A
plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (
PHEV), also called a
plug-in hybrid vehicle (
PHV) and a
plug-in hybrid, is a
hybrid electric vehicle that uses
rechargeable batteries, or another energy storage device, that can be recharged by plugging it in to an external source of
electric power, usually a normal
wall socket). A PHEV shares the characteristics both of a conventional hybrid electric vehicle, having an
electric motor and an
internal combustion engine (ICE), and of an
all-electric vehicle, having a
plug to connect to the
electrical grid. Most PHEVs are passenger cars; there are also PHEV versions of commercial vehicles and vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles,
scooters, and military vehicles.