With severe weather events becoming more common as a result of global warming, many area drivers have an increased interest in eco-friendly automobiles. If you're familiar with the Volvo brand, then you know that the carmaker's Volvo Recharge lineup includes plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and Volvo electric cars. What you might not realize is how those types of cars differ from each other as well as traditional hybrids.
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Hybrids
When they contact our Volvo dealership near Jacksonville, NC, some drivers ask us about hybrid cars. Hybrid automobiles have been around for decades. These vehicles have hybridized powertrains that include internal combustion engines along with a battery pack and a minimum of one electric motor.
Hybrids have regenerative brakes and electric motors that act as generators to keep their battery packs charged. A driver can cover a short distance in a hybrid using electricity alone. When it's necessary, the car's engine will kick in to provide a seamless driving experience.
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Drivers looking for Volvo cars for sale won't have to go anywhere but our location to see the latest Volvo models. As you look through the new Volvo cars in our showroom, you'll see attractive PHEVs like the Volvo XC90 Recharge.
PHEVs are similar to hybrids in that they also have internal combustion engines, electric motors, battery packs, and regenerative brakes. The battery packs in PHEVs are larger, however, which enables the automobiles to travel farther using electricity only. In addition, PHEVs stand apart from hybrids because they rely on an external power source along with their brakes to charge their battery packs.
Electric Cars
The electric vehicles or EVs you'll see when you visit Volvo Cars of New Bern run on electricity exclusively. For that reason, these vehicles don't have as many components under the hood as hybrids or PHEVs. EVs don't have engines, gas tanks, or exhaust systems, for example. Since they don't consume gas, EVs don't release potentially damaging emissions into the atmosphere.
Electric vehicles have an even greater all-electric driving range than PHEVs. The electric motors in EVs are extremely powerful, and they deliver torque immediately for quick starts off the line.
Are you ready to limit your impact on the environment with a Volvo PHEV or one of our Volvo electric cars? If that's the case, contact the pros in our Volvo financing center to learn all about our Volvo lease and finance offers for eco-friendly Volvo models now.