Currently there are four types of electric vehicles available in Canada:
Battery electric vehicle (BEV): A battery electric vehicle runs on a battery and electric drive train, with no internal combustion engine. They must be plugged into an external power source to recharge their battery. Batteries provide a limited range, and recharging can take hours to complete - although some vehicles come with quick-charge technology, which allows rapid recharging at quick-charge stations.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV): Plug-in hybrids operate in a similar manner to battery electric vehicles, but are equipped with an internal combustion engine which acts as a generator to recharge the battery on the go or replaces the electric drive train when the battery charge is depleted. PHEVs typically have a shorter electric-only range than BEVs, but longer range when using the internal combustion engine.
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV): Standard hybrid vehicles have two complimentary drive trains: a convention gasoline drive train and an electric drive train. The electric drive train works to assist the gasoline engine and some hybrids can drive very short distances on electric power alone. Hybrids cannot be plugged in to recharge their batteries from an external source, and generate their electricity from using the gasoline engine as a generator and regenerative breaking (used in all electric vehicles).
Fuel cell electric vehicle: Fuel cell vehicles use an electric drive train, but create electricity by using a fuel cell to convert a fuel - typically hydrogen - into electricity. Hydrogen fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen from the air to create electricity, producing water vapour as an exhaust. However the process of producing the hydrogen is energy-intensive, and most commercially-produced hydrogen comes from processing hydrocarbon fossil fuels. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles require hydrogen fueling stations, and currently there are only two in Canada.
Source: electricvehicles.caa.ca
