The Ultimate EV Terminology Glossary

New to electric driving? Or perhaps need a steer (sorry) on some of the more technical jargon that pops up when manufacturers talk about their EVs?

Here it all is, laid out in plain English.

Jump to:

• Types of EV
• Types of charging
• Types of charging connector
• Charging technology
• How an EV works
• EV financing
• Emissions

An ‘EV’ is any vehicle that uses an electric motor to power the wheels.

Vehicles exclusively powered by a rechargeable electric battery, with no tailpipe emissions.

Similar to BEVs, but contain a small petrol/diesel engine to generate electricity and extend the range of the car. This engine does not power the car – it only recharges the battery.

Vehicles with both a petrol/diesel engine and a rechargeable electric battery. Typically complete shorter trips in electric mode, and use the engine to extend the range for longer trips.

Vehicles with a petrol/diesel engine and an electric motor. The electric motor is used to assist the engine for greater fuel efficiency. The battery is charged by the petrol/diesel engine, rather than plugging into a charging point.

Similar to HEVs but contain a less powerful electric motor for a small boost in fuel economy.

Charging your EV from a standard 3-pin plug at a rate of around 3.7kW.

The most common type of home charging, taking between four to eight hours. UK home chargers tend to use a Type 2 connector – these are compatible with our specialist Intelligent Octopus Go tariff.

This is also known as three-phase charging. It’s normally found at locations with high energy use, like at gigs or sporting events. Three Phase charging uses all the pins in a Type 2 connector. You’ll find them at shopping centres, gyms, cinemas and other public places.

The fastest type of charger currently available, with the ability to charge an EV to 80% in 20 minutes. These can’t be installed at home – you’ll find them at petrol garages and motorway service stations.

There are also several different types of EV charging connectors, which can be confusing for drivers. Here are the most common types of connectors that you'll find on EVs:

A five-pin plug with a built-in clip. Commonly found on EVs made by US and Asian manufacturers such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, and GM. ​

Every car sold to European specs must have a Type 2 connection (one flat edge and 7 pins). The most popular choice in the UK due to its ability to carry three-phase electricity and lock into a charging station socket.

A four-pin plug favoured by Japanese manufacturers. CHAdeMO is becoming less common, with most manufacturers moving towards CCS – only Nissan still sells CHAdeMO models.

A European standard that is quickly being adopted by American and Asian manufacturers. Similar to a Type 2 with two extra contacts at the bottom to enable the DC charging.

V2G allows EVs to send energy to your home, so you don’t need to take energy off the grid – useful at times of peak demand when the grid is under strain.

V2L allows an EV to act as a mobile power source for devices such as a phone, laptop, or even a kettle! Perfect for those weekend camping trips.

RFID cards are used to access public charging stations. The card is linked to your account and allows you to start and stop a charge, and pay for the electricity used.

Technology that allows an EV to capture some of the kinetic energy produced by braking and use it to recharge the car and extend range.

The motor powers all four wheels of a vehicle separately. This allows the vehicle to have better traction during acceleration, cornering, and in poor driving conditions.

Similar to AWD but with separate motors for front and back wheels. The two motors work independently of each other, so if one set of wheels is slipping, the computer can reduce power to those wheels whilst increasing power to the other set to maintain control.

The distance an EV can travel after one hour of charging. This will vary with the type of charger used, the battery size of the EV, and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery.

A unit that measures how much energy you (or a device) uses over an hour. 1 kilowatt hour is the amount of energy you’d use if you kept a 1,000 watt appliance running for an hour. EV batteries are rated in kWh – on average, 1kWh will give you 3-4 miles of range.

The type of current used by the National Grid, due to how efficient it is to transport. Your mains electricity is powered by AC – this is how your home charger tops up your electric car.

DC flows steadily in one direction (as opposed to AC, which periodically reverses direction). This makes it ideal for charging EV batteries – your car has “onboard chargers” that convert the energy from AC to DC to fill the car battery pack.

The power source for your EV. An electric car battery works by storing energy in a chemical form, which can then be converted into electrical energy to power the car's motor.

Buying a car upfront by paying the full listing price in cash.

A method of buying an EV outright by splitting the cost into monthly payments, typically with interest.

A monthly lease agreement, with the option to buy the car outright after the initial lease period ends.

A monthly lease agreement in which you return the car at the end of your lease, or swap it with your leasing provider for a more up-to-date model.

A gas that is naturally present in the Earth's atmosphere. Human activities like burning fossil fuels are increasing CO2 levels beyond what they would be naturally, which is contributing to global warming and climate change.

Tyres and brakes emit tiny pieces of particulate matter that break off during driving and braking. These can cause up to 2,000 times more pollution than exhaust fumes. EVs generally emit less of these than petrol/diesel cars because of their use of regenerative braking.