Electric Vehicle Terms | Honda Hybrids in Las Vegas, NV (2024)

Honda Hybrid & EV Terms Explained

As hybrid and electric cars continue to grow in popularity, we know that you probably have a lot of questions about them. More specifically, you may be wondering about all the electric vehicle terms and phrases being thrown around -- from EV and PHEV to range and MPGe, what does it all mean? Fortunately, our Las Vegas Honda dealership has gathered this helpful list of electric car terms, so you can familiarize yourself with the Honda hybrid and EV lineup. Whether you're wondering about the differences between hybrid vs. plug-in hybrid cars or you're curious about what an EV charging station is, we're here to help!

Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Glossary

Electric Vehicle:

Often abbreviated as EV, an electric vehicle relies solely on electricity for its power supply -- rather than a gas-powered engine. These electrified vehicles typically feature a high-voltage, large-capacity battery that supplies power to one or more electric motors.

Hybrid Vehicle:

A hybrid car runs on a combination of gas power and electricity, augmenting its internal combustion engine with a small electric motor and battery. New Honda vehicles that are hybrids include the Accord Hybrid, Insight and CR-V Hybrid.

Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle:

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) strike a common ground between hybrids and EVs, as they need to be plugged in to recharge. Plug-in hybrid cars also typically feature a limited all-electric driving range.

Miles Per Gallon Equivalent (MPGe):

A metric to compare the efficiency of electric vehicles vs. gas-powered vehicles, MPGe essentially measures how far an EV can travel before consuming the energy equivalent to one gallon of gasoline.

EV Charging Station:

This usually refers to a location equipped with electric car chargers for recharging EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles. These can range from locations at malls and stores to dedicated ultra-fast charging centers.

Charge Port:

Similar to a fuel neck on a gas-powered car, an EV's charge port is where the charge cord coupler is plugged in to charge the vehicle.

Level 1, 2 & 3 Charging:

These are the three levels of electric car charging in widespread use. Level 1 and Level 2 Charging are typically used for at-home, overnight charging, while Level 3 is an ultra-fast DC option for quicker charging times.