A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any vehicle that can recharge its battery by plugging into an external source of electricity.
PEV is an umbrella term. It includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which run only on electricity, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which pair a rechargeable battery with a gasoline engine. Conventional hybrids that charge only from their own engine and braking are not PEVs, because they never plug in.
The main types
- BEV (battery electric vehicle). All-electric; range depends entirely on the battery and on access to charging.
- PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). A smaller battery covers shorter trips, and a gasoline engine takes over when it runs low.
- Not included: conventional hybrids, which cannot be plugged in.
What PEVs mean for parking
- Charging follows dwell. Most charging happens where cars already sit for hours: homes, workplaces and garages.
- Power, not just stalls. Serving PEVs means electrical capacity, conduit and panels, which is why codes increasingly require make-ready infrastructure.
- Policy and stall management. Charging stalls need rules for idle time and enforcement so a charged car does not block the next one.
The Parkonomics view
The useful question is not how many PEVs will arrive but how long they will park. A garage with long dwell times can serve many PEVs with modest Level 2 power and managed charging; a short-stay site needs faster equipment and much more electrical capacity. Plan the power to match the dwell time, not the headline.
Related terms: EV, Make-Ready Infrastructure, Managed Charging, Dwell Time
Further reading: EV Charging Did Not Break the Grid. Batteries Fixed It.; The Federal EV Fee Is a Four-Cent Meter