We have some new terminology in the so-called "electric motor vehicle" field. So far we've had true EVs that ran on batteries driving electric motors. And we've had hybrid EVs, I happen to own one of these. What is new is EREV technology. Motor Trend explains the difference. Hat tip to Instapundit for the link.
What's EREV mean? It stands for extended-range electric vehicle, and it's distinct from the plug-in hybrids Hyundai and others more commonly offer. As the name implies, it's an EV, with a decent-sized battery powering electric motors that in turn propel the car down the road.The whole range-extender part comes in the form of an internal-combustion engine whose sole purpose is to act as an onboard generator for the electric bits. Simply fill the tank with gas, and you can extend the vehicle's effective range beyond a set radius surrounding an EV charger, with the engine kicking on to generate electricity when the battery's initial charge is depleted.A plug-in hybrid operates differently, typically with far more limited EV-only range, and the gas engine not only can charge up the battery but also is a primary motivator that can directly power the drive wheels, helping propel the vehicle along.
Present day hybrids provide power to the wheels from both electric motors and their gas engines. The new EREVs will provide all power to wheels from their electric motors, and use their gas engines only to spin the generators making the electricity after their batteries run down.
The EREV advantage will be a larger battery than hybrids have, meaning the owner who has a charging station their garage will do all their around-town driving to work and shopping on battery power. The gas engine will fire up on longer trips and when away from chargers for extended periods.
