How do electric vehicles work? 

Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars or other vehicles that are fully or partially powered by motors that run on electricity rather than liquid fuels. There are currently four main types of EVs: fully electric or Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs).

What are the differences between BEVs, PHEVs, HEVs and FCEVs?

• Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are fully-electric cars, meaning they do not have a petrol, diesel or LPG engine, fuel tank or exhaust pipe. BEVs are also known as ‘plug-in’ EVs because they use an external electrical charging outlet to charge their batteries. Since they don’t produce any harmful emissions, they are classified as ZEVs (Zero Emission Vehicles).
• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are powered by both electricity and liquid fuel. They are plugged in to charge the battery and use a liquid fuel engine when the electricity is depleted. PHEVs are also called LEVs (Low Emission Vehicles) since their exhaust emissions are lower than similar liquid vehicles.
• Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) recharge their batteries without plugging in. They use regenerative braking to convert kinetic energy into electricity and recharge the battery. Hybrids are also classified as LEVs.
• Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) use hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity through a chemical reaction in a fuel cell. FCEVs provide a greater range than batteries or supercapacitors, which power BEVs. Since they only emit water vapour and warm air, they are also considered ZEVs (Zero Emission Vehicles).

How much does it cost to charge your electric vehicle?

Leading electric vehicle websites and EV charging station operators suggest that the cost of charging an electric car relies on three primary factors: the location of the charging, whether it is at a commercial station or home, the type of charging station utilised, and the battery size of the electric vehicle.

While it is relatively straightforward to calculate your petrol usage, the formula for calculating energy usage for an electric vehicle is a bit more complicated – EV Battery Size (kWh) x Electricity Rate ($ per kWh) = Charging Cost ($). The specificities of how much an electric vehicle would cost to charge rely on the model and battery model. To make it even cheaper, you can use your charger off-peak, or make use of solar panels to reduce your footprint. 

Don’t forget to consider the cost of the charger, too. AGL have electric vehicle chargers priced from $1399 all the way up to $1899, excluding installation costs. 

Did you know that with a Flare EV Novated lease you get:

• The car you want, now. You don’t need a deposit, just a refundable order fee, plus our team will help you source your new car and organise a test drive.
• The best pricing. Benefit from Flare’s buying power and save yourself the hard work. Our car experts negotiate on your behalf and secure the best EV and hybrid deals for you.
• Save on tax and running costs. Enjoy significant tax savings and less GST on your car purchase, electricity mileage, servicing and maintenance.
• Easy budget management. Avoid hidden expenses and spread your bills throughout the year by bundling up your finance and running costs like electricity mileage, servicing, maintenance and rego into one convenient monthly payment.