EV - any vehicle that uses electric motors, either in full or in part, as propulsion
ICE - Internal Combustion Engine, an engine powered through the burning of fossil fuels
BEV - battery electric vehicle, a vehicle that solely relies 100% on battery power or pure EV
PHEV - plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, a vehicle that has a connection to plug into an electrical socket or charging station but also has a gas tank; typically, this vehicle will run on battery power until it’s depleted and then switch over to gas
EREV - extended range electric vehicle with the electric motor driving wheels; features an auxiliary power unit, usually an internal combustion engine, which acts as a generator to recharge the battery when it runs out
Hybrid - a car that integrates a small battery and an electric motor to enhance the efficiency of the engine. The battery’s charge is maintained by the internal combustion engine (ICE) and cannot be charged by plugging into an electrical supply. Hybrids can offer greater fuel economy than a traditional ICE but can only travel very short distances on electric power only
EVSE - Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment is the technical name for the box, cord and plug that controls the safe current flow to fuel an electric vehicle
Charge - “fueling” a vehicle with electricity, not gasoline. Just like your cell phone, the vehicle will work on a partial or full charge. Charge time varies depending on the size of the battery and the amount of electric current being supplied, i.e. Level 1, 2 or 3 (Fast Charging)
Fast charge - charging at a higher current that will fully charge an average electric car in three to four hours. Also known as Level 3
Charging point - location where electric vehicles can plug in and get charged, whether at home, at work, or in publicly accessible locations. Also referred to as a charging station, which may be equipped with one or multiple ports to accommodate one or multiple EVs charging simultaneously
State of charge (SOC) - usually found on the dashboard display and shows the remaining battery level in percentages
Range - distance you can travel on pure electric power before the battery requires a recharge
Range anxiety - concern or fear of running out of charge while driving a plug-in EV
Range per hour (RPH) - miles of range per hour of charge
Kilowatt hour (kWh) - unit of energy equivalent to the energy transferred in one hour by one kilowatt of power. Electric car batteries are measured in kilowatt hours
Regenerative braking - a method of braking in which energy is extracted from the parts braked, to be stored and reused
Level 1 charging - involves powering the EVSE via a typical wall socket. In the U.S. this is typically a 120 V AC outlet. In European countries where there may be higher current at the wall, charge speeds can be quicker
Level 2 charging - charging from a 240 V AC outlet, and typically with higher amperage too. Amperage current makes a difference in charge rates – thus not all “level 2” charging is equal
Level 3 charging - also known as DC fast charging or DC quick charging and not available for homeowners. This is high amperage, high voltage – typically 480 volts – that can charge a battery pack 80 percent full in about 30 minutes more or less