EV (Electric Vehicle) is the general term for vehicles with some form of electric motor drive.
EVs can be cars, trucks, motorbikes, bicycles, planes, etc. In fact, the term ‘EV’ can be applied to any form of motor propelled vehicle that incorporates an electric motor as a propulsion source.
When it comes to cars and trucks, there are four distinct types of EV that we generally hear about today. These are are shown in figure 1 below:
For further information on each type of EV, see the separate FAQs on BEV, PHEV, HEV, FCEV and Types of PHEV.
See also articles: ‘What’s in a name?’, ‘Who killed the hydrogen car?’ and ‘PHEV subtypes’.
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.