Database / Glossary
Every term in the electric-car world, in plain English. No jargon about jargon.
The unit of energy your EV's battery stores — like gallons in a gas tank, but for electricity. A car that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles is more efficient than one that uses 40.
The unit of power — how fast energy flows. Battery size is kWh (the tank); charging speed is kW (the pump). A 150 kW charger fills a battery faster than a 50 kW one, all else equal.
Miles per gallon equivalent: how far an EV travels on the energy contained in one gallon of gasoline (33.7 kWh). The EPA's efficiency rating — higher means cheaper to run. Our full explainer walks through the math.
The driving range from the U.S. EPA's standardized lab tests. It's the fairest way to compare cars, but real-world range is usually 10–20% lower — more in winter or at sustained highway speeds.
Battery electric vehicle: runs purely on electricity, plugs in to charge, has no gas engine and no tailpipe. Every 'EV' in our longest-range ranking is a BEV.
Plug-in hybrid: drives on electricity for daily trips (typically 25–50 miles), then a gas engine takes over. You plug it in; skip charging and it still works, just as a heavier hybrid.
Hybrid electric vehicle: pairs a gas engine with electric assist for better MPG but never plugs in. The battery charges itself from braking and the engine.
Mild hybrid: a small electric motor assists the gas engine but can't drive the car alone. Think of it as an efficiency garnish, not a powertrain.
Extended-range EV: an electric car with a small gas generator that only charges the battery — the wheels are always driven electrically.
High-power public charging (typically 50–350 kW) that adds hundreds of miles per hour. Essential for road trips, unnecessary for daily driving if you charge at home.
Charging from a regular 120V wall outlet. Adds roughly 3–5 miles of range per hour — fine for light daily driving, nothing more.
240V charging, usually at home or work. Adds roughly 20–40 miles of range per hour; a full overnight charge covers nearly every EV. Our home charging guide has real charge times.
The North American Charging Standard — Tesla's connector design, now adopted by nearly every automaker selling EVs in the US. If a 2026 EV has one charge port, it's almost certainly this.
Combined Charging System: the previous standard DC fast-charging connector in North America. Most pre-2025 non-Tesla EVs use it; adapters to NACS exist.
The standard plug for Level 1 and Level 2 AC charging in North America. Every EV sold here can use it (Teslas with the included adapter).
An older Japanese fast-charging standard, found on early Nissan Leafs. Effectively retired in the US — new cars don't use it.
Warming (or cooling) the battery to its ideal temperature before fast charging, usually triggered automatically when you navigate to a charger. A cold battery charges slowly no matter how powerful the plug.
How an EV's charging speed changes as the battery fills: fastest around 10–30%, tapering off sharply past 80%. This is why road-trippers charge to 80% and leave.
A higher-voltage electrical system (vs the common 400V) that enables much faster DC charging with less heat. Cars like the Ioniq 5, EV6, and Taycan use it — it's why they charge so quickly.
Recovering energy when slowing down by running the motor in reverse as a generator. It recharges the battery and dramatically reduces brake wear — EV brake pads can last 100,000+ miles.
A drive mode where lifting off the accelerator slows the car strongly via regen, so you rarely touch the brake pedal in normal traffic.
An efficient cabin heater that moves heat instead of making it, using far less battery than old-style resistive heating. A big deal for winter range — worth checking whether a trim includes one.
Battery percentage — the EV equivalent of a fuel gauge. Most owners live between 20% and 80% day to day.
A battery's gross capacity is the physical total; usable is what the car lets you access. The buffer protects longevity — two cars with the same '100 kWh' headline can have different usable energy.
The gradual loss of capacity over time and cycles — roughly 1–2% per year on a healthy modern pack. Federal rules require at least 8 years / 100,000 miles of battery warranty.
Using the EV's battery to power external devices — camping gear, power tools, even another EV — through built-in outlets.
Using the EV as a home backup battery during outages. Requires compatible hardware; only some models support it.
Sending power from parked EVs back to the grid. Still mostly pilot programs in the US.
Front trunk: the storage space under the hood where the engine would be. A packaging perk of electric drivetrains.
Over-the-air software update — your car downloads improvements like a phone. Tesla pioneered it; most new EVs now do it to some degree.
Authentication built into the charging plug: plug in and billing happens automatically, no app or card needed. Works on supported cars and networks.
What charging networks bill when your car sits at a charger after finishing — designed to keep stalls turning over on busy travel days.
Electricity pricing that varies by hour. Charging overnight on a TOU plan is often the cheapest way to fuel any car — sometimes under 10¢/kWh.
How heavy the car is empty. EVs are heavy — batteries are dense — which is why tire wear and efficiency matter more than in gas cars.
How slippery the car's shape is to air. EVs obsess over it because aerodynamic drag is the biggest range killer at highway speed — hence the smooth wheels and flush door handles.
Numbers like range and MPGe come from U.S. EPA test data — see any vehicle page for the real figures.