What is a plug-in hybrid car?

A plug-in hybrid car is a vehicle that runs on both electricity supplied by its batteries and fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel. Owners can charge the batteries in their car by plugging into a charging point. The system called regenerative braking also helps charge the batteries, by which the battery regains its power whenever the driver brakes. Plug-in hybrids use the electricity from their batteries to move their wheels, and when the batteries got emptied, the gasoline engine kicks in to provide the power for motion.

Plug-in hybrids

 A plug-in hybrid uses a gasoline engine and an electric motor, but it gains the power to drive mainly from its electric motor and does not employ its conventional engine until its batteries get empty. The drained batteries can be recharged by using an external electric charger.

Conventional hybrids

 Conventional hybrids also have a gasoline engine and an electric motor, as well as batteries. They use both their gasoline engine and electric motor to power the vehicle. But unlike plug-in hybrids, their batteries cannot be recharged by plugging into an external outlet. Their batteries can gain power through their wheels, brakes, and engine.

 Electric cars

 Electric cars only house an electric motor and batteries. Since they do not have an internal combustion engine, they rely entirely on their electric motor to roll the wheels. Because of the absence of the fossil fuel engine, they do not generate tailpipe emissions. Like plug-in hybrids, their batteries gain the power from an electric charger.