What's the Difference Between Plug-in Hybrid and Hybrid Electric Vehicles?

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There are several key differences between plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicles: 1. Plug-in hybrids have two drive systems that can completely power the car in pure electric mode, such as BYD's Qin and Tang models. Hybrid electric vehicles are non-plug-in hybrids, like the Toyota Prius, Corolla Hybrid, Camry Hybrid, Kia Niro, and Honda CR-V Hybrid. 2. Hybrid vehicles have very small battery capacities that only supply/recover energy during start/stop and acceleration/deceleration. They cannot be charged externally and cannot operate in pure electric mode. Plug-in hybrid vehicles have relatively larger batteries that can be charged externally and operate in pure electric mode. Once the battery is depleted, they switch to hybrid mode (primarily powered by the internal combustion engine).