THE A To Z OF EVs
Confusing your HEVs with your LCEVs? Not sure if you need a CCS or CHAdeMO? We don’t blame you. With so many acronyms and abbreviations to navigate, getting to grips with all the ins and outs associated with electric vehicles can quickly seem a little perplexing. That’s why we’ve put together a quick glossary of the most commonly used terms.
| Shortcut | What it stands for | Quick explanation |
|---|---|---|
| AC | Alternating Current | An electric current that regularly changes direction (e.g. the grid) |
| ADAS | Advanced Driver Assistance System | Intelligent tech that keeps an eye on the road for drivers, while also boosting convenience, comfort and safety |
| AVAS | Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System | A noise alert that mimics the sound of a regular engine to keep pedestrians safe |
| BEV | Battery Electric Vehicle | An electric vehicle that’s 100% powered by a battery |
| CCS | Combined Charging System | The UK’s most commonly used connector for rapidly charging EVs |
| CHAdeMO | Charge de Move | A superfast charging connector most common in Japan, but also used in the UK |
| CAZ | Clean Air Zones | Designated areas around the UK where emission restrictions are in place to help reduce air pollution |
| CPO | Charge Point Operator | The company responsible for managing the charging infrastructure |
| DC | Direct Current | An electric current that flows in only one direction |
| EV | Electric Vehicle | Any vehicle that runs on an electric motor |
| FCEV | Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle | A vehicle that runs on a fuel cell such as hydrogen |
| GOM | Guess-O-Meter | The dashboard display estimating the range remaining (seriously, that’s what it’s called) |
| HEV | Hybrid Electric Vehicle | Low-emission vehicles that have both an electric motor and internal combustion engine |
| ICE | Internal Combustion Engine | The standard engine found in petrol and diesel vehicles |
| kWh | Kilowatt Hour | Instead of miles per gallon, think kilowatt hours when it comes to how far you’ll get in an EV |
| Li-ion | Lithium-ion | The current standard battery used in an EV (eco friendlier options are being explored) |
| MHEV | Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle | A vehicle with a small electric motor to assist the internal combustion engine |
| PHEV | Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle | A combination of EV and ICE that gives drivers the choice between battery or combustion-powered driving |
| REEV | Range-extended Electric Vehicle | Like a PHEV, but with the range boosted thanks to a small combustion engine kicking in when battery depletes |
| REx | Range Extender | The small combustion engine used in REEVs |
| RPH | Range Per Hour | An estimate on how far you’ll get from an hour’s charge (this varies between EVs) |
| SoC | State Of Charge | The current level of energy or charge left in the EV’s battery |
| ULEZ | Ultra Low Emission Zone | An area in London where vehicles must meet exhaust emission standards or pay a daily £12.50 charge |
| ZEV | Zero Emission Vehicle | A popular catch-all term for a vehicle that doesn’t produce any CO2 |
Hungry for more acronyms? Just head to Electrifying.com.