BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) — runs 100% on electricity. No gas engine, no tailpipe emissions. Requires charging. Examples: Tesla Model 3, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Rivian R1T.
PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) — has both an electric motor and a gas engine. Can drive on electricity alone for a limited range (typically 20–50 miles), then switches to gas. Can be plugged in to recharge the battery. Examples: Toyota RAV4 Prime, Ford Escape PHEV.
View full description of differences on our EV Type page.