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Electric vehicles work by incorporating a battery-powered electric motor into the car’s drivetrain. Mild Hybrid and self-charging Hybrid models use a smaller motor that simply provides a boost to the combustion engine, while the battery packs of Plug-In Hybrids are larger and can sustain a higher range on electric-only power. All-Electric cars, of course, do not have a combustion engine at all and use only the power generated by the motor. Here’s how the various components of an electric system work.
With technology advancing at a rapid pace, new hybrid and electric vehicles can travel much further than those produced five to ten years ago. Today, you can expect an all-electric car to cover upwards of 140 miles on a single charge, with plug-in hybrid models offering a range of around 30 miles on electric power alone, and a combined range of 300 miles or more. For example, the Ford Transit Custom PHEV can achieve 35 miles on electric-only power and over 350 miles in total. The Tourneo Custom PHEV can also travel 33 miles using just its electric motor and has a total range of 310 miles.
Mild and full Hybrid models do not need to be plugged in to charge their battery packs – this is done using power from the engine and/or regenerative braking. Fully Electric and Plug-In Hybrid vehicles however, must be plugged in to an external power supply in order to recharge the battery. They can be connected to a regular 13-amp home socket, a home wallbox, a public charging station or rapid charging point. Many workplaces also now have charging stations for staff to use.
If you’d like to find out more about the different types of Hybrid system available, visit our What are Electric Vehicles? page. You can also discover more about how the Hybrid and Electric vehicles in the Ford range work by contacting the team at your local Gates Ford dealership. Our staff know each vehicle inside out and can provide any details you require, answer your questions and arrange for you to take a test drive. Our dealerships are located throughout Essex, Hertfordshire & London.
Don’t forget to check out our pages on future vehicles to find out about forthcoming Ford Hybrid and Electric models too.