Climate & Environment
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Definition
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle carries both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by a battery that can be recharged from an external electricity supply. It can drive on electricity alone for a limited range — typically 30 to 100 kilometres — before operating as a conventional hybrid, eliminating range anxiety while enabling partial electrification.
References
Supports definition and framing.
Supports definition and framing.
Overview
How it is used
PHEVs are counted in zero-emission vehicle policies, fleet CO₂ standards and company car taxation, with treatment increasingly differentiated from battery-electric vehicles.
Why it matters
PHEVs illustrate how technology categories and usage assumptions interact in sustainability policy: the same vehicle can be a genuine transition tool or a compliance loophole depending on real-world behaviour.