A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be replenished by connecting a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engine-powered generator. While PHEVs are predominantly passenger cars, there are also plug-in hybrid variants of sports cars, commercial vehicles, vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, mopeds, military vehicles and boats.
The history of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) spans a little more than a century, but most of the significant commercial developments have taken place after 2002. The revival of interest in this automotive technology together with all-electric cars is due to advances in battery and power management technologies, and concerns about increasingly volatile oil prices and supply disruption, and also the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2003 and 2010 most PHEVs on the roads were conversions of production hybrid electric vehicles, and the most prominent PHEVs were aftermarket conversions of 2004 or later Toyota Prius, which have had plug-in charging and more lead-acid batteries added and their electric-only range extended.
Henrik Fisker is a Danish automotive designer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California, US. He is best known for designing luxury cars. After working at BMW, Ford, and Aston Martin, Fisker founded Fisker Automotive in 2007. The company failed to meet production deadlines despite significant federal and private investment. Fisker resigned in 2013. The New York Times described the company as the "Solyndra of the electric car industry" and a "debacle". He is currently the CEO of Fisker Inc., which he co-founded with his wife in 2016.
Fisker Automotive was an American company. It produced the Fisker Karma, which was one of the world's first production luxury plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The company was founded in 2007 by Henrik Fisker, a Danish automobile designer.
The Fisker Karma is a luxury plug-in range-extended electric sports sedan produced by Fisker Automotive between 2011 and 2012. The cars were manufactured at Valmet Automotive in Finland.
The Cadillac ELR is a two-door, four-passenger luxury plug-in hybrid compact coupé manufactured and marketed by Cadillac for model years (MY) 2014 and 2016 – with a hiatus for MY 2015. Using a retuned version of the Chevrolet Volt's Voltec EREV drivetrain, the ELR's lithium-ion battery pack delivered an all-electric range of 37–39 miles (60–63 km) and a top speed of 106 mph (171 km/h).
The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW. The i8 was part of BMW's electrified fleet and was marketed under the BMW i sub-brand. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and was released in Germany in June 2014. Deliveries to retail customers in the U.S. began in August 2014. A roadster variant was launched in May 2018. Production ended in June 2020.
The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 to 2016. The second-generation model has been produced since 2016. Production of the third-generation model began in 2023.
A range extender is a fuel-based auxiliary power unit (APU) that extends the range of a battery electric vehicle by driving an electric generator that charges the vehicle's battery. This arrangement is known as a series hybrid drivetrain. The most commonly used range extenders are internal combustion engines, but fuel-cells or other engine types can be used.
Range anxiety is the driver's fear that a vehicle has insufficient energy storage to cover the road distance needed to reach its intended destination, and would thus strand the vehicle's occupants mid-way. The term, which is now primarily used in reference to the practical driving range of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), is considered to be one of the major psychological barriers to large-scale public adoption of electric cars.
The BMW i3 is an electric car that was manufactured by German marque BMW from 2013 to 2022. The i3 was BMW's first mass-produced zero emissions vehicle and was launched as part of BMW's electric vehicle BMW i sub-brand. It is a B-segment, high-roof hatchback with an electric powertrain. It uses rear-wheel drive via a single-speed transmission and an underfloor lithium-ion battery pack with an optional range-extending petrol engine.
The Fisker Atlantic is a plug-in hybrid concept car first shown to the public at the New York International Auto Show in April 2012. Produced by the American car manufacturer Fisker Automotive, it was to be a smaller addition to the range to sit below the Fisker Karma.
The Hyundai Ioniq is a compact five-door liftback manufactured and marketed by Hyundai. The nameplate Ioniq is a portmanteau of ion and unique. It is marketed as the first Hyundai automobile to be offered without a standard internal combustion engine, but rather sold in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric variants.
Karma Automotive is a Chinese-owned American producer of luxury electric vehicles founded in 2014. Headquartered in Irvine, California, United States with an assembly plant located in Moreno Valley, Karma sells vehicles via its dealer network of locations in North America, Europe, South America, and the Middle East.
The G05 BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by German automaker BMW. It is the fourth and current generation of the BMW X5. It was launched in 2018 as the successor to the F15 X5. Sales of the X5 started in November 2018. The X5 M and X5 M Competition (F95) performance models were revealed on 1 October 2019.
The Li Auto One is a luxury mid-size crossover sport utility vehicle produced by Li Xiang, and is the first vehicle from the Chinese automobile manufacturer.
The BYD Han is a full-size / executive sedan (E-segment) manufactured by the Chinese manufacturer BYD Auto since 2020, available in an battery electric variant and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant. It is part of BYD's "Dynasty" series passenger vehicles, and gets its name from the Han Dynasty, the first golden age of Imperial China.
The Drako GTE is an electric luxury sports sedan manufactured by Drako Motors.
The Mazda CX-60 is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda since 2022. It is the first vehicle to use Mazda's rear- and all-wheel drive platform with longitudinal engine layout categorised as Large Product Group, which includes a line-up of straight-six engines. It is also the first Mazda vehicle to feature a plug-in hybrid option.
G70 is the internal designation for the seventh generation of the BMW 7 Series, a range of luxury cars produced by the German luxury vehicle manufacturer BMW since July 2022.
