So the world is moving forward. Electric vehicles are obviously here to stay, you might as well take the time to understand the differences between them. From an EV, a BEV, PHEV, MHEV and REEV, there are several types of vehicles in the market, and so many abbreviations thrown around, understanding what it all means can make a world of difference; initiating you into the world of automotive electrification in support of Oman’s movement towards carbon neutrality, and enabling you to make the right choice and select the right electric car for you.
Let’s begin with the one you know best - petrol vehicles. ICE is the term you need to remember here. ICE stands for Internal Combustion Engine, used to refer to petrol vehicles. Yes, the ones powered by fossil fuels, the ones EVs and their counter variations are trying to replace. While not the best for the environment, it's still a great option for long drives which don’t have accessible charging stations. For the nomadic traveler crossing the desert today, ICE would still be the more convenient and viable option.
Onto the next, EV and BEV both stand for Electric Vehicle and Battery Electric Vehicle, these terms are often interchangeable and used to refer to your fully electric vehicle. To be clear, fully electric means a vehicle that runs solely charged by electricity (yes, it matters to differentiate this, you’ll soon understand why). These vehicles are heavier because lithium-ion batteries weigh heaps; up to several hundred kilos.
Next are our hybrid variations: PHEV, FHEV, MHEV and more recently, REEV. Hybrids refer to the vehicles which use both Fuel and Battery. By the end of this article you’ll know your way around them! While all 4 hybrids improve fuel efficiency, they do this on different scales and in different ways. So it's great to understand these differences in order to choose the hybrid that best suits your needs.
Bring Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, PHEV, to the stage: both electric and fuel powered, contain both a lithium-ion battery and a fuel tank. Note the lithium-ion battery here is smaller than their fully electric counterpart, but they do the job, with one supporting the other these hybrids use both less fuel and less electricity; positively contributing to the environment while still addressing the need for fuel, where and when required. PHEV’s give the driver the convenience of switching to either all electric or all gasoline as needed. Which is a great option if range anxiety is a concern, and a wonderful way to ease the transition to fully electric.
Next - the FHEV, a Full Hybrid Electric Variant, often referred to as self-charging. The FHEV requires no charging point and uses excess power generated during braking to charge the battery. It can run on either a combustion (ICE) engine or a lithium-ion battery (for short distances), as well as a combination of the two.
The next variant is the MHEV- the Mild Hybrid Electric vehicle, commonly known as a mild hybrid, is different from the full hybrid. This variant has both power sources (electric and combustion) working together alongside each other, and never independently from one another. While primarily powered by an ICE, MHEVs require additional input from their electric motors and cannot be driven in all-electric mode.
Finally, we bring you the REEV - the Range Extended Electric Vehicle. To keep it simple, think of it as a flipped around version of the PHEV. REEVs feature a larger electric battery with a range extender in the form of a small petrol engine to act as back-up in case of emergency, not to be confused with the PHEV which has a smaller battery alongside a gasoline engine to provide power when the battery is depleted.
There you go, now that you’re informed, you’re ready to begin your transition into the world of electric mobility.
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