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EV glossary: the most common terms explained
Look up clear, plain English definitions of over 60 common terms and acronyms that you might come across in the world of electric vehicles, from the basics of batteries and charging to NACS, MPGe, regenerative braking and V2G.
EV terms starting with A
- Driving & tech Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS)
- Technologies that enhance vehicle safety and convenience, including features like lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control and emergency braking.
- Energy & range All-electric range (AER)
- The distance an EV is rated to travel on a full charge under standardized testing. Real-world range varies with temperature, speed, terrain and load.
EV terms starting with B
- Battery Battery degradation
- The gradual loss of capacity as a battery ages and is used. Modern EV batteries fade slowly and predictably rather than failing suddenly.
- Vehicle types Battery electric vehicle (BEV)
- A vehicle powered entirely by a rechargeable battery and one or more electric motors, with no gasoline engine. Also called an all-electric vehicle.
- Battery Battery management system (BMS)
- An electronic system that monitors and regulates an EV’s battery, ensuring safety, efficiency and optimal performance during use and charging.
- Battery Cost & impact Battery recycling
- Recovering materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, copper and graphite from used EV batteries so they can be returned to the supply chain rather than mined again.
- Charging Bidirectional charging
- The general term for energy flowing out of a vehicle’s battery as well as into it, covering vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-load.
EV terms starting with C
- Battery Cell, module and pack
- The three levels of battery assembly. Individual cells are grouped into modules, and modules are assembled into the pack that sits in the vehicle floor.
- Charging Charging curve
- The way charging speed changes over a session. Rates are fastest when the battery is low and slow as it fills, which is why fast-charging times are usually quoted to 80% rather than 100%.
- Charging Charging infrastructure
- The network of charging stations that support EVs, including public, private and workplace chargers.
- Charging Charging network
- A company that operates public charging stations under a single brand, map and payment system.
- Charging Charging port
- The socket on the vehicle where the connector plugs in. Its location varies by model, which is worth knowing when pulling into a charging bay.
- Battery Cost & impact Closed-loop recycling
- A process by which materials from used products are recycled into new products of the same type, minimizing waste and conserving resources.
- Charging Combined Charging System (CCS)
- A connector standard that adds two direct-current pins to the J1772 plug, allowing one port to handle both AC and DC fast charging. It is being phased out in North America as automakers move to NACS.
- Battery Cost & impact Critical minerals
- The materials essential to battery production, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite. Where they are mined and processed is a central question in trade and supply chain policy.
EV terms starting with D
- Charging DC fast charging (DCFC)
- Direct current fast charging, the high-speed public method that sends direct current straight to the battery, bypassing the vehicle’s onboard charger. Stations are typically located along highways and near popular destinations, and can deliver an 80% charge in as little as 20 minutes. Colloquially called Level 3 charging, though that is not an official designation the way Levels 1 and 2 are.
- Driving & tech Drive unit
- The assembly combining the motor, inverter and gearing that delivers power to an axle. A dual-motor EV has two.
EV terms starting with E
- Driving & tech Electric motor
- The component that converts electrical energy into the rotation that turns the wheels. Vehicles may use one motor, or several to drive different axles.
- Charging Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)
- The technical name for charging equipment — the unit, cable and connector that deliver power to a vehicle. In everyday use it is simply called a charger.
- Energy & range EPA estimated range
- The range figure from standardized federal testing, used to compare vehicles on equal terms. Actual range varies with weather, speed, terrain and how a vehicle is loaded.
- Vehicle types Extended-range electric vehicle (EREV)
- A vehicle driven by electric motors, with a small onboard gasoline generator that produces electricity once the battery runs low. The engine generates power rather than driving the wheels.
EV terms starting with F
- Driving & tech Frunk
- The storage compartment under the hood, where a gasoline engine would otherwise sit.
- Vehicle types Fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV)
- A vehicle that generates its own electricity onboard by combining hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell, emitting only water vapor.
EV terms starting with H
- Energy & range Driving & tech Heat pump
- An efficient climate system that moves heat rather than generating it, reducing the range lost to cabin heating in cold weather.
- Vehicle types Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)
- A vehicle that pairs a gasoline engine with a small battery and electric motor. It cannot be plugged in, and recharges through braking and the engine itself.
EV terms starting with I
- Driving & tech Instant torque
- The full twisting force of an electric motor being available the moment the pedal is pressed, with no need to build engine speed or shift gears.
- Vehicle types Internal combustion engine (ICE)
- The gasoline or diesel engine used in conventional vehicles. Often used as shorthand for a non-electric car.
- Driving & tech Inverter
- The component that converts direct current from the battery into the alternating current the motor uses, and regulates how much power reaches it.
EV terms starting with J
- Charging J1772
- The standard connector for Level 1 and Level 2 charging in North America, used by nearly every non-Tesla EV sold before the shift to NACS.
EV terms starting with K
- Energy & range Charging Kilowatt (kW)
- A measure of power, or how fast energy moves. A charger’s speed is rated in kilowatts, while a battery’s size is rated in kilowatt-hours.
- Energy & range Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
- A unit of energy measurement used to quantify EV battery capacity and energy consumption.
- Energy & range Kilowatt-hours per 100 miles (kWh/100 mi)
- The energy an EV uses to travel 100 miles, as listed on the EPA window sticker. Lower numbers mean greater efficiency.
