Can You Charge a PHEV at Home?

At Kearny Mesa Chrysler Dodge Jeep® RAM, we have several different types of hybrid cars available for purchase. But how do you charge a hybrid car? Here’s a breakdown of how plug-in hybrids work, and PHEV home charging.

Understanding How PHEVs Work

There are several different type of hybrid and electric vehicles available on the market today, and each has a slightly different system. While traditional vehicles use a single gas engine to power the car, hybrid vehicles utilize electric motors and batteries to provide power.

Many hybrid cars feature one of each engine—a gas engine, and an electric motor—that work together to power your car. For a typical hybrid, a combination of the vehicle’s motion and regenerative braking will charge the battery that runs the electric motor.

A plug-in hybrid, however, allows its extra engine and battery to be powered by an external source as well as the vehicle itself, rather than relying solely on internal systems. All-electric vehicles also use plugs to power their batteries, but they drop the gas engine entirely.

Charging Your PHEV

There are several different types of chargers for PHEVs. The Level 1 charger is the most common, and it uses a 120-volt charge that’s compatible with most three-prong household outlets.

While all-electric vehicles are a bit more difficult to charge because of the larger power source they require, most PHEVs can be used on a Level 1 charger. So as long as you have an outlet nearby, you should be able to charge your plug-in hybrid at home.

If you’d like to learn more about hybrid vehicles available on our lot, contact our California Jeep dealership today.