourage the car to focus on economy, or if you want a more dynamic drive, you can switch Sport mode. You will also notice that the car is quieter, particularly around town, thanks to the assistance from the electric motor.

How does a mild hybrid car work?

A mild hybrid car works in a very similar way to a self-charging hybrid car, but it has a smaller battery. Because the battery is smaller, a mild hybrid cannot drive on battery power alone – unlike a self-charging hybrid in which the motor can take over at low speed or when cruising.

Instead, the petrol or diesel engine does the majority of the work and the electric motor is there to provide assistance. This means the engine doesn’t have to work as hard, which means lower emissions and increased fuel economy. The battery is charged by recovering energy that would otherwise be wasted – when slowing down for example. There is no need to plug-in a mild hybrid, simply keep it topped up with petrol or diesel as you would with a conventional car.

What are the benefits of a mild hybrid car?

There are many substantial benefits to owning a mild hybrid car. Here are just few reasons to Stop Wondering. Start Driving.

Lower emissions

Because the electric motor can assist with acceleration, there is less strain on the engine. It also allows the engine to switch off more regularly – when coasting for example. This means lower emissions and cleaner air for everybody.

Reduced running cost

Using less fuel is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your finances, too! Improved fuel economy means less money spent on fuel, and less time wasted at the pumps. The lower emissions could also mean a reduced VED rate and lower BIK tax.

Relaxing drive

The assistance from the electric motor means the engine doesn’t have to work as hard and that makes for a quieter journey. The added torque also means effortless acceleration for a more relaxing driving experience.

Doesn’t require you to make any changes

If you aren’t quite ready to switch to a plug-in vehicle, mild-hybrid cars might be the solution for you. A mild-hybrid car doesn’t require you to do anything different than you would do in a conventional car. The car’s clever electronics take care of how the energy is recovered and used. All you have to worry about is keeping it topped up with petrol or diesel.

Lower initial cost

While a mild hybrid doesn’t offer the same level of benefits as a full self-charging hybrid, the mild hybrid’s smaller battery means the initial purchase cost is lower.

What is it like to drive a mild hybrid car?

Almost exactly the same as a conventional car. You will notice that the engine stops more often thanks to the assistance from the electric motor. Acceleration is more immediate thanks to the added torque from the electric motor, and fuel economy is improved.