We’re all familiar with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EV), but there are actually vehicles that are kind of in between the two. The most common is the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which has a smaller electric battery that’s designed to allow a vehicle that would otherwise be gas-powered only to drive shorter distances on electric power or to improve their gas mileage by combining the two. The PHEV approach is still largely gasoline-first, considering the fact that its electric range is typically very low, and much of the time PHEV drivers will end up using their vehicle in hybrid mode anyway — not to mention the fact that the electric motors often aren’t that powerful.
But there’s another hybrid vehicle type that takes an additional step toward a fully electric vehicle, and is a better option for drivers who want to go fully electric, but are concerned about range. The extended range EV, or EREV, isn’t gasoline-first. Instead, it’s electric-first, offering a full-size electric battery and one or multiple powerful electric motors.
So what makes an EREV hybrid? Well, on top of that electric powertrain, an EREV has a small gasoline generator that’s built exclusively to charge the battery. The gas generator can’t actually power the wheels at all, but it can extend the range of what would otherwise be a fully electric vehicle, helping eliminate range anxiety while serving as a fallback in emergencies. The .
