Petrol/Diesel – Internal Combustion Engine
Petrol and diesel vehicles both use internal combustion engines but they achieve ignition slightly differently. A petrol car typically uses a spark-ignited internal combustion engine. In a spark-ignited system, Fuel + Air + Spark= Ignition.
The fuel is injected into the combustion chamber and combined with air. The air/fuel mixture is ignited by a spark from the spark plug. In a compression-ignited system, the diesel fuel is injected into the combustion chamber of the engine and ignited by the high temperatures achieved when the fuel is compressed by the engine piston, causing the diesel to burn spontaneously.
Plug-in Hybrid
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are powered by an electric motor that is fuelled by a battery, as well as an internal combustion engine (ICE). Its battery can be recharged using multiple methods such as plugging into a wall outlet or charging equipment, through the ICE, or via regenerative braking. Usually, these vehicles run on electric power until the battery is almost depleted, then switching to the ICE for energy source.
Hybrid Electric
Hybrid electric vehicles make use of both an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors to power the vehicle. Unlike fully electric models, they cannot be plugged in to a wall outlet or charging station to recharge the battery as this is done by regenerative braking and the internal combustion engine. The electric motor then contributes extra power, which can decrease the size of the required engine. Additionally, the battery powers auxiliary loads and reduces engine idling when stopped; leading to improved fuel economy without compromising on performance.
Electric
Instead of an internal combustion engine, electric vehicles or battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are powered by an electric motor. To keep the motor running, these vehicles require a large traction battery pack which must be plugged in to a wall outlet or charging equipment. This charging equipment is known as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). The great advantage of this type of vehicle is that it has no exhaust gas emissions, since they run solely on electricity. Furthermore, they don’t have any of the typical liquid fuel system components such as a fuel pump, fuel line or fuel tank.
