Major types of Electric Vehicles in the world

                    

Several types of electric vehicles (EVs) are available in the market, each with unique characteristics and ways of using electricity as a power source. Here's a breakdown of the main types:  

1. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)  or Pure EVs

• How they work: These are "pure" electric vehicles that run solely on electricity stored in a battery pack. They have no internal combustion engine (ICE).  
• Key features:
• Plug-in charging: BEVs are plugged into an external power source (charging station or wall outlet).  
• Zero tailpipe emissions: They produce no emissions from the vehicle itself.  
• Examples: TATA Nexon, TATA Tiago, Mahindra XEV 9e and BE 6e, Tesla Model S etc...

2. Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

• How they work: HEVs combine an electric motor with a traditional internal combustion engine (usually gasoline). The electric motor assists the engine, improving fuel efficiency.  
• Key features:
• Regenerative braking: HEVs capture energy during braking and use it to recharge the battery.  
• Cannot be plugged in: The engine and regenerative braking charge the battery, not an external source.
• Examples: Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Innova Hycross, Honda City e: HEV

3. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

• How they work: PHEVs are similar to HEVs, but they have a larger battery pack and can be plugged in to charge. They can also drive for a certain distance on electric power alone.  
• Key features:
• Dual power sources: Can run on electricity, gasoline, or a combination of both.
• Longer electric range than HEVs: Allows for some emission-free driving.  
• Examples: Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Prime, Mercedes AMG GT 63 SE and BMW XM.

4. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)  

• How they work: FCEVs use a fuel cell to generate electricity from hydrogen. They combine hydrogen with oxygen from the air to produce electricity, with water as the only byproduct.  
• Key features:
• Refuelled with hydrogen: Similar to refuelling a gasoline car, but with hydrogen instead.
• Zero tailpipe emissions: Only emit water vapour.
• Examples: Toyota Mirai, Hyundai Nexo

	BEV	HEV	PHEV	FCEV
Power Source	Battery only	Engine + Electric Motor	Engine + Electric Motor + Plug-in Charging	Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Charging	Plug-in	Self-charging	Plug-in + Self-charging	Hydrogen refueling
Range	Long	Short	Medium	Long
Tailpipe Emissions	Zero	Reduced	Reduced/Zero (in EV mode)	Zero