Honda Hybrid FAQ

With so many motorists now having a sincere interest in eco-friendly automobiles, we’re fielding questions about hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs left and right. And that’s a great thing! If you want a Honda hybrid like the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Insight, or Honda CR-V Hybrid, you might be wondering how Honda hybrids differ from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery-electric cars.

Honda Hybrid

Hybrids

Compared to PHEVs and EVs, hybrid vehicles have been available in the modern marketplace the longest. As their name implies, hybrid cars have hybridized powertrains that include parts you’ll find in gas-powered vehicles or electric automobiles. Those components include an internal combustion engine, a gas tank, a battery pack, and at least one electric motor.

When you contact our Honda dealership serving Bloomington, IL, we’ll explain that hybrid vehicles can travel short distances using just electricity. At times when more power is needed, a hybrid’s engine and electric motor work together. Hybrids employ regenerative brakes to keep their battery packs charged.

PHEVs

Drivers who stop by Serra Honda of Champaign to learn about Honda hybrids often ask us if PHEVs have regenerative brakes too. While PHEVs typically do have regenerative brakes to partially power their battery packs, they also rely on an external power source to charge their battery packs. That’s why they’re referred to as “plug-in” hybrid electric vehicles.

There are three types of chargers drivers can use to charge a PHEV or an all-electric vehicle. Those chargers are:

  • Level 1 chargers
  • Level 2 chargers
  • Level 3 or DC fast chargers

EVs

As you look over the latest Honda models at our location, you may find yourself wondering about EVs. While “EV” technically refers to automobiles that have electric motors that send power directly to a car’s wheels at least some of the time, the term is normally reserved for automobiles that run on electricity exclusively.

Unlike Honda hybrids and PHEVs, EVs don’t have any components that use gas, such as an internal combustion engine. EVs normally have larger battery packs than hybrids and PHEVs. Since their battery packs are bigger, EVs can travel longer distances than PHEVs before they need to be recharged.

While Honda hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs are different from one another, they’re all better for the environment than gas-only models, which means they’re better for your wallet too. Visit our Savoy, IL Honda finance department to purchase or lease a Honda hybrid today.