Understanding BEV, EREV, PHEV, HEV, ICE — And Their Carbon Footprint, from Dirtiest to Cleanest

By Alvin Wong, CEO of Innovative Green Power Sdn. Bhd.

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular in Malaysia, car buyers often encounter technical terms such as BEV, EREV, PHEV, HEV, and ICE. If you’re shopping for your first EV or exploring alternatives to traditional petrol or diesel cars, it helps to understand these categories — and more importantly, how each impacts the environment.

Let’s break down what each type means, and then compare them based on their carbon emissions, so you can see which vehicles are truly helping to lower your carbon footprint.

ICE — Internal Combustion Engine

The traditional car many Malaysians still drive today. ICE vehicles are powered entirely by petrol or diesel engines, with no electric components to assist.

These vehicles burn fuel directly, emitting carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other pollutants through the exhaust. A typical modern petrol car in Malaysia emits between 180 to 220 grams of CO₂ per kilometre driven — the highest in this group.

In simple terms: ICE cars are the dirtiest option and are being phased out globally in favour of cleaner technologies.

HEV — Hybrid Electric Vehicle

A hybrid combines a petrol engine with a small electric motor. The battery is charged through regenerative braking and the engine itself — no plugging in required. The electric motor helps the petrol engine operate more efficiently, especially at low speeds.

However, HEVs still rely mostly on petrol, so they emit around 120 to 150 grams of CO₂ per kilometre — better than ICE, but still a fossil-fuel vehicle at heart.

PHEV — Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

PHEVs are hybrids with bigger batteries that you can charge by plugging in. You can drive short distances (usually 30 to 60 km) using electric power alone. After that, the petrol engine takes over.

The real-world emissions of a PHEV depend heavily on how you use it:

• If you charge often and drive mostly electric, your CO₂ emissions could be as low as 50 to 70 grams per km.
• If you don’t charge regularly, the PHEV behaves like a heavy petrol car, emitting closer to 130 to 160 grams per km.

PHEVs offer flexibility, but they don’t deliver full carbon savings unless used correctly.

EREV — Extended-Range Electric Vehicle

An EREV is mostly electric. It uses a large battery and an electric motor to drive, just like a BEV, but carries a small petrol engine as a generator — which only turns on to recharge the battery when needed. The petrol engine does not drive the wheels.

This means most daily trips produce little to no CO₂ from petrol. The generator is used only on long trips when public charging is unavailable.

In Malaysian conditions, an EREV might average 50 to 80 grams of CO₂ per kilometre when accounting for both electricity (from the grid) and occasional petrol use — a very efficient option if you drive mostly electric.

BEV — Battery Electric Vehicle

A BEV is 100% electric, with no petrol engine at all. It runs on battery power alone and is charged via home chargers, public AC chargers, or DC fast chargers.

BEVs produce zero tailpipe emissions. However, the actual carbon footprint depends on how the electricity is generated. Malaysia’s grid is still about 60% fossil fuel-based (coal and gas), so charging a BEV on the grid today produces about 85 to 110 grams of CO₂ per kilometre — already better than ICE, HEV, and often PHEV.

The cleaner the grid becomes (with more solar, hydro, and other renewables), the cleaner BEVs will get. If you install rooftop solar at home and charge your BEV directly from it, your carbon footprint can drop to nearly zero.

Conclusion: From Dirtiest to Cleanest

When it comes to reducing your personal carbon footprint, BEVs are already the best choice for most Malaysians today — and will only get better as our national energy mix improves.

Here’s the ranking from highest to lowest emissions:

1. ICE — Most carbon-intensive
2. HEV — Cleaner than ICE, but still petrol-based
3. PHEV — Clean if charged regularly, less so if not
4. EREV — Mostly electric, very low emissions
5. BEV — Zero tailpipe emissions, lowest overall footprint

Every step toward electrification helps — but for true long-term sustainability, full electric vehicles are the way forward.

If you’d like to know more about how to set up home EV charging or how to select the right charger for your needs, reach out to us at Innovative Green Power.

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