Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Fleet Vehicles
How Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Work
EVs use batteries to store the electric energy that powers the motor. EV batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric power source. PHEVs are powered by an internal combustion engine that can run on conventional or alternative fuels and an electric motor that uses energy stored in batteries. The vehicle can be plugged into an electric power source to charge the batteries. EVs and PHEVs also take advantage of regenerative braking to capture the energy that would otherwise be lost during braking.
NREL conducts performance evaluations of all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) operated by fleets.
Such vehicles can reduce fuel costs dramatically because of the low cost of electricity relative to conventional fuel. The fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty EVs and PHEVs is highly dependent on the load carried and the duty cycle; in the right applications, they can maintain a strong fuel-cost advantage over their conventional counterparts.
Learn more about NREL's electric and plug-in hybrid electric drive system data collection and evaluation efforts:
- California school district electric school buses
- Foothill Transit electric buses
- Frito-Lay electric delivery trucks
- Odyne plug-in hybrid electric utility trucks
- PG&E plug-in hybrid electric utility trucks
- SCAQMD electric drayage trucks
- Smith and Navistar electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
- Zion National Park propane-to-electric shuttle buses
Publications
Browse our list of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle publications.
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