Comparing Hybrid Cars, Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, and EVs

In recent years, drivers started to actively seek out eco-friendly automobiles to limit their impact on the environment. Automakers like Chevrolet have responded by creating environmentally-friendly powertrains. Don’t be surprised if a Chevrolet EV ends up at the top of your must-see list of eco-friendly automobiles.

Hybrid Cars

When you contact our Chevrolet dealership, we’ll explain that hybrid cars are exactly what their name implies – vehicles that have a hybridized powertrain. A hybrid vehicle has an internal combustion engine along with at least one electric motor and a battery pack.

Those components work together in harmony to propel you forward. Hybrid vehicles typically rely on their brakes to keep their battery packs charged. A hybrid car normally has regenerative brakes that act as a generator when you attempt to slow or stop the vehicle.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Automobiles

Drivers who visit Kearny Mesa Chevrolet are often curious about the way hybrid cars differ from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The main difference between them is that PHEVs can be charged using an external power source, such as a public charging station or even a regular household outlet.

Although hybrid cars and PHEVs still consume fuel and release emissions into the atmosphere, they use less fuel and therefore release fewer emissions than their gas-only brethren. For this reason, they’re markedly eco-friendlier than traditional automobiles that rely exclusively on fuel for propulsion.

Electric Vehicles

If you’re located near our Chevy dealership and type “new cars near me” in a search bar, we’ll probably show up in your results. As you’ll see, our inventory includes Chevrolet EV models like the Chevy Bolt.

Also known as BEVs or electrics, battery electric vehicles are the eco-friendliest automobiles you can find. These vehicles rely on their battery packs and electric motors for power exclusively. EVs can cover a lot more ground using electricity than hybrids and PHEVs, and many of them are eligible for fast charging.

Since they don’t consume gas at all, EVs don’t have many of the components that conventional cars have. For example, EVs don’t have an engine, exhaust, or fuel tank, which means lower maintenance costs across the board.

Are you ready to shrink your carbon footprint with a Chevrolet EV? Visit our Chevy finance center near Escondido, CA to apply for an auto loan or lease now.