Are you thinking about getting an electric car but not sure where to start? 
Even for the experts, EVs are a whole new world with a whole new language.
There are HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs. You’ll need to think about batteries, driving range, charging times and charging types. 

Our Electric Car Finder will ask a few key questions to help you find the perfect electric car to match your lifestyle.

(6 Questions – takes around 3 minutes)

• What are the different types of electric cars?

  There are three main types of EVs - fully electric, hybrid and plug in hybrid.
  
  Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) combine a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) with a battery and electric motor working separately or together to reduce fuel consumption. The battery in the HEV is charged through driving so the car never needs to be plugged in. 
  
  Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) also have an internal combustion engine that works together with an electric motor. The difference is that the electric engine is the primary source of power and PHEVs have to be plugged in to recharge the battery.
  
  Fully electric vehicles, or battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are fuelled entirely by battery power and need to be charged either at home, work or at a public charging station. 

• Budget

  While EVs may cost less to run and maintain over time, they are generally more expensive up front so budget may be a barrier. There are plenty of hybrids under $50,000 but only a handful of fully electric cars below the $50K mark.
  

• Access to charging

  If you’re interested in buying an EV then you’ll need to have easy access to charging your car, at home, work or at a public charging station. While you can use a regular power socket at home, it’s a very slow process, we’re talking 24 hours plus in some cases. So it’s important to plan how you’ll charge your car on a regular basis.
  

• Driving range

  You’ll also need to understand your driving habits to find the best type of electric car for your lifestyle. The range of an EV, how far it can travel on a single charge, depends on its battery size.  The bigger the battery the longer its range.
  
  Are you mostly doing short city trips to and from work and the gym? Do you regularly take longer road trips on a weekend? You’ll need to consider if the range of the car is enough for the type of driving you do.