Imagine getting fuel back in your tank every time you slow down.

The more it slows down, the more energy is captured and put back into the battery. 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. Regenerative braking is unique to ZEVs and may take some getting used to. Drivers select drive, reverse or neutral using buttons on the dashboard or a lever on the steering wheel. ZEVs do not need to change gears because they only have one forward gear and one reversing gear. Most ZEVs are very similar to conventional vehicles as they have a push-start button and drive like an ICE vehicle. A hybrid’s pure electric range is limited and when the battery is exhausted the internal combustion engine starts and generates emissions. Hybrids use a small battery and electric motor to make an ICE vehicle more efficient.

Plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrid vehicles are not ZEVs. It does not ‘burn’ hydrogen, electricity is generated via a chemical reaction. FCEVs only emit water and have a range of up to 650km. A fuel cell creates electricity by combining hydrogen from its tanks with oxygen from the air.

Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV): These vehicles have an electric drivetrain and an onboard fuel cell instead of a big battery.These ZEVs have no tailpipe emissions and can drive between 260 and 500kms per charge. Battery electric vehicle (BEV): Powered by an onboard rechargeable battery and does not have an internal combustion engine (ICE).Zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) run on electricity instead of petrol or diesel.

Plug in hybrid zero emissions vehicle