Sometimes hearing people talk about EVs can feel like they are speaking Kling-on. So, in this blog, we have put together all the terms to help you translate ‘electric car language’.

What do all the vehicle types mean?

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) / Electric vehicle (EV): An electric vehicle that only runs on battery power.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): A vehicle with an electric motor (battery) and a petrol or diesel engine. It can drive solely on electricity from the battery but the internal combustion engine engages once the electric battery runs out of charge. You can plug-in the car to charge the battery.

Hybrid (HEV): A vehicle with an internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor. Normally the internal battery covers low-speed journeys (under 20mph) and can’t be charged separately. Once the charge depletes, the battery recharges using the internal combustion engine or upon braking.

Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV): These are not necessarily electric vehicles, they are cars that produce extremely low carbon emissions. It’s worth checking the ULEZ car checker on the Government website to check your vehicle’s ULEZ status here.

Internal Combustion Engine (ICE): A vehicle that runs on either a petrol or diesel motor - using fossil fuels and producing tailpipe emissions - not nice!

EV Jargon Buster!

When you are looking for your first (or next) electric vehicle, you may be faced with different terminology that differs when searching for a more traditional petrol or diesel car.

So here are some key terms to understand when selecting the right EV for you.

EV: This stands for electric vehicle.

Range: The miles or kilometres (depending on your location) that your EV can drive on a single charge.

Battery capacity: Every EV comes with a different battery capacity i.e. the size of the physical battery! The higher the kWh, the further you can travel. So put simply, the bigger the battery capacity, the longer the range.

kW (kilowatt): The measurement of charging speed. It expresses how fast the charger can transfer energy to the car. Charging speeds vary from 3kW trickle chargers to 350kW ultra rapid chargers.

kWh (kilowatt hours): The measurement of an electric car battery capacity, it varies between 20 kWh and 100 kWh depending on the EV you’re looking at.

Efficiency (miles per kWh): This calculates how far you can travel for every kWh of power in your EV. Again, this varies per EV, but is also driven by driving style and other driving conditions such as weather.

Maintenance costs: The maintenance costs for an EV are much cheaper than that of an ICE car. This is mainly due to the fact that EV’s do not have an engine, and most just require basic tyre, air filter and other checks every two years. If you do lease a brand new electric car more often than not maintenance is included in the cost - plus you get a manufacturer warranty which covers most mechanical faults.

Top Up Charging: AKA the habit of charging your vehicle whenever you are parked normally while you are running errands. This is common with EV drivers that do not have home charge points, they work charging into their daily routine. It also can help avoid range anxiety.

En-route charging: The practice of charging your car (usually at rapid charging points) in the time it takes you to pick up a coffee or to stretch your legs during long journeys. This is more for long drives than day-to-day.

ICE’ing: When an internal combustion engine (ICE) is parked in a parking space allocated for EV charging, stopping electric cars from charging. Our Head of Growth, Gaurav, wrote an article about ‘charging etiquette’ here.

RFID cards: These cards use the same technology as travel cards, RFID cards are used by older charge points to allow access to some electric car chargers.

Range anxiety: This is when electric car drivers are afraid that they are going to run out of charge on their journey or before they are able to get to a charge point. Find out more in our article - range anxiety, is it real?

Range per hour (RPH): Miles of range per hour i.e. how many miles you can add to your car whilst charging your car.

Pre-conditioning: This is when drivers prepare their electric car before charging it - heating the battery in the winter or cooling it in warmer conditions to allow for more efficient charging. Pre-conditioning can also be used before setting off on longer journeys, to help the battery work as efficiently as possible before longer journeys.

Vehicle to Grid (V2G): Using an electric vehicle to send power back into the electrical grid to supply energy at peak times. This can only be performed on some models of EV and require a V2G charge point as well.

Single-phase power: Usually found at most UK homes and some businesses - these are our traditional, all standard 3 pin plug sockets. Single-phase electricity can power a charge point up to 7kW.

Three-phase power: Typically seen at industrial or motorway charging sites, this power provides 22 kW charging from three alternating currents.

The rapid charge paradox: The idea that you spend more time waiting for your EV to charge at faster chargers.

Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ): An area where vehicles that produce high carbon emissions are charged a fee to enter the boundaries. The aim of this is to improve the air quality within the area. You can read more about this on our Blog here.

Single vs dual motor

Single motor EV: An electric vehicle which has one electric motor powering either the front or rear wheels. A single motor variant typically has one electric motor that powers the front or rear wheels of the EV.

Dual motor EV: A dual motor variant has one motor powering the front wheels and another powering the rear wheels.

On a dual motor variant, the front two wheels are powered by one motor and the rear two are powered by another motor. The one advantage of this is that it gives the vehicle more power due to the extra electric motor. Another advantage is that the second motor allows for all-wheel drive.

All-wheel drive systems in electric cars are more advanced than your typical petrol or diesel car. The benefit of the second motor is that the vehicle can choose where to divert power to, for example if the front axle loses traction the vehicle can cut power to it in order to stop it affecting the performance.

A single motor variant is the one for you if you are looking for the best range however, the dual motor is the clear choice if your priority is performance.

Charging your electric car

What does AC and DC mean?

AC: Short of Alternating Current (AC), is an electric current that needs to be converted into power that your electric car needs to run

AC (alternating current) charging is slow, this is because the charger sends the current to the car for it to convert the power before sending it to the EVs battery.

DC: Direct Current (DC) is the type of electricity an electric motor needs in order to run

DC (direct current) charge points convert the energy before delivering it to the vehicle, making it a faster alternative.

AC charging is usually for home charge points, DC charge points are common at public chargers.

