It seems as though electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars are going from strength to strength, with 2018 set for another strong year of growth.

When the electric cars first came onto the scene, they weren’t designed to appeal to the masses, however, models such as the BMW i3, Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe have proven that they don’t need to be cramped, unattractive or compromised – a move which has evolved the market and what we sell now and will sell more of in the future.

Electrified cars offer many advantages over their petrol and diesel rivals, especially if most of your driving is around town. Not only do they help you save money on fuel and be more environmentally friendly, but they attract greatly reduced road tax or are exempt entirely.

Charging an electric car is much cheaper than keeping up with fuel costs. Despite their not being as much electric charging ports readily available, they are increasingly being installed throughout countries and most ranges now travel up to 150 miles between charges, reducing the panic of dead batteries.

Purchasing an Electric Vehicle

The harder sell in the first place is the price. Electric cars are (dealership dependant) more expensive to purchase than its contrasting powered opponents. With that being said, most qualify for a government grant that helps reduce the price in the long run. Take the UK for example, if you get a car that emits less than 50g/km of CO2 and can travel at least 70 miles on electric power alone, you’d receive a grant of £4,500. If it can get 10-69 miles on electric power, you get £2,500 off the purchase price. A strong incentive for buyers. Depending on what you offer as a company, it can work well to over trade in incentives for older diesel cars for newer models.

Types of Electric Car

Alternatively Fuelled Vehicle (AFV)

A car that doesn’t use the conventional petrol or diesel engine.

EV

As you may guess, this stands for electric vehicle and refers to cars that run solely on electric power. Here an engine, they have an electric motor that is powered from batteries. They are often exempt from road tax or congestion charges.

Hybrid / HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle)

These use both a petrol/diesel engine as well as an electric motor. These cars never need to be charged as the engine works to charge the motor through braking technology, however, they can’t run for long on the electric-only power.

PHEV / Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle

PHEVs work in the same way as regular hybrids, but they need their electric batteries charged from an external power source. They have a greater range than regular EVs.

Hydrogen Electric Vehicle

These cars mix hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electrical power, however, they are highly expensive so they aren’t as common.

Batteries 

Lithium Ion

Typically, most electric hybrid car batteries are made from lithium-ion battery technology. These were first implemented and changed the market in the industrial industry, with li-ion batteries becoming the normal standard for a forklift battery. They are commonly used in laptops, mobile phones or household appliances.

Ah

Occasionally, these car batteries are measured in Ampere Hours (Ah) – the BMW i3 is known for using this type.

kWh

Electric Car batteries have a capacity, which is measured in Kilowatt Hours (kWh). The Tesla models for example typically have 85kWh batteries. It has a range of around 250 miles so on average that makes it 34kWh per hundred miles.