

Unlike a conventional hybrid vehicle, a PHEV will run on electric power until the battery depletes. It still combines an electric motor (powered by batteries) and an internal combustion engine, but a PHEV's battery can be charged via an electric power outlet. How PHEVs workĪ plug-in-hybrid vehicle runs different from your standard hybrid vehicle. It can also activate if the car goes over a certain speed. This allows the HEV to accelerate from standstill before switching over to gas when the accelerator pedal is pressed down to a certain angle.

The electric motor is integrated into the transmission to serve as a source of propulsion. In a standard HEV, the petrol engine is the primary source of power for the vehicle, while the electric motor acts as a secondary power source by using kinetic energy. This means a hybrid car can function more efficiently by utilising both the electric motor and petrol motor as and when needed.Īlthough most hybrids use similar technology, there are some differences between Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). This makes a hybrid engine very different from a standard petrol or diesel engine as it does not solely rely on one source of power, instead using two.

How is this different from a petrol or diesel engine? Unlike in a standard car, where power is supplied solely by an internal combustion engine (ICE), a hybrid vehicle uses a combination of electric battery power and a combustion engine.
