Industry jargon

HEV, or hybrid electric vehicle

A hybrid electric vehicle, or HEV, combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery but does not recharge its traction battery from an external electricity supply. Energy is recovered through the vehicle's own operation, including regenerative braking. A full HEV can use the engine, electric motor or both to propel the vehicle depending on operating conditions. This differs from a mild hybrid, where the electrical system assists the engine but does not independently provide normal propulsion. HEVs do not require public or home EV charging infrastructure because there is no plug-in traction-battery connection.