All-electric vehicles run on battery power alone.

Zero fuel. Zero emissions on the road. So, they’re better for the environment and, with government purchase incentives, reduced road tax and no penalties in some low emission zones, they’re good for your wallet too.

These days, Hybrid Vehicles (HEV) are an increasingly common sight on the road. This is especially true in cities and urban areas, where their fuel efficiency in a typical city can be an advantage.

As with Mild Hybrid (MHEV), these vehicles have an internal combustion engine, but they also have a larger battery and more powerful motor. This provides more assistance to the engine and enables the vehicle to drive parts of short journeys at low speeds using the electric motor alone. Thanks to the conventional engine, this can help improve driving range. This is because the vehicle is capable of using both battery and the internal combustion engine.

Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) have all the functionality of full Hybrid technology, with the added advantage that they can be charged from an external electricity supply.

The larger capacity of the battery makes them capable of zero-emissions while driving for ranges of up to 30 miles (50 kilometres), with the ability to switch to Hybrid mode to conserve battery life and to petrol or diesel-only for longer journeys.

The internal combustion engine is assisted by an electric motor. At low speed, or when stationary, the engine can switch itself off and the 48V starter-generator seamlessly restarts when needed.

The separate 48V Li-ion battery is automatically recharged by regenerative braking during coasting and braking. There is no requirement to connect the battery to a power source.