Electric Vehicles (also known as EVs) can come in a number of configurations including hybrids, parallel hybrids, series hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell cars and plug-in electric.
All cars (including conventional gasoline vehicles) perform a similar function: they are energy conversion devices which turn stored energy into kinetic energy.
Electric vehicles, and their many iterations, harness stored electric energy to either assist or solely power locomotion.
For example, parallel hybrid vehicles use energy from an on-board battery, as well as an internal combustion engine (ICE) to power locomotion.
Series hybrids draw on the electric motor to power the vehicle, when the battery runs low the ICE kicks in, driving a generator which recharges the battery.
Plug-in full electric vehicles, meanwhile, solely run off the stored energy in their batteries.