Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

Battery electric, or pure electric, vehicles are only ever powered by electricity, meaning zero CO2 emissions at the point of use. The drivetrain usually consists of one or more electric motors, with a large battery pack charged from a conventional plug socket or public charging point.

PROS: BEVs have large benefits for cutting inner-city smog, but are also suited to rural commuting where it can be more convenient to recharge at home than to go tothe nearest fuel station. Modern electric powertrains allow performance to rival conventional cars,while recharging costs €2 or less, taxcosts are low and the low number ofmoving parts keeps servicing prices down too.

CONS: Manufacturing long-range batteries is expensive, which means production vehicles typically have a range of up to 160 km and cost more to buy than a conventional rival. Because the technology is new, uncertainty about longevity is keeping residual values low. Charging a fully depleted battery takes up to eight hours, which makes them impractical for long journeys, and not all drivers have a suitable charging space outside their home or office. The batteries are also heavy – another factor limiting range.

EXAMPLES: NISSAN LEAF, RENAULT FLUENCE Z.E.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Hybrids are the most common electric vehicles. These switch automatically between an efficient internal combustion engine and an electric motor to maximise fuel efficiency. Most allow a couple of miles of pure electric motoring, while some newer models can combine the two power sources under heavy acceleration. Others have an electric motor driving the rear wheels,which allows four-wheel drive traction without the usual decrease in fuel economy.

PROS: Hybrids have been on sale for over a decade, so this is now a proven, mainstream technology. There’s also a growing selection of models on sale, including high-performance variants, which means lots of choice for drivers no matter what their taste or needs are. It’s also easy to get used to, with conventional refuelling times and a driving experience familiar to anyone used to an automatic gearbox.

CONS: The technology is still expensive, so many hybrids are priced higher than an efficient diesel. Premium-brand models tend to be targeted at the US market, where the focus is on improving air quality rather than reducing CO2 emissions, and these have large petrol engines. In Europe, where tax is largely CO2-based, the savings don’t always add up, even for hybrids with small engines.

EXAMPLES: TOYOTA PRIUS, PEUGEOT 3008 HYBRID4, BMW ACTIVEHYBRID 5