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Early hybrids could be charged from an external source before operation. The Lohner–Porsche Mixte Hybrid, produced as early as 1899, was the first hybrid electric car. History įurther information: History of plug-in hybrids The Lohner–Porsche Mixte Hybrid was the first gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid automobile.
Plug in hybrid series#
GM calls its Chevrolet Volt series plug-in hybrid an "Extended-Range Electric Vehicle". Other popular terms sometimes used for plug-in hybrids are "grid-connected hybrids", "Gas-Optional Hybrid Electric Vehicle" (GO-HEV) or simply "gas-optional hybrids". These currents are known as Alternating Current (AC) used for on board chargers and Direct Current (DC) used for external charging. įor these cars to be battery operated, they go through charging processes that use different currents. For example, a PHEV-20 can travel 32 km (20 miles) without using its combustion engine, so it may also be designated as a PHEV32km. Terminology Ī plug-in hybrid's all-electric range is designated by PHEV- or PHEV km in which the number represents the distance the vehicle can travel on battery power alone. As of December 2019, China had the world's largest stock of PHEVs with 767,900 units, followed by the United States with 567,740, and the United Kingdom with 159,910. Īs of December 2019, the global stock of PHEVs totaled 2.4 million units, representing one-third of the stock of plug-in electric passenger cars on the world's roads. The top-selling models are the Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV, the Chevrolet Volt family and the Toyota Prius PHV. By the end of 2017, there were over 40 models of highway-legal series-production PHEVs for retail sales, and are available mainly in China, Japan, the United States, Canada and Western Europe. Mass-produced PHEVs have been available to the public in China and the United States since 2010, with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt which was the best selling PHEV until the end of production in 2019. A PHEV's battery pack is smaller than all-electric vehicles for the same vehicle weight (due to the necessity to still accommodate its combustion engine and hybrid drivetrain), but has the auxiliary option of switching back to using its gasoline/ diesel engine like a conventional HEV if the battery runs low, alleviating range anxiety especially for places that lack sufficient charging infrastructure. Compared to conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), PHEVs have a larger battery pack that can be charged from the power grid, which is also more efficient and can cost less than using only the on-board generator, and also often have a more powerful electric output capable of longer and more frequent EV mode driving, helping to reduce operating costs. solar, wind or hydroelectric) and largely emission-free, or have an overall lower emission intensity than individual internal combustion engines. These centralized generators may be of renewable energy (e.g. Similar to all-electric vehicles (BEVs), PHEVs displace greenhouse gas emissions from the car tailpipe exhaust to the power station generators powering the electricity grid. Most PHEVs are passenger cars, but there are also PHEV versions of sports cars, commercial vehicles and vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, mopeds, and even military vehicles. If you head off with a flat battery, you'll be dragging around dead weight, but if plugging in every night becomes part of your routine, you'll make the most of the technology underneath your vehicle.A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle ( PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engine-powered generator. Therefore, optimising the fuel efficiency of a PHEV often comes down to your charging regime. This weakness might appear to contradict a plug-in hybrid's low fuel consumption figures, though it's worth noting that the litres-per-100 km figure assumes you've ventured off with a fully-charged battery.
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What is a plug-in hybrid EV? Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) can offer the advantages of a battery-electric vehicle without sacrificing the peace of mind that comes with having an internal combustion engine (ICE) under your bonnet.įor the average Aussie commute, most PHEVs can run on electricity for emissions-free motoring, but will function as a conventional hybrid if the battery runs out.Ī downside compared with regular hybrids is that the pure-electric driving range requires a bigger battery, which often makes for a heavier and less fuel-efficient vehicle than comparable hybrids, and even some ICE vehicles when using the engine alone.
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