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Glossary

EV glossary

The words on an EV spec sheet, in plain English: what kW and kWh mean, how to read MPGe, and which plug is which.

Prices and buying · Range and efficiency · Charging · Plugs · Safety and battery · Leasing

Prices and buying

MSRP
Manufacturer's suggested retail price: the maker's list price. It leaves out destination, sales tax, registration, options and any dealer markup.
Destination fee
What the maker charges to ship the car to the dealer. Every buyer pays it, so add it to the MSRP when you compare prices.
Out-the-door price
The total you pay: selling price, destination, tax, registration and dealer fees. Ask for it in writing.
Trim
A version of a model, such as a base, mid or top level. Trims differ in price, battery, motors, range and features.
RWD, FWD, AWD
Which wheels the motors drive: rear, front or all four. AWD EVs have a second motor, which helps in snow and usually costs a little range.

Range and efficiency

EPA range
How far a full battery goes in the EPA's standard test, in miles. Highway speed, cold and big wheels all cut it.
Winter range
Range in cold weather. Our estimate is 70% of EPA range, from Recurrent's data at 20°F. Some cars do better, some worse.
MPGe
Miles per gallon equivalent. The EPA counts 33.7 kWh of electricity as one gallon of gas. Higher is better.
mi/kWh
Miles per kilowatt-hour: how far the car goes on one unit of electricity. Higher is better.
kWh/100 mi
Energy used to drive 100 miles. Lower is better. Multiply it by your electric rate to get the cost of 100 miles.
Heat pump
A heater that moves heat instead of making it, so it uses less battery than a regular electric heater. It helps most in cold weather.
Regenerative braking
When you lift off the pedal, the motor slows the car and sends energy back to the battery. One-pedal driving uses it to slow almost to a stop.

Charging

kWh
Kilowatt-hour, a unit of energy. Battery size is measured in kWh, and so is your electric bill. A bigger battery usually means more range.
kW
Kilowatt, a unit of power: how fast energy flows. On a charger, more kW means a faster charge. A 150 kW car can take up to 150 kW on a fast enough charger.
Peak DC kW
The highest fast-charging rate a car accepts. It holds it only for a few minutes, with a warm battery, on a charger at least that fast.
10–80% charge time
Minutes on a DC fast charger to go from 10% to 80%. It is the best way to compare charging speed, because it counts the whole stop, not just the peak.
Level 1
Charging from a regular 120V household outlet. It adds about 3 to 5 miles of range an hour, which works if you drive little and park long.
Level 2
240V charging, at home or in public. It adds around 25 to 40 miles an hour and fills most cars overnight. A home unit usually needs an electrician.
DC fast charging (DCFC)
High-power public charging, usually 50 to 350 kW, for road trips. It costs more per kWh than charging at home.
Supercharger
Tesla's fast-charging network. Many other brands can use it now, either with a NACS port or with an adapter.
Preconditioning
Warming the battery and cabin before you drive or fast charge. Do it while plugged in, and set the charger as the destination so the car warms the battery on the way.
State of charge
How full the battery is, in percent. Fast charging slows down as it gets close to full, usually past about 80%.

Plugs

NACS (J3400)
The North American Charging Standard: the small Tesla-designed plug, now standardized as SAE J3400. Most automakers are moving to it.
CCS
Combined Charging System, the larger plug used for fast charging by most non-Tesla EVs in the US until recently. Electrify America and EVgo use it.
J1772
The standard Level 2 plug on non-Tesla cars. A CCS port is a J1772 plug with two large DC pins added below it.
CHAdeMO
An older fast-charging plug, found on older Nissan Leaf models. Fewer stations offer it each year.
Adapter
Lets a car with one plug use a charger with another, such as a CCS car at a Supercharger. Use the one the maker approves.
Plug and Charge
Charging that starts and bills itself when you plug in, with no app or card. It needs a car and network that support it.

Safety and battery

NHTSA rating
The US government's crash-test score, from 1 to 5 stars overall. “Not rated” means NHTSA hasn't tested that model yet, not that it failed.
Battery warranty
Covers the high-voltage battery, usually for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Most makers repair or replace it only if capacity falls below a set level, often 70%.
State of health
How much capacity a battery has left compared with new. Ask for a state-of-health report on a used EV.

Leasing

Money factor
The interest rate on a lease, written as a small decimal. Multiply by 2,400 for a rough APR: 0.0025 is about 6%.
Residual
What the lender expects the car to be worth at lease end, as a percent of MSRP. A higher residual means a lower payment.
Cap cost
The price the lease is based on. You can negotiate it, just as you would on a purchase.
Time-of-use rate
An electric plan that charges less at night. Set the car to charge then and home charging gets cheaper.

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