Image courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University
How Do Electric Vehicles Work?
Written by Saltanat Berdikeeva
Edited by Hannah Hillson
Last updated 02/01/2023
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Key Points
- An EV is fueled by electricity instead of gasoline. It functions with an electric motor, not an internal combustion engine (ICE).
- EVs generally require less maintenance, like regular fluid changes, emission checks, or fuel filters, compared to gasoline-powered cars.
- EVs include three broad car types — battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV).