.png&w=128&q=75){kind=small}
HEV vs PHEV vs EV: What Is The Difference?
Posted in Plug In Hybrid Vehicles
Article by Downtown Toyota Brisbane’s Jon Wimhurst -Senior Toyota Sales Consultant
A lot of the confusion is just in the wording. Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid, Electric, HEV, PHEV, EV. If you are around it every day, you get used to those terms. But if you are a customer and you are just trying to buy the right car, it can sound like a lot of jargon.
So I would keep it simple. A normal Hybrid does not plug in. A Plug-In Hybrid does plug in, but still has petrol. A full EV plugs in and is electric only.
A normal Hybrid does not plug in
A normal Hybrid, or HEV, does not need to be charged from the wall. You put fuel in it and drive it. The hybrid system uses the petrol engine and electric motor together, and it recharges itself through driving and braking.
That is why I always explain to people, “No, you do not charge this one.” You drive it, you brake, you stop and start, and the car looks after that side of it.
A Plug-In Hybrid gives you more electric driving
A Plug-In Hybrid, or PHEV, can be plugged in. That gives you the ability to use the electric side of the car properly for shorter driving, but it still has petrol and hybrid backup.
That is the key difference. It is not a full electric car. It is not only relying on charge. It gives you petrol, hybrid and electric in the one vehicle. That is why I call it almost three in one.
A full EV is electric only
A full EV is different again. There is no petrol engine. You charge it, and you drive it on electricity. For the right person, that is great. But it does mean charging becomes a bigger part of the ownership experience.
You need to think about where you charge, how long it takes, what range you need, and how it fits your driving. Some people are ready for that. Some are not. None of those options are wrong. They are just different answers for different drivers.
To find out more about your options with the Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Electrified contact Jon and the team at Brisbane’s Downtown Toyota today.
About Jon
Jon Wimhurst is a Senior Sales Consultant at Brisbane’s Downtown Toyota and has been around Toyota for a long time, starting back in Sydney in 1986 and recently celebrated 25 years with Downtown Toyota. Jon and his wife love their Toyota RAV4. Jon’s approach with customers is pretty simple. He looks to understand what his clients are actually using the car for, what their day-to-day looks like, and which features are genuinely going to matter once they drive out of the dealership. He is not just looking at a spec sheet and saying, “This is the one.” He asks his clients questions on what the car needs to do for their lifestyle before he matches a vehicle to them.
