EV and Hybrid Vehicle Glossary

Tuesday 26th September 2023

With EV vehicles becoming more popular, and the deadline for the ban of new petrol and diesel cars in 2023, if you’re considering making the switch from petrol or diesel to electric, the amount of jargon around the subject can be off-putting. In this guide, we’ll provide definitions for some of the common terms you’ll come across relating to EV and hybrid vehicles.  

If you currently own an EV or Hybrid vehicle, don’t forget that our team is fully qualified to carry out hybrid servicing, MOTs and more.   

Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Vehicle Definitions

EV: This literally stands for Electric Vehicle. A vehicle powered by electricity.  

Hybrid Vehicle: This type of vehicle uses a combination of internal combustion, such as petrol or diesel with an electric motor to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.  

BEV: A BEV stands for Battery Electric Vehicle, which is a vehicle that relies purely on an onboard battery pack for propulsion, with no combustion engine.  

PHEV: A PHEV stands for a Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle. A hybrid vehicle that’s battery can be charged by plugging it into an electric outlet, this gives it an extended electric-only driving range.  

Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Battery Definition

BMS: This stands for Battery Management System, which is an electronic system that monitors and measures different aspects of the battery and battery performance, including its state of charge, battery health, temperature, and voltage.  

SoC: This refers to the State of Charge, which is how much energy is currently stored in the battery relative to its maximum capacity. This is usually displayed as a percentage, so it might say you have 35% battery for example. 

SoH: This refers to the battery’s state of health and ability to hold a charge.  

C-rate: This refers to the rate the battery is charged in relation to its capacity, and it also relates to the rate the battery is discharged. For example, a 1C rate would mean it takes 1 hour to get to full charge, a C-rate of 0.5 would take 2 hours to get to full charge.  

DoD: DoD stands for Depth of Charge, which is the percentage of the battery’s capacity that has been discharged during use.  

Battery Thermal Management: The thermal management of a battery is the method used to regulate the temperature of the battery to prevent it from over-heating. 

Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Vehicle Charging Definitions

Charging Station: A charging station is where electric vehicles can be plugged in and recharged.  

Slow charging point: A slow charging point is mostly used for home charging and some public charging points, and typically uses a standard household power outlet of 230 volts. This is commonly used for overnight charging.  

Fast charging: Fast charging refers to a charging point that is commonly found in public car parking spaces. They charge at 230 volts at a higher power source and can charge vehicles much faster than slow charging points.  

Rapid Charging: Rapid charging is the fastest charging option available and utilises DC current. It’s often found along major roads and motorways. 

EV Vehicle and Hybrid Vehicle Driving Definitions

Regenerative braking: This refers to the way EV’s can transfer the slowing momentum of the vehicle into additional charge to the battery. 

All electric range: How far the vehicle can drive on electric charge alone.  

MPGe: This stands for the Miles Per Gallon Equivalent. This is how far a vehicle can travel on 33.7kWh, the equivalent of one gallon of gas.  

mpkWh: Otherwise referred to as miles per kilowatt-hour, this demonstrates how much power output relates to the distance travelled.   

For more advice about how to extend your EV’s driving range read our guide. Looking to?service your hybrid vehicle? Simply locate your?nearest Formula One Autocentres?or?contact our specialist team?to find out more.