What Does Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Mean?
2 Answers
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, abbreviated as PHEV, is a new type of hybrid electric vehicle. Different from traditional hybrid vehicles that combine gasoline power with electric drive, the driving principle and unit of plug-in hybrid vehicles are the same as those of electric vehicles, with the only difference being that they are equipped with an engine. Broadly speaking, plug-in hybrid vehicles can be understood as having both an electric motor and an engine, both of which can provide power output. The vehicle body is equipped with a charging port, allowing the onboard battery to be charged using a charging station. The difference between plug-in hybrid vehicles and ordinary hybrid vehicles: ordinary hybrid vehicles have very small battery capacities, which only supply and recover energy during start-stop, acceleration, and deceleration. They cannot be charged externally and cannot travel long distances in pure electric mode. Plug-in hybrid vehicles have relatively larger batteries, can be charged externally, and can travel in pure electric mode. Once the battery is depleted, they switch to hybrid mode (mainly powered by the internal combustion engine) and recharge the battery as needed.
I've noticed more and more plug-in hybrid vehicles on the streets these days. Simply put, these are hybrid models that can be directly charged from a household power outlet. Driving these cars is incredibly convenient – for city commuting, you can mostly rely on electric power, with 100 yuan covering over a thousand kilometers, and you don’t have to worry about charging stations on long trips. I’ve tried several plug-in hybrid models, and the pure electric mode is exceptionally quiet, with the engine completely off. During traffic jams, it feels just like driving an electric car. However, the battery typically offers only a few dozen kilometers of range. Once depleted, it automatically switches to hybrid mode, where fuel consumption is still much lower than conventional cars. They’re also practical in areas where charging stations aren’t widespread, making them far more hassle-free than pure electric vehicles.
