Yahoo Autos Hybrid vs Plug-in vs Electric: Understanding the Among These Vehicle Types
If you visit a dealership, you’ll realize that the future of the automobile has arrived. Gone are the days that the Toyota Prius was the only green vehicle to choose from, as hybrids have become so mainstream that nearly every automaker offers them. And hybrids aren’t the only option for eco-minded drivers. There’s a growing list of plug-in hybrids to choose from as well as full electric vehicles. Popular gasoline models like the Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, and Hyundai Santa Fe have both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions available. What are the differences between hybrids and plug-in hybrids? And how do these vehicles differ from electric vehicles?
To help understand the differences among these vehicle types, we’ve covered how these three powertrains generate power and what makes each design unique. We’ve also explained what needs to be taken into account when determining which vehicle type is right for you.
How Do Hybrid Cars Work?
In the last 20 years “hybrid” has become a common automotive term, even if the technology behind it isn’t widely understood. The hybrid’s place in everyday speech can be credited to one car: the Toyota Prius. Introduced in Japan in 1997, the Prius was the first mass-produced vehicle to combine gas and electric power for enhanced fuel efficiency. In 2001, it was first exported to America, arriving in U.S. showrooms shortly after the first-generation Honda Insight hybrid (a model that never achieved the visibility and sales volume of the Prius)
At the time, the Prius was a revelation. The nondescript compact sedan (the familiar hatchback design wouldn’t arrive until 2003) was rated by the EPA at 41 mpg in the combined city/highway cycle. To put that in perspective, the Toyota Corolla of the time was rated at 30 mpg combined.
The secret to the stellar fuel economy of the Prius is its hybrid powertrain. Hybrids use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor-generator to produce power. It has a large battery pack that supplies power to the electric motor. Depending on the situation, hybrid cars can operate exclusively on electricity or gas, or use both power sources simultaneously.
There are two main types of hybrids: full hybrids and mild hybrids. Full hybrids typically start with electric power before switching over to gas at a certain speed. Under heavy throttle, the gas engine works together with the electric motor to provide maximum acceleration. Once at cruising speed, the gas engine takes over. Mild hybrids are similar, but cannot operate only on electricity. They instead augment the gas engine in all situations, including initial take-off.
In both hybrid designs, cruising speeds allow the gas engine to simultaneously charge the battery by running the electric motor in reverse direction. The regenerative braking systems found in most hybrids serve the same purpose, using the spinning wheels from the slowing car to drive the electric motor in reverse – called regenerative braking – and recharge the hybrid battery pack.
The battery packs in hybrids are smaller than the packs used in plug-in hybrids and full electrics. This is because hybrids do very little all-electric driving, thereby significantly reducing the load on the electrical drive system. The operation of both the regenerative brakes and the engine is enough to keep the relatively small hybrid battery pack sufficiently charged, negating the need to ever plug in.
Plug-In Hybrid Cars
The massive success of the Prius paved the way for further research into automotive hybrid technology. The resulting industry fervor led to the development of plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) were a natural next step from the standard hybrid. One limitation of the conventional hybrid is that it doesn’t provide any sort of all-electric driving beyond initial acceleration. The plug-in hybrid rectifies that by using a larger battery pack and upsized electric motor. The added battery capacity is what provides that all-important all-electric range.
But even a plug-in hybrid’s large battery packs run down quickly, and in most models, the total range of all-electric driving generally ranges from 20 to 40 miles of gentle driving. Some, like the Toyota RAV4 Prime, manage 42 miles to a charge. After the electric range is depleted, the car reverts to operating much like a traditional hybrid. The battery pack won’t regain enough charge from regenerative braking and gasoline-engine operation to run as an electric. The only way to fully recharge a plug-in hybrid is to plug it in.
All Electric Cars
Full electric cars - also known as battery electric vehicles (BEVs) - need to be plugged in as well, but they provide all-electric range that’s often equivalent to an entire tank of gas. Tesla pioneered the electric car revolution with the performance-oriented and technologically-advanced Tesla Model S sedan, which debuted in 2012. Tesla has introduced additional vehicles since then, including the Model X, Model Y, and Model 3, but it was the original Model S - and the impact it had on the collective automotive culture - that led other brands to pursue full electrification. Today, electric cars and crossovers can be purchased from a variety of brands from mainstream to exotic, including Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Lotus, and Porsche.
Ditching the gas motor entirely, electric cars rely on at least one motor to directly drive the front or rear wheels. These motors get their power from a large battery pack. In order to provide enough charge for long-distance motoring, the battery pack in a full electric is much larger than what’s found in a plug-in hybrid. It’s why many electrics are 5,000-pound machines - a good half-ton heavier than comparable gas-engine vehicles.
To help compensate for their excessive weight, electric vehicle batteries can be packaged under the floor, freeing up hood space and lowering the center of gravity. The latter is important: from behind the wheel, a lower center of gravity provides better handling and enhances the driver’s confidence in the car’s abilities. Even electric crossovers like the Jaguar I-Pace drive more like sport sedans due to having the brunt of their weight underneath the car.
