List of Terms Related to Electric Vehicles

Glossary of Terms for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

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Is Climate Change man-made? Well, we're all linguists here at Cyber Definitions, so don't listen to what we've got to say on the matter. You should, however, probably listen to the various national and international institutions that specialize in how man-made and natural factors affect the climate, and they, quite clearly, are telling us that Climate Change is man-made. Now, we all have our own opinions, and we shouldn't be sheep, but we shouldn't be conspiracy theorists either. At some point, you have to believe somebody. For me, the national and international institutions seem by far the safest bet.

Anyway, all that aside, diesel and petrol cars, especially in urban areas, undoubtedly smog-up the air we breathe, so their days are numbered. As more and more iKids (Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen A) move out of their bedrooms and onto the roads and as governments continue to raise road tax on older cars, so more and more of Gen X's diesel and petrol air-besmirching engines will be consigned to the scrap heap.

We are at the start of the end for fossil-fuel combustion engines. Their demise is inevitable and will be brought on for reasons of planet protection, pulmonary protection, and pocket protection. So, it won't be too long before we're all driving around in electric vehicles, or, at the very least, hybrid vehicles. Why do we care? Well, the growth of the electric-car industry in the last decade has given rise to dozens of new terms that will soon become commonplace for drivers.

list of terms and abbreviations for electric and hybrid vehicles

Below is a table of new terms and abbreviations related to electric and hybrid vehicles. (If you know a term we've missed, please tell us using this form.)

Term and Definition

Meaning

AFV

Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Any vehicle that runs on a fuel other than traditional petrol or diesel.

BEV

Battery Electric Vehicle

A vehicle with an electric motor powered entirely by batteries.

E-REV

Extended Range Electric Vehicle

Means exactly the same as EREV (below).

EREV

Extended Range Electric Vehicle

A type of plug-in electric vehicle that is powered by an electric motor, but which uses a small petrol or diesel generator to produce electricity to charge the battery when it is depleted. (Also known as E-REVs.)

Electric Vehicle

The umbrella term for any kind of electrified vehicle.

FCEV

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicles that use a hydrogen fuel cell to power an electric motor, which drives the vehicle. (Also known as FCVs.)

FCV

Fuel Cell (Electric) Vehicle

Means exactly the same as FCEV (above).

HEV

Hybrid Electric Vehicle

A type of electric vehicle that uses either petrol or diesel fuel as the main power source for the engine, and also has a small electric motor which assists the internal combustion engine.

ICE

Internal Combustion Engine

The type of engine used to power most non-electric power-generating devices, including vehicles. An ICE works through igniting and combusting the fuel within the engine itself.

PEV

Plug-In Electric Vehicle

The blanket term for any electric vehicle with a plug socket. (Also sometimes called PIVs.)

PHEV

Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

The type of electric vehicle that uses either petrol or diesel fuel to power the engine, and also has batteries to power an electric motor.

PIV

Plug-In Vehicle

Another way of saying PEV (above).

RE-EV

Range-Extended Electric Vehicle

Another way of saying EREV (above.)

REx

Range-Extended Electric Vehicle

Another way of saying EREV (above.)

Regenerative Braking

A feature of electric vehicles that allows the kinetic energy generated through braking to be sent to the battery for use in powering the vehicle.

RPH

Range Per Hour

A metric by which the power of electric vehicle chargers is rated. RPH allows drivers to estimate how far they can go after a specific period of charging.

V2G

Vehicle to Grid

The concept of feeding the energy stored in an electric vehicle battery back into the grid.

V2X

Vehicle to Everything

Technology that allows a vehicle to communicate with traffic infrastructure, control systems, and other vehicles.