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Battery Electric Vehicle (BEVs) Battery electric cars rely only on the battery pack to power the engine, which means the range is generally fairly limited. The one exception currently is Tesla; their Model S has reached a range of around 270 miles or 430 kilometers ??? although the numbers Tesla provides must be taken with a grain of salt, because the range depends largely on the size of battery pack you choose, how fast you drive, how cold or warm the weather is, whether you are using air conditioning or not, etc.

As mentioned, no other car manufacturers build only BEVs, but many companies are offering them in addition to their plug in hybrids and traditional gas or diesel powered cars. In addition to Tesla, the best known examples are the i3 from BMW, the Chevrolet Spark EV, the Mitsubishi i MiEV and the Nissan LEAF.

The Gigafactory is a big statement from Musk, and a clear sign that Tesla believes the world is ready for full electrics. The biggest problem BEVs have is the lack of charging stations, and the time it takes to fully charge the battery pack. Tesla is working on building their Supercharger network to solve the issue, but other car brands are currently not able to use the Supercharger network. Of course, the lack of range only becomes an issue when you need to travel longer distances than a typical daily commute to work and back.

Another hurdle that BEVs need to cross is the high price of purchase. Once again, this is something Tesla is looking to remedy, and a large number of potential buyers are eagerly awaiting the launch of Model 3. However, the Model 3, Teslas lowest priced EV starting at 35 000, is still not an inexpensive car by any means.

Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

Plug in hybrids have a conventional gas or diesel powered engine in addition to a battery pack. Hybrids are popular because they combine long range and low fuel consumption. PHEVs can be recharged from an outlet and the battery pack can be used for short distances. Once the power runs out, they can be recharged, or the driver can rely on the engine to keep driving. PHEVs are, of course, not as environmentally friendly as full EVs or fuel cell EVs, but pollute significantly less than traditional cars. BMW i8, Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius Plug in and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV are some well known examples of plug in hybrid electric vehicles on the market today.

Conventional hybrids with gas powered engines and electric motors are actually not considered electric vehicles and cannot be recharged from the power grid. They are powered entirely by a gasoline engine and regenerative braking. The best known examples of HEVs are Toyota Prius, the first truly successful hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)

The last option for the green thinking consumer is the fuel cell powered FCEV cl. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles usually operate by converting hydrogen gas into electricity to power an electric motor. The conversion process of hydrogen gas to electricity produces only water and heat, which means the FCEV cl is the only cl of EVs together with BEVs that can be clified as zero emissions vehicles.

Theres one major difference between FCEV and BEV vehicles, though, and that is the Achilles heel of BEVs: lack of range. FCEVs rival modern gas engines in range and fueling is just as easy, with about five minutes needed to fill the fuel cell.

So why are there not more FCEVs on the road today? The technology is relative new, which means the biggest problem is lack of fueling infrastructure and, of course, as vehicle production numbers are currently low, the price per unit is high. Of the few FCEVs currently on the market, the Hyundai Tucson FCEV is only available for lease, and prices for the most sold FCEV to date, Toyota Mirai, start at around 58. There are also many problems ociated with the production and storage of hydrogen, which well dig into a bit later.

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