Electric Vehicles at Pentagon Vauxhall

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are becoming more popular with drivers in the UK. But with so much information available and the technology changing so frequently, it can be daunting to start researching ahead of swapping from a conventional engine. To help anyone considering swapping to an EV, Pentagon has gathered everything you need to know without getting too technical.

There are 4 main types of Electric Vehicle. Any vehicle that doesn't use a conventional petrol or diesel internal combustion engine is known as an “Alternative Fuel Vehicle”. This is an umbrella term rather than a specific type of vehicle.

The 4 main types of EV are:

1. BEV
   This is an electric vehicle that runs solely on electric power.  There is no option to use conventional fossil fuels in the vehicle. Rather than using an engine, the power comes from an electric motor and batteries which are charged by plugging in to a power source. Most people typically think of cars when picturing BEVs, but there are also a number of small vans on the market.
2. Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
   Often just called a “hybrid”, a HEV has a regular engine plus an additional electric motor and batteries. The batteries cannot be connected to an external power supply to charge them but are instead charged when braking. A HEV cannot run for extended periods using just electric power, but uses the motor to improve fuel efficiency.
3. Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (mHEV)
   An mHEV is a variation of the HEV, but an mHEV has a smaller battery. The smaller battery means that mHEVs cannot run on purely electric power for any distance. As with a HEV, the electric motor is used to supplement the engine to improve start-stop capabalities and increasing efficency.
4. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
   A PHEV works in the same way as a regular HEV but the battery can be charged. A PHEV can run for longer distances than a HEV using just the electric motor. Typically 30-40 miles can be achieved, so a short commute could be done with zero emissions and the combustion engine kicks in if you ever run out of power.

There is also a 5^th type of electric vehicle but these are less common. Hydrogen Electric vehicles use a fuel cell to mix hydrogen and oxygen generating electric power and emitting only water. Hydrogen can be pumped into the car in much the same way as diesel or petrol. However, these typically expensive than other forms of electric vehicle and there are currently less than 15 hydrogen fuelling stations in the UK.

Batteries and Charging EV Ownership Vauxhall Hybrid & Electric Vehicles