EV terms starting with L
- Charging Level 1 charging
- Charging from a standard 120-volt household outlet. It requires no special equipment and adds a few miles of range per hour, which suits low-mileage drivers and overnight top-ups.
- Charging Level 2 charging
- Charging from a 240-volt circuit, the same type a clothes dryer uses. It is the most common setup for homes and workplaces and typically fills a battery overnight.
- Cost & impact Life-cycle emissions
- The total emissions generated throughout a product’s life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal or recycling.
- Battery Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)
- A battery chemistry that uses no cobalt or nickel. It stores somewhat less energy for its weight than other chemistries but costs less and lasts for more cycles, and its share of the market is growing.
- Battery Lithium-ion battery
- The rechargeable battery family used in nearly all electric vehicles, chosen for its combination of energy density, weight and cycle life.
EV terms starting with M
- Energy & range Miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe)
- An EPA measure that converts electricity use into a gasoline-equivalent figure, so EVs and gas vehicles can be compared on the same scale.
- Energy & range Miles per kilowatt-hour (mi/kWh)
- The distance a vehicle travels per unit of energy, the electric equivalent of miles per gallon. Higher numbers mean greater efficiency.
EV terms starting with N
- Battery Nickel manganese cobalt (NMC)
- A battery chemistry that stores more energy for its weight than LFP, allowing longer range from a pack of the same size.
- Charging North American Charging Standard (NACS)
- The connector design now being adopted across the U.S. auto industry, formally standardized as SAE J3400.
EV terms starting with O
- Charging Onboard charger
- The component inside the vehicle that converts alternating current from a wall outlet into the direct current a battery can store. Its capacity determines how quickly a vehicle can charge on Level 1 and Level 2.
- Driving & tech One-pedal driving
- A mode in which lifting off the accelerator slows the vehicle strongly through regenerative braking, often to a complete stop, so the brake pedal is rarely needed in ordinary driving.
- Driving & tech Over-the-air (OTA) updates
- Wireless updates sent directly to an EV, enhancing performance, adding features and improving safety without needing a service center visit.
EV terms starting with P
- Charging Plug and Charge
- A system in which the charger recognizes the vehicle automatically and bills a linked account, without an app, card or tap.
- Vehicle types Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)
- A vehicle that combines an electric motor with a traditional internal combustion engine, offering both electric- and gasoline-powered driving.
- Charging Preconditioning
- Warming or cooling the battery ahead of driving or fast charging, often while the vehicle is still plugged in, to improve efficiency and charging speed.
EV terms starting with R
- Energy & range Range anxiety
- The concern about running low on charge before reaching a charger. Surveys consistently find it weighs more heavily on people who have not yet owned an EV than on those who have.
- Driving & tech Regenerative braking
- A system that captures kinetic energy during braking and converts it into electricity, recharging the battery and improving energy efficiency.
EV terms starting with S
- Battery Cost & impact Second-life battery
- A pack retired from a vehicle that still holds enough capacity for stationary uses such as grid storage or backup power for buildings.
- Driving & tech Single-speed transmission
- The simple gearing used by most EVs. Because electric motors work efficiently across a wide speed range, they do not need the multiple gears a gasoline engine requires.
- Charging Smart charging
- Scheduling charging for hours when electricity is cheaper or the grid is under less strain. Most EVs sold today can do this through the vehicle or a phone app.
- Battery Solid-state battery
- A battery design that replaces the liquid electrolyte with a solid one, with the potential for greater energy density and improved safety. It is not yet in volume production.
- Battery State of charge (SOC)
- A measure of the current energy level in an EV battery, expressed as a percentage of its full capacity.
- Battery State of health (SOH)
- A battery’s current usable capacity expressed as a percentage of its original capacity. Unlike state of charge, which changes daily, state of health changes slowly over years.
EV terms starting with T
- Battery Thermal management system
- A system in electric vehicles that regulates the temperature of the battery, electric motor and other components to ensure optimal performance, efficiency and safety under varying operating conditions.
- Charging Cost & impact Time-of-use (TOU) rate
- A utility pricing plan where the cost of electricity varies by hour of the day. Overnight rates are usually the cheapest, which is when most EVs charge.
- Driving & tech Torque
- The rotational force produced by a motor or engine, crucial for determining a vehicle’s ability to accelerate and perform tasks like towing or climbing.
- Cost & impact Total cost of ownership (TCO)
- The full cost of a vehicle over the time it is owned, including purchase price, fuel or electricity, maintenance, insurance, financing and resale value.
EV terms starting with V
- Charging Vehicle-to-grid (V2G)
- Technology that allows EVs to return stored energy from their batteries to the power grid, helping balance energy supply and demand.
- Charging Vehicle-to-home (V2H)
- Technology that enables an electric vehicle to supply power directly to a home, providing backup energy during outages or reducing reliance on the grid.
- Charging Vehicle-to-load (V2L)
- Using the vehicle’s battery to run tools, appliances or equipment directly, through outlets on the vehicle itself.
EV terms starting with Z
- Vehicle types Cost & impact Zero-emission vehicle (ZEV)
- A regulatory classification for vehicles that produce no tailpipe emissions while driving, including battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.