Vehicle types

MHEV, or mild hybrid

A mild hybrid electric vehicle, or MHEV, uses a small electric motor and battery to assist a petrol or diesel engine but cannot be charged from an external EV charge point. The engine remains the mechanical source that drives the vehicle. Mild-hybrid systems can recover energy during braking and use the motor-generator to assist the engine, restart it or support electrical loads. Many current systems use a 48 V electrical architecture, although MHEV design is not defined by one voltage alone. An MHEV has no plug-in charging requirement. That separates it from a PHEV, which has a larger externally rechargeable traction battery.