Electric vehicleUnited States
Traffic rules
United States
126. Electric vehicle
An electric vehicle, or EV, is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion and stores electrical energy in a rechargeable battery or another electrical energy-storage system. A fully electric vehicle uses only electrical energy for propulsion, while a plug-in hybrid combines an electric drivetrain with another power source such as a combustion engine.
Electric vehicles can be recharged from an external electricity supply using a suitable charging point or charging station. Their driving-licence, registration, insurance, parking and road-access rules depend on the vehicle category and local regulations rather than simply on the fact that they use electric power.
Wikimedia.org • Mariordo • CC BY-SA
What is an electric vehicle?
An electric vehicle is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion and stores electrical energy in a rechargeable battery or another electrical energy-storage system.
What is a fully electric vehicle?
A fully electric or battery-electric vehicle uses only electric motors for propulsion and obtains its driving energy from rechargeable electrical energy storage rather than a combustion engine.
Is a plug-in hybrid an electric vehicle?
A plug-in hybrid uses both electric propulsion and another power source, normally a combustion engine, and its battery can be charged from an external electricity supply. It is therefore different from a fully electric vehicle.
How is an electric vehicle charged?
An electric vehicle is connected to a suitable charging point that supplies electrical energy to its rechargeable battery. Charging power and connector types vary between vehicles and charging stations.
Do all electric vehicles charge at the same speed?
No. Charging speed depends on the vehicle, battery, charger, electrical supply, temperature and current battery condition.
Does an electric vehicle produce exhaust emissions?
A fully electric vehicle produces no combustion-engine exhaust emissions while driving. It can still contribute to non-exhaust emissions through tyres, brakes and road wear.
Is an electric vehicle automatically allowed to park at a charging point?
Not necessarily. Charging spaces can have specific conditions requiring the vehicle to be connected, actively charging, within a time limit or otherwise complying with local parking rules.
Do electric vehicles follow different traffic rules?
Normally no. A car remains subject to the rules for cars, a motorcycle to those for motorcycles and so on. Electric propulsion does not generally change ordinary priority, speed or lane rules.
Do electric vehicles need registration and insurance?
Where an electric vehicle belongs to a vehicle category that normally requires registration and insurance, those requirements continue to apply.
Can an electric vehicle use a low-emission zone?
Fully electric vehicles are commonly permitted in low-emission zones because they have no combustion-engine exhaust emissions, but access rules are determined locally.
Can electric vehicles use motorways?
Yes, when their vehicle category satisfies the normal motorway-access requirements. Electric propulsion by itself neither grants nor prevents motorway access.
Is an electric vehicle the same as an electric bicycle?
No. Electric bicycles belong to separate pedal-cycle categories and are subject to their own power, assistance-speed and traffic rules.
