Most people may think that electric vehicles are a modern innovation compared to the internal combustion engine found in standard vehicles today. However, electric cars predate the internal combustion engine, and creative inventors in the early 1800s were exploring many designs to replace the horse and carriage. By the time cars became common across the nation in the 1900s, the limitations of electric vehicles at the time prevented them from becoming as useful as modern cars with gas-powered engines.
Since the 1960s, however, car manufacturers have begun to explore electric vehicles’ potential again. For a long time, the technology wasn’t there to get comparable performance and range, so electric vehicles were more “curiosity” than “commonplace,” Increased pressure from consumers and various state governments, however, drove manufacturers to continue work on these designs. Major auto manufacturers such as Ford and Toyota even put several electric designs on the road before the year 2000.
Since then, hybrid vehicles have expanded on the market, dramatically improving fuel performance by using electric batteries for low-speed, high-torque situations and relying on engine combustion at higher speeds. In the 2020s, both electric vehicles and hybrids have been claiming a larger market share than before, both becoming common sights driving on the road next to conventional combustion engine vehicles. But what sets these vehicles apart?
How Electric Vehicles Work
Modern electric vehicles all rely on battery-based systems to drive. These batteries must be charged regularly to operate, which means they must be plugged in at charging stations, particularly while traveling longer distances. They don’t use any chemical fuel such as gas or diesel, so there are no fuel tanks, fuel lines, or combustion components.
When charged, the battery powers an electric motor that drives the wheels to make the car move. Modern electric vehicles feature integrated computer systems to better control the motor and provide the right amount of power to maximize battery life while allowing improved performance. As many of the components in electric vehicles involve rare metals and other expensive materials, these vehicles have a reputation for costing a bit more than the average car.
Hybrid Vehicle Performance and Design
Hybrid vehicles combine features from electric vehicles and conventional cars by possessing an electric battery and motor along with an internal combustion engine. These vehicles draw their energy from fuel like a conventional car and also use the electric motor at their least fuel-efficient times, which include while using lower gears and starting. Hybrid vehicles generally charge their batteries by drawing power from the combustion engine when it’s on and capturing energy that would otherwise be wasted when pressing the brake pedal.
Due to hybrids’ ability to rely on an electric motor during their least fuel-efficient driving times, hybrids boast impressive fuel efficiencies compared to conventional vehicles. Further, hybrids’ engine performance inverts when they’re most fuel-efficient, showing higher miles per gallon ratings for city rather than highway driving — the opposite of conventional cars’ performance. As a result, those who drive almost exclusively in highway settings may not see much improved efficiency with a hybrid compared to a conventional vehicle.
The Practical Differences Between an EV and a Hybrid Vehicle
There are significant differences between these styles of vehicle. While hybrid vehicles measure efficiency in terms of miles per gallon just like conventional vehicles, electric vehicles instead measure range based on battery life. Those who drive a lot may save a good amount of money on gas when using an electric vehicle. An EV requires more infrastructure, such as a good place to plug in the car every night. For longer trips, it’s also important to plan out where the car can charge along the way. Hybrid vehicles do not have these extra considerations; they just have to be refueled at a gas station when the tank is running low.
Hybrid vehicles also are typically less expensive in terms of purchase price than electric vehicles. While electric vehicles may produce zero emissions on the road, it’s still important to consider that the power they use comes from somewhere. As of 2015, about a third of power in the U.S. was produced from burning coal, according to The Guardian, so depending on from where a particular power grid draws its power from, electric vehicles could, in a way, be burning coal rather than gas to run. Further, electric vehicles rely on batteries made from materials that can be toxic and detrimental to the environment during the mining process. Therefore, those who are interested in this option should do some research regarding how they get their power before deciding on whether to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle.