Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are powered by rechargeable electric batteries and can be charged from an external electrical source. They are more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles and can also contribute to the grid through vehicle-to-grid systems. PEVs include fully electric vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is a car, truck, sports utility vehicle, or other type of vehicle that is powered entirely by rechargeable electric batteries and is recharged by plugging the vehicle into an external electrical source, such as a wall outlet. Plug-in electric vehicles have been at the forefront of alternative fuel options for transportation, including biodiesel and fuel cell technology. PEVs fall into the category of electric vehicles, which includes fully electric vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
A plug-in electric vehicle motor can be charged from the mains, just like anything that plugs into a wall outlet. This means that they are also classified as Grid-Enabled Vehicles (GEVs). The charged batteries are used to drive the wheels. PEVs and hybrids use regenerative braking, meaning the braking systems in these cars use the kinetic energy of braking to recharge the on-board batteries.
Cars that run on rechargeable storage batteries that can be replenished from an external electrical source are called “off-vehicle charging capable” (OVCC) or simply “plug-in”. Like the fuel tank of a truck powered by an internal combustion engine, plug-in electric vehicle batteries store the charge provided by the outlet or charging station. This differentiates them from all-electric cars or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), because BEVs get their charge from removable batteries recharged outside the car or, in the case of buses and other public and civic transportation, cables above the roads or grids under the street.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles combine the OVCC traits of PEV with those of traditional internal combustion engines. As in hybrid vehicles, the car’s plug-in electric batteries are meant to supplement the gasoline engine, but the plug-in hybrid’s larger batteries allow the car to run in electric vehicle (EV) mode for extended periods of time. . This means that plug-in hybrids are capable of great fuel efficiency during periods of non-stop driving on the highway.
Traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) are highly inefficient at converting fuel to energy, and as such are expensive to maintain and relatively polluting, because less efficient conversions leave behind a large amount of waste material. Most of the people who bought plug-in electric vehicles early in the realization of the concept did so out of a strong sense of environmental responsibility, that is, a desire to protect the environment from pollution. If one is motivated to reduce one’s environmental impact or “carbon footprint”, a PEV might be a good place to start. However, the buyer should consider the impact that charging a vehicle from home on the electrical grid will have on their electricity consumption and utility bill.
Another benefit of plug-in electric vehicles is something called vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems. These systems are part of the utility infrastructure and allow energy stored in the batteries of a parked PEV to be returned to the grid. Electricity flows in the direction of least resistance, so excess energy from idle batteries returns to the source, just like water. Therefore, owners of plug-in vehicles in areas that offer V2G services can make a useful amount of money by selling that residual power back to the city.
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