Electric car terms in plain language, with South African context. 63 terms.
The usual way to quote fast-charging time: how long to go from a low battery to 80%. Brands quote different starting points (10%, 20% or 30%), so check which one a figure uses before comparing two cars.
See also: Charging curve
A higher-voltage electrical design that lets some cars charge at very high speeds without overheating. Found mostly on premium models. The charger has to support it to benefit.
Slower charging using alternating current, the kind from a wall socket or a home wall charger. The car's onboard charger converts it to the direct current the battery needs. Good for overnight charging at home or at work.
See also: DC fast charging, Onboard charger
Power goes to all four wheels. In an EV this is usually done with a second motor on the other axle. It adds grip and power but uses more energy, which can reduce range.
The slow, gradual loss of battery capacity over time and charge cycles. It is usually slow, and manufacturers back it with a battery warranty.
See also: Battery warranty, State of health
A guarantee that the battery keeps a minimum share of its capacity for a set number of years or kilometres. Eight years is common, but the kilometre limit varies a lot between brands, so read the exact terms.
See also: Battery degradation
A car that runs only on a battery and electric motors. No petrol or diesel engine, no exhaust. People usually just say "EV" for this.
BYD's name for its long, thin LFP battery cells.
See also: LFP
Brands give their hybrid systems their own names, which can be confusing. Examples you will see: DM-i (BYD plug-in hybrids), Hi-4 (Haval hybrid all-wheel drive), e-Four (Toyota's electric rear-axle all-wheel drive) and CSH or SHS (Chery group hybrids). Ignore the name and look at the type: HEV, PHEV or EREV.
The plug used for fast DC charging on most electric cars sold in South Africa. It looks like a Type 2 plug with two extra pins underneath, so one socket on the car handles both slow and fast charging.
A document from a registered electrician confirming that an electrical installation meets South African safety rules. You will need one for a proper home charger installation.
An older fast-charging plug found mainly on early Nissan Leafs and some Japanese cars. New models sold here mostly use CCS instead.
See also: CCS
The company that owns and runs public chargers. Each has its own app, prices and payment method, so on a long trip you may need more than one.
See also: Idle fee
How a car's charging speed changes as the battery fills. Cars charge fastest at low battery and slow down as they approach full, which is why charging to 80% is much quicker than to 100%.
See also: Peak charging speed, 10 to 80%
The range the manufacturer quotes, usually from a lab test. Treat it as a way to compare cars, not what you will get on the N1.
See also: WLTP, Highway range
The Chinese lab test cycle. It usually gives higher range figures than WLTP for the same car, so do not compare a CLTC number with a WLTP number.
See also: WLTP
How much energy a car uses per distance, the electric version of litres per 100 km. Lower is better. 17 kWh/100 km is the same as 170 Wh/km.
See also: kWh
Much faster charging that feeds direct current straight into the battery, bypassing the onboard charger. This is what you use on road trips. Speeds range from about 50 kW to over 300 kW depending on the charger and the car.
See also: AC charging, Charging curve, CCS
How far a plug-in hybrid can go on its battery before the petrol engine starts. Check which test the figure comes from, as some are generous.
A type of plug-in hybrid where the wheels are driven only by the electric motor. The petrol engine just makes electricity when the battery runs low, like an onboard generator.
See also: PHEV
An electric car that makes its own electricity from hydrogen. Very rare, and we do not cover them on Electrix.
A small storage space under the bonnet, where an engine would normally be. Handy for charging cables.
A car brought into South Africa by someone other than the official distributor. It may cost less but can lack local warranty, parts and software support.
See also: Official SA availability
An efficient way to heat the cabin that uses less energy than a normal electric heater, which saves range in cold weather. It matters less in warm parts of South Africa.
A petrol car with a small battery and electric motor that cannot be plugged in. It recharges itself as you drive and brake, and saves fuel. It can drive short distances on electricity alone.
How far a car goes at motorway speed, about 120 km/h in South Africa. It is much lower than claimed range. On Electrix we estimate it from the claimed figure unless we have tested the car ourselves.
See also: Claimed range · Real highway range →
A normal petrol or diesel engine. "ICE car" means a conventional car with no electric drive.
A charge some networks add if your car stays plugged in after it has finished charging, to keep chargers free for others.
A tax on imported cars. Electric cars carry a higher duty than petrol cars (reportedly 25% against 18%) and there is no buyer subsidy, which is one reason EVs cost more here.
The unit that turns battery or solar power into household electricity during an outage or from panels. Its size (in kVA) limits what you can run, including a car charger.
See also: kVA
A measure of apparent power, used for inverters and generators. It is close to kW but not identical, so a 5 kVA inverter cannot always deliver a full 5 kW. This matters if you want to charge a car during load shedding.
A measure of power: how fast energy is delivered. It describes the strength of a motor or the speed of a charger. A 50 kW charger delivers energy twice as fast as a 25 kW one. For motors, 1 kW is roughly 1.34 horsepower.
