EV versus hybrid versus mild hybrid: What you need to know

MHEV, PHEV, BEV... The acronyms for cars that use batteries either alongside combustion engines or instead of them can get a little confusing. Here’s a quick and easy guide to Volvo Car’s mild hybrids versus plug-in hybrids versus pure electric.

**MHEV: Mild hybrid electric vehicle**

So what is a mild hybrid? Basically, a set-up that combines a combustion engine and an electric motor. The motor is used to start the engine and for breaking or slowing, recovering braking energy and storing it in a 48V battery. It then uses the energy to boost the combustion engine when accelerating.

The upshot is smoother starts from standstill, lower fuel consumption – especially driving around town, and more powerful acceleration. Plus, reduced fuel consumption means lower tailpipe emissions.

It doesn’t need a plug, or a charger for the battery, because the braking does that bit.

Volvo Car Australia sells mild hybrid versions of the XC40, XC60 and XC90 SUVs, plus the S60 Sedan and the V60 Cross Country. See mild hybrid details here.

**PHEV: Plug-in hybrids**

A plug-in hybrid differs from a mild hybrid in that it essentially combines a bigger motor and a bigger battery with the combustion engine. It can run in all-electric mode – which means everyday journeys, particularly at lower speeds around town, can be largely battery powered. For other journeys, running both the battery and the engine in tandem means better performance, range and fuel efficiency, plus lower tailpipe emissions – as well as those smooth starts.

The fuel savings can be significant over combustion engines. For example, on a combined cycle, Volvo’s XC60 Recharge (T8 AWD) fuel consumption is 1.6 litres/100km. That’s less than a third of the fuel used by the XC60 B6 AWD variant at 8.0 litres/100km.*

Volvo Car Australia sells two plug-in hybrid models: the XC60 Recharge, which can travel up to 81km in electric mode, and the XC90 Recharge, which can travel up to 77km in electric mode.*

Volvo’s plug-in hybrids can be charged in 4-8 hours with a standard 220V household connector – they literally plug in to a standard home power point. Installing a 3.6 kW AC wallbox takes that down to in 3-4 hours.** You can also charge them at public chargers.

Find out more about Volvo Car Australia’s plug-in hybrids here.

**BEV: Battery electric vehicle**

Battery electric vehicles are just that – powered purely by batteries and electric motors. They have zero tailpipe emissions, because there is no engine burning fuel. Hence, no exhaust pipes.

They also don’t have gearboxes or clutches. But they do have instant and higher torque, which means pure electric cars tend to be significantly quicker than their engine-powered counterparts – 0-100km/h in less than five seconds via Volvo Car Australia’s current dual motor variants of the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge.

Plus, the motors are quiet, so the cars are quiet.

Volvo Car Australia’s pure-electric models, currently the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, can also be driven using just one pedal: release the accelerator and it acts as the brake, with regenerative braking feeding the energy back into the battery.

**BEV charging**

Unlike hybrids, BEVs reliance on their batteries makes charging much more important. On the go, they can use higher-powered chargers to typically get around 100km of range from a 50kW charger in around 30 minutes, or around 10 minutes from a 150kW charger**.

Volvo Car’s BEV models can be charged at home using a standard 220V household connector. But that can take 40-72 hours for a full charge, which is unlikely to be practical for most people**.

Which is why Volvo Car Australia recommends people that purchase a BEV also install a wallbox. The 11kW 3 phase version typically delivers 50-60km worth of power per hour**. That means a full charge in around 8 hours, giving drivers a potential 400kms-plus of range depending on driving style, traffic, environmental conditions etc. There is also a 7kW 3 phase wallbox, which enables between 30-45km of range per hour. That means empty-to-full charging in around half a day, or overnight**.

Find out more about Volvo Car Australia’s pure electric range here and get the full picture on electric vehicle charging choices and cabling here.

*Figures according to ADR 81/02 are derived from laboratory testing, which is not carried out on every individual vehicle sold by Volvo. Factors including but not limited to driving style, road and traffic conditions, environmental influences, vehicle condition and accessories fitted, means in the real world the range you experience can differ from that advertised. Advertised figures are meant for comparison purposes.

** The range a customer may experience will depend on driving style, road and traffic conditions, environmental influences, vehicle condition and accessories fitted. Charging times are dependent on factors such as outdoor temperature, current battery temperature, charging equipment, battery condition and car condition.