Electric cars run at least partially on electricity. 与使用汽油或柴油发动机的传统车辆不同, 电动汽车和卡车使用由电池或燃料电池供电的电动机.
Not all electric vehicles (or “EVs”) work the same way. "Plug-in hybrids“提供汽油或柴油发动机和电动机:电动机由电池供电，可以通过插入充电. 其他电动汽车完全放弃了液体燃料，完全依靠电力运行(battery electric" vehicles). 还有一些通过将氢气转化为电能来驱动电动机。hydrogen fuel cell" vehicles).
Conventional hybrid vehicles also have an electric motor, but aren’t considered EVs as they can’t be plugged-in.
In terms of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions在美国，电动汽车和卡车通常比最高效的传统车辆更清洁. 究竟有多清洁取决于车辆的类型和电力来源. 当电池电动汽车由最清洁的电网供电时, greenhouse gas emissions from 电动汽车相当于一辆每加仑汽油行驶100英里以上的汽车. 当完全用太阳能或风能等可再生电力充电时, charging and operating an EV can be nearly emission free.
尽管电动汽车可能比传统汽车更贵, 较高的前期成本通常会通过联邦和州的激励措施而降低. 为一辆电动汽车加油的成本也可能是汽油成本的一小部分, 这意味着电动汽车的总拥有成本更低. Switching to an electric car can save on average over $700 a year in fueling costs, and over one thousand dollars a year in some cities.
What kind of electric car should I consider?
Plug-in hybrids 与传统车辆相比，是否能够提高环保性能并降低加油成本. Because they are rechargeable from an outlet, 它们用电力取代了原本用汽油行驶的里程, using the gasoline engine on longer trips. To use a plug-in hybrid effectively, drivers do need access to a place to park and plug-in, though a regular 120V outlet is usually sufficient. And since most plug-in hybrids are passenger cars, 潜在买家不应该经常要求空间容纳超过五人, and they shouldn't need to tow. Learn more about how plug-in vehicles work.
Battery-electric cars use electricity as their only fuel, 因此，将电池续航里程与车辆的预期用途相匹配是很重要的. However, recharging away from home is becoming easier as public and workplace charging stations become more widely available. 而且由于电池电动汽车没有尾气排放，用电力取代了汽油, they can be some of the greenest cars available, 非常适合有617888九五至尊娱乐意识的通勤者或有多辆车的家庭，他们需要很多短途旅行. Learn more about how battery-electrics work.
For drivers interested in the cutting-edge, fuel cell vehicles 电动汽车的市场份额虽小，但仍在不断增长，尤其是在加州. These vehicles offer some significant benefits-包括快速的加油时间和长距离的驾驶范围-但也需要 hydrogen refueling stations, which at present aren't widely available. 了解更多关于燃料电池和燃料电池汽车的517888九五至尊娱乐原理.
Conventional hybrids 在电动汽车不能满足驾驶者需求的情况下，也可能有意义. 混合动力车保留了传统汽车的续航里程和便利性, 同时提高了电动机的效率. Since they derive all their power from gasoline or diesel, non-plug-in hybrids aren’t considered electric vehicles. Learn more about how hybrids work.
Related resources
The Electric Utility Toolkit
Electric Trucks Are a Win for Business and Climate
State Electric Vehicle Benefits