See also: kWh
A measure of energy: how much is stored or used. Think of it as the size of the fuel tank. A 60 kWh battery holds twice as much as a 30 kWh battery. Your electricity bill is also charged per kWh.
See also: kW, Usable battery capacity
A battery chemistry that is generally cheaper and long-lasting and uses no nickel or cobalt. It usually stores a bit less energy for its weight than NMC. Check the owner's manual, as the best charging habits can differ.
See also: NMC, Blade battery
Scheduled power cuts used by Eskom when supply is short. Eskom has also used the term load reduction for local cuts. If it returns, an EV without backup power can only be charged when the power is on.
See also: Inverter
A petrol or diesel car with a small electric assist that saves a little fuel. It cannot drive on electricity alone and cannot be plugged in. The saving is small.
See also: HEV
An older European lab test that gave flattering range figures. You will still see it on some plug-in hybrids. Expect real-world range to be noticeably lower.
See also: WLTP
A catch-all term for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, used in China and in some South African sales statistics. Regular hybrids are often counted separately.
A common battery chemistry that packs more energy into less weight than LFP, but usually costs more. Makers often suggest charging to about 80% for daily use.
See also: LFP
Whether a car is officially sold in South Africa by the brand's own distributor, with local warranty and support. We list only these on Electrix.
See also: Grey import
The part inside the car that turns AC power into DC for the battery. Its size (for example 7 kW or 11 kW) sets the maximum AC charging speed, whatever the wall charger can supply.
See also: AC charging
A setting where lifting off the accelerator slows the car strongly through regenerative braking, so you rarely need the brake pedal in town.
See also: Regenerative braking
A software update that arrives over mobile data or Wi-Fi, like a phone update, instead of at a dealership. It can fix bugs and sometimes add features.
The weight a bakkie can carry (payload) or pull (towing). Towing cuts an electric or plug-in hybrid's range sharply, so check this carefully if you tow.
The highest speed a car can charge at, usually reached only briefly at a low state of charge on a powerful charger. The average speed over a whole stop is lower, so peak is a ceiling, not what you will get all the way through.
See also: Charging curve
A hybrid with a bigger battery you can plug in. It drives on electricity for a set distance (often 50 to 100 km or more) and then switches to petrol. The saving only happens if you actually plug it in.
See also: HEV, BEV, Electric-only range · PHEV or EV? →
A cable with a control box that plugs into a normal three-pin socket. It charges slowly, and household sockets are not designed to run flat out for hours, so a proper wall charger is a safer long-term plan.
See also: Wall charger
Warming (or cooling) the battery before you arrive at a fast charger so it charges faster. Many cars do it automatically when you navigate to a charger.
The worry of running out of charge before you reach a charger. It shrinks quickly once you know your routes and your car's real range.
The motor works as a generator when you lift off or brake, turning movement back into electricity. It adds a little range and reduces brake wear.
See also: One-pedal driving
The two types of electricity supply. Most South African homes are single-phase, which limits a home charger to about 7 kW. Three-phase allows 11 or 22 kW chargers but is not always available or cheap to add.
See also: Wall charger · Home charging guide →
A future battery type that replaces the liquid inside current batteries with a solid material. It promises more range and faster charging but is not yet common in cars on sale here.
How full the battery is, shown as a percentage, like a fuel gauge.
How much of its original capacity the battery still has. A battery at 90% health holds 90% of the energy it held when new.
See also: Battery degradation
An electricity price that changes by time of day. It can make overnight charging cheaper, if your municipality offers it.
The twisting force that gets a car moving, measured in newton-metres (Nm). Electric motors deliver their torque instantly, which is why even modest EVs feel quick off the line.
The standard plug for AC charging in South Africa, used on home wall chargers and public AC chargers. Most cars come with a Type 2 cable or can use one.
See also: CCS, AC charging
The part of the battery you can actually use, as opposed to the gross figure which includes a safety buffer the car holds back. Always compare usable figures when you can. Some brands only quote the gross number.
See also: kWh
Sending energy from the car's battery back into the electricity grid. Mostly still experimental and not yet commonplace in South Africa.
Using the car's battery to power your house during an outage. It needs the right car and charger and is not yet common in South Africa.
See also: V2L
Using the car's battery to power appliances such as a kettle, laptop or power tools through an adapter or socket. Only some cars have it. Useful for camping or an outage.
See also: V2H
A fixed charging unit mounted at home or work. Technically it is a safe, smart power supply and the car does the actual charging. EVSE stands for electric vehicle supply equipment.
See also: Portable charger
The lab test used to produce most claimed ranges today (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure). It is a fair way to compare cars, but real-world range is lower, especially at 120 km/h.
See also: NEDC, CLTC, Highway range
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Missing a term? Tell us and we will add it. Figures such as charging speeds and test ranges are examples, so check the details for the specific car on its page.