| Term or Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
| AC (Alternating Current) | Alternating Current – An electric current that reverses direction at regular intervals. |
| AER (All-Electric Range) | The range any EV is able to reach solely using electricity. |
| AEV (All-Electric Vehicle) | Also called BEV (Battery-Electric Vehicle). A vehicle that runs on an electric motor only, using on-board batteries that you can plug in and recharge. |
| Amp (A) | Unit of electric current. |
| Battery Management System | An electronic system within the Vehicle that manages and protects the battery. |
| BEV (Battery Electric vehicle) | Battery Electric Vehicle- A 100% battery-powered Electric Vehicle. |
| BMS (Battery Management System) | Any electronic system that manages a rechargeable battery by monitoring and reporting on its state. |
| CHAdeMO Plug | The more common trade name for a quick charging system allows for charging capacities up to 50 kW at appropriate public charging stations. The following manufacturers offer electric cars which are compatible with… the CHAdeMO plug: BD Otomotive, Citroën, Honda, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Subaru, Tesla (with adaptor), & Toyota. |
| Charge Circuit Interrupting Device (CCID) | A safety protection component within an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) that reduces the chance of a person getting an electric shock. |
| Charging | Refilling an electric car’s battery with electricity. |
| Charging Point | The location where electric vehicles can be plugged in and charged, whether at home, work or in a public accessible location. |
| Charging Station | An element of infrastructure that safely supplies electric energy for the recharging of electric vehicles, also known as an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment). |
| Combined Charging System | Another method to quickly charge electric vehicles through a special electric connection. CCSs often use the SAE J1772, which is the North American electrical standard for Electric Vehicles. |
| Connector | A device attached to the cable from an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) that connects to an electric vehicle allowing it to charge. |
| DC (Direct Current) | Direct Current – An electric current of constant direction and is the type of power that comes from a battery. |
| DC Fast Charging | The fastest (high powered) way to charge electric vehicles quickly with an electrical output ranging from 50kW – 350kw. This will fully charge an average electric car in 30 to 40 minutes. |
| E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) | An AEV/BEV that has a range extender (usually a small internal combustion engine) to increase range. |
| EV (Electric Vehicle) | A broad category that includes all vehicles that are fully powered by Electricity or an Electric Motor. |
| EVB (Electric Vehicle Battery) | A battery that is used to power the movement of a BEV. |
| EVD (Electric Vehicle Driver) | Anyone who drives an EV. |
| EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) | Infrastructure designed to supply power to EVs. EVSE can charge a wide variety of EVs including BEVs & PHEVs. |
| FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) | Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle – A vehicle that uses a fuel cell, usually hydrogen-based, to generate electricity that runs an on-board motor. |
| GHG (Green House Gas) | A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. Examples include carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons. |
| HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) | An HEV utilizes a dual system of electric propulsion and an internal combustion engine. |
| Hybrid (conventional) | A vehicle with an electric motor and a full-sized internal combustion engine that uses regenerative braking to charge the motor. |
| ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) | An ICE is powered by combustible fuel, often petroleum or natural gas products. Regular gasoline powered vehicle. |
| ICEV (Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle) | All vehicles that are powered by Fossil Fuels are ICEVs. |
| IEC 62196 | Also known as the Mennekes, it is a type of connectors that is used to charge Electric Vehicles in Europe. |
| Incentives | Many governments offer incentives to encourage buyers to choose an electric car. Incentives for EVs can include grants towards the purchase price, free parking, zero road tax, low company car tax and exemption from city emissions and congestion charges. |
| kW | Unit of power, 1000 Watts equals 1kW. |
| kWh | Unit of power sustained for 1 hour; i.e. 1000w for 1 hour equals 1kWh. |
| Level 1 Charging | On-site circuit/outlet delivers 110-120V of alternating current. Typically, a “cord set” is used to connect to a 120V wall outlet at 15, 20 or 30 amps, which usually comes with the EV. The output to the vehicle is AC current. Cord sets provide a way of charging while at home or away on a trip where a quicker-charging Level 2 unit is not available. The low power flow leads to long recharge times. Due to this long recharge time, a large majority of electric vehicle owners will install and use a higher power Level 2 unit. |
