Automobile engineers have been developing and marketing hybrid vehicles since the late 1800s; however, due to the higher cost involved in producing it on a massive scale, its popularity in the market still remains low. But car manufacturers continue to research and develop newer hybrid technology to comply with strict emissions norms.
A hybrid vehicle gets its energy simultaneously from a gasoline engine and an electric motor. The engine and the motor work together to power the car; this helps to increase your fuel economic rating (i.e. how many miles you can travel with one gallon of gasoline). The engine also uses gasoline to help recharge the vehicle’s battery, which powers the electric motor.
A plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) also uses a gasoline engine and an electric motor, but in different ways. The plug-in hybrid runs primarily using its electric motor, powered by the battery. A plug-in hybrid won’t tap into your gas tank until the battery runs out of power. Instead of the electric motor and the engine working together at the same time, a plug-in hybrid uses its engine as a backup plan.The distance you can travel before this happens is often advertised as a vehicle’s all electric range. Once the battery runs out of power, it has to be charged using a plug-in electric charger; the engine does not recharge a plug-in hybrid’s battery.