About low and zero emission vehicles
Zero or low emissions vehicles refers to different types of vehicles:
- Battery electric vehicles (BEV)
- Hybrid vehicles (HEV)
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV).
There is 1 type of zero emission vehicle (ZEV) – a Battery electric vehicle (BEV).
A BEV is powered by an onboard rechargeable battery and does not have an internal combustion engine (ICE). ZEVs have no tailpipe emissions and can drive between 260 and 600kms per charge and run on electricity instead of petrol or diesel.
Conventional hybrid vehicles (HEVs) are not considered a zero-emission vehicle. While they do use a small battery and electric motor to improve fuel efficiency, their pure electric driving range is very limited; when the battery is exhausted the ICE engine propels the vehicle and generates tailpipe emissions.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) can drive in full electric mode for a limited distance and use their battery and electric motor to extend the driving range of the vehicle and thus are considered low emission vehicles.
Driving a zero emission vehicle
Most ZEVs are very similar to conventional vehicles as they have a push-start button and drive like an ICE vehicle.
ZEVs do not need to change gears because they only have one forward gear and one reversing gear. Drivers select drive, reverse or neutral using buttons on the dashboard or a lever on the steering wheel.
Braking
Regenerative braking is unique to ZEVs and may take some getting used to.
Every time a driver lifts off the accelerator pedal, the ZEV starts slowing down and the energy that is usually wasted in an ICE vehicle is used to charge the ZEV’s battery.
The more it slows down, the more energy is captured and put back into the battery. Imagine getting fuel back in your tank every time you slow down.
This effect varies between vehicles. It can be barely noticeable, as you might only feel the vehicle slightly slowing when taking your foot off the accelerator, or it can feature one-pedal driving which means the ZEV will slow down significantly when easing off the pedal.
One-pedal driving also means the ZEV will come to a full stop when you take your foot off the accelerator.
Once drivers get used to this, it makes for a more relaxed drive, as you only use one pedal to accelerate and slow down. The brake pedal is only required if needing to stop quickly.
Zero emission vehicle induction videos
QFleet has created induction videos for drivers of zero emission electric vehicles to better explain the above concepts and ease the transition.
How to order a zero emission electric vehicle
QFleet has a number of ZEVs available in the passenger and SUV segments. If you would like to know more about the available range of ZEVs, contact your fleet consultant.