What charging connector to use when you plug-in your electric car

Type 1:

This image is sourced from Podpoint

A five pin plug with a clip that is typically found on US manufactured EVs such as; Nissan, Mitsubishi and Vauxhall. This type of connector is being phased out as it is not as fast or efficient as Type 2 which we’ll explain below.

Type 2:

This image is sourced from Podpoint

The most common type of EV charging connectors. A seven pin plug with a flat top typically used by European brands such as; BMW and VW. This connector is found at most charge points. It locks into the socket requiring the driver to release the connector, this stops other people unplugging the charger (yes, unfortunately this can happen).

Combined Charging System (CCS):

This image is sourced from Podpoint

A DC rapid charging connector which is basically an adapted version of a Type 2 plug. It looks like a Type 2 with 2 additional holes below it.

CHAdeMO:

This image is sourced from Podpoint

A round four pin plug for DC rapid charging. Typically compatible with brands such as Nissan and Mitusubishi. This can allow for Vehicle to Grid (V2G) but will provide less power and require two sockets.

UK 3 pin:

The standard UK plug - same one you will find for your toaster! This can be used to charge all electric vehicles, however it is not as safe or quick as the standard Type 1 and 2 charging connectors.

How fast can I charge my electric car?

This image is sourced from BCD Travel

Slow charger (AC): A slow charger, sometimes referred to as a ‘granny charger’ or ‘three pin charger’, are typically home chargers with speeds of up to 6kW AC and can take up to 12 hours to fully charge an EV battery.

Fast charger (DC): The most common type of charger provides speeds between 7kW and 22 kW AC. These are mostly home charge points but also can be found at public charging networks.

Rapid Chargers (DC): A type of fast charging that offers a rate of 50 kW, it can typically recharge an electric vehicle from 10-80% in around 40 minutes. You can normally find this type of charge point at public charge stations.

Ultra-rapid charging (DC): These types of chargers are even faster than rapid chargers, most are rated at a minimum of 100 kW, although there are some charge points appearing to be 350 kW chargers. At the time of writing this, Ultra-rapid charge points are rare.

Tesla Superchargers: Superchargers are Tesla's own network of chargers, there are around 2,500 worldwide and are mostly at service stations around the UK. They are rated at up to 150 kW (at the time of writing), and can recharge a Tesla to 80% in around 30 minutes.

They were exclusively for Tesla drivers only, however are now compatible with various other cars.

Smart charging: This is a feature that allows you to set charging preferences. For example, setting the preferred charging level, time to charge till, minimum charge level.

Trickle charging: The slowest form of charging typically used for long overnight charges at home. It can be using either your everyday home charge point or a 3 pin plug.

How many miles can I travel in my electric car?

When it comes to the range of electric cars, there are three important numbers to understand: Manufacturer’s Claimed Range and Efficiency, WLTP and Real World Range. We appreciate it’s confusing that there are three different measurements, so we’ve broken them down for you below.

Manufacturer’s Claimed Range and Efficiency: The range if driving conditions work in your favour. It is normally the most optimistic range, but not as common as WLTP certified range.

WLTP-Certified range: In Europe, every electric car is tested against a standardised metric for range. This is normally the type of range you see when the industry talks about EV range. WLTP measures the range of a car from 100% to 0% when it’s travelling at an average speed of 28.8 mph in summer temperature.The reason for this is to help you compare it to other vehicle makes and models.

Real World range: Real World Range is the actual range of an EV, however always bear in mind that there are many factors that affect the range of an electric vehicle. Warmer temperatures with sunshine are going to be kinder to your EV’s battery range than winter. Also consider road conditions, weight of the car and your driving behaviour.

Real world range is going to be lower than WLTP as an EV rarely uses its battery to 0% (same as you wouldn’t run on an empty fuel tank in a petrol or diesel car!). But this number will give you a more realistic idea of the range you will experience in your EV.

In short, WLTP is what manufacturers use to advertise electric vehicles, and real world range is what you should expect from that car.

EV features explained

With electric cars, there are lots of new features you wouldn’t find in an ICE car.

On top of that, some car manufacturers rename some of these features for their brand, for example, Autonomous Driving, Tesla calls it Autopilot, and Polestar has Pilot Assist but in a nutshell it is assisted driving - see confusing! You are welcome.

Genesis electric car driving — This image is sourced from Banden Winkels

Charge Point Locator: Some electric cars have a feature that notifies you when the EV battery is low and where the nearest compatible charge point is. The sat nav will plan your route with charge points in mind - making your journey as carefree as possible.

Regenerative Braking: This is when an electric car uses the action of braking to send energy back to the battery and prolong the range. It pushes energy back into the battery improving the range and efficiency of the car.

Autonomous Drive Mode: Similar to adaptive cruise control you find in a ICE car, Autopilot is a driver assistance system where the car drives itself. It enables your car to steer, accelerate and brake in order to stay in its lane, however it still requires driver supervision for safety reasons. The point of this feature is to help you relax on those longer journeys - as electric cars are designed to enhance your driving experience.

Heat pump: Since electric cars don’t have hot engines to keep the car warm in the colder months, you need to have the heating on more often than you would in an ICE car. Some EVs, such as Polestar and Tesla, have a heat pump that warms the cabin using evaporation and condensation. In simple terms, it is a device which draws small amounts of energy to transfer heat from outside air to the car’s battery.

Keyless Entry: Some electric vehicles have a feature that allows for keyless entry, this means that you do not need to physically unlock the car. This feature, also known as a smart remote, allows the driver to unlock the car through your vehicle’s native app.

There are a lot of different terms around EVs, and with the developing new technologies in the industry, this list will grow.

But, have no fear - our goal is to support you throughout your electric car journey so we will be your EV translator.

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