| Level 2 Charging | Charging at 208-240V, using an installed outlet. Takes 4-5 hours to fully charge an EV with a 100-mile battery. |
| Level 3 Charging | Also known as DC charging, the fastest method of charging for all EVs. It can fully charge an EV battery in about half an hour. |
| Level 3 Charging | Also known as DC charging. Charging at 480 volts with a direct-current (DC) plug. Level three chargers are much less common due to high cost and much higher power requirements. |
| LIB (Lithium-ion battery) | This is the current standard in electric vehicle batteries, offering good energy density, power, and fast charging ability. The life of a lithium-ion battery is estimated to be the same as the life of the car (eight to ten years). Of course, ‘end of life’ here does not mean a car or its batteries won’t work – after 10 years a lithium-ion battery is expected to be 80% still efficient, so they will still be usable – replacement will be a choice, not a requirement. |
| Molten salt battery | A type of battery that utilizes molten salts as an electrolyte. |
| MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) | MPGe is determined by seeing how far a vehicle can travel on 33.7kWh of energy, the equivalent energy in one gallon of gas. Used for comparing fuel efficiency of EVs and ICEVs. |
| MPkWh (miles per kilowatt-hour) | The estimated miles an EV can go on one kilowatt-hour of battery. A more relevant measurement for EV owners as they plan their driving and charging. |
| NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle) | BEV’s that are limited to streets with lower speed limits, typically around 45mph. NEV’s are all-electric and can be recharged using a standard outlet. |
| NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) | A less reliable rechargeable battery. |
| Off-Peak Charging | Charging your EV during the less busy times of day for a lower cost. |
| PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) | Is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that has battery pack that can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source or internally by its on-board internal combustion engine-powered generator. |
| Pure Electric | A vehicle powered solely by electric motors using power provided by on-board batteries. |
| Range | The distance you can travel on pure electric power before the battery requires a recharge. |
| Range Anxiety | The worry that an EV will run out of battery power before you arrive at your destination. |
| Regenerative Braking | An energy recovery system used in most electric vehicles that can help charge the battery while the car is slowing down. Typically the electric motor acts as the generator, so power can flow both ways between it and the battery. ‘Regen’ helps extend the range, while the process also helps slow the vehicle in a similar way to engine braking in an ICE powered car. |
| SAE COMBO (CCS) Type 1 Plug | The CCS plug is an enhanced version of the type 2 plug, with two additional power contacts for the purposes of quick charging, and supports AC & DC charging power levels (alternating and direct current charging power levels) of up to 170 kW. In practice, the value is usually around 50 kW. |
| SAE COMBO (CCS) Type 2 Plug | The type 1 plug is a single-phase plug that allows for charging power levels of up to 7.4 kW (240 V, 32 A). |
| SAE J1772 | The standard North American electrical connection for Electric Vehicles. Generally, works with Level 1 and Level 2 systems. |
| Tesla Supercharger | A super-fast charging system that can provide up to 120 kW directly to the car’s battery. Currently these systems are only available to Teslas. |
| Torque | The twisting force that causes rotation. In cars, torque rules and is the major factor in a car’s accelerative ability. Petrol and diesel engines deliver torque over a curve as RPM increases, meaning they have peak power at a given RPM. Electric motors, on the other hand, deliver maximum torque from zero revs, meaning acceleration from standstill can be phenomenal. |
| Utility Rate (TOU) | Utility rates vary according to high- and low-peak use hours. Thus the rate charged to an EV customer is based not only on the total electricity used, but also upon the time of day the energy was drawn. |
| Volt (V) | Volt (V) is the unit for electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), & electromotive force. Can be thought of as electrical pressure |
| V2G (Vehicle-to-grid) | A system that allows Electric Vehicles to communicate with the power grid to manage the flow of electricity in either direction. |
| VRLA battery (valve-regulated lead-acid battery) | A rechargeable lead-acid battery. |
| ZEV | Zero Emission Vehicle – A vehicle that emits no tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source of power. Harmful pollutants to health and the environment include particulates (soot), hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and various oxides of nitrogen. A popular example of a ZEV is a Tesla Model S. |