Car glossary

Two common acceleration benchmarks: 0–100 km/h and 0–60 mph. They are close, but not the same test.

The minutes needed to fast-charge from 10% to 80% battery, a comparable measure of real DC charging speed.

The battery system voltage an EV is built around. At the same power, an 800V system needs about half the current of a 400V one, which can help fast charging.

Everyday charging from alternating current at home wallboxes, workplaces and public posts. The car's onboard charger limits the speed, and sessions take hours rather than minutes.

The umbrella term for electronic aids like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, and lane keeping. Read what each system requires of the driver.

The yearly cost of borrowing, including interest and certain mandatory charges, expressed as a percentage: the number that makes finance offers comparable.

The gradual loss of battery capacity, and therefore range, as an EV ages and accumulates charge cycles. Sources describe the loss as slow.

A separate manufacturer warranty on an EV's traction battery, which may promise a minimum retained capacity over a set period and distance.

A car powered only by a battery and electric motors, with no engine. You charge it from the grid instead of filling a tank.

The UK tax on a company car as a perk, calculated from the car's list price and CO2 band. Electric cars sit in the lowest bands.

The shape category of a car — sedan, SUV, hatchback, wagon, coupe, convertible, pickup, or van — and what each shape implies for cargo and access.

France's emissions-linked car purchase costs: a CO2-based malus tax at first registration, and a purchase aid for electric cars that replaced the state bonus in 2025.

Trunk space measured by different methods: block-based liter figures (VDA) in European specs, the SAE method in cubic feet in the US. Never mix them.

A fast-charging connector standard: CCS2 is required on public high-power DC points in the EU, and CCS1 is common on US EVs. It combines AC and DC in one port.

A DC fast-charging connector standard developed in Japan. Its importance in Europe is fading as more EU-market EVs use a CCS inlet.

The graph of charging power against battery level. Its shape, not the peak number, decides how long a fast-charging stop really takes.

A car's official carbon dioxide emissions per kilometer, measured on the WLTP cycle in the EU and UK. Many taxes and incentives key off this number.

The car's weight ready to drive: fluids and standard equipment included, occupants and cargo not. Definitions vary by standard.

An engine feature that turns off some cylinders when they are not needed, so the engine runs on fewer cylinders and saves fuel.

High-power public charging that feeds direct current straight into the battery, so a large share of a charge can take tens of minutes rather than hours.

The value a car loses between purchase and resale — invisible day to day, yet often one of the largest costs of owning a new car.

The fee for delivering a new car from factory to dealer, which US federal law requires the window sticker to state alongside the MSRP.

A combustion engine that ignites diesel fuel by compression. CarPairly lists it apart from gasoline ICE because fuel price, consumption and taxation can differ.

Which wheels the power goes to: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. Each differs in traction, cost, and weight.

The US government test procedure behind window-sticker fuel economy and electric range figures. It differs from WLTP, so never compare the two.

The EU's staged limits on pollutants from new cars, labeled Euro 1 upward. A car's Euro stage can decide its access to city low-emission zones.

Government support that lowers the effective price of an electric car: grants, tax credits, or tax relief. It differs sharply by market and changes often.

A front trunk: storage space under the hood of some electric cars, where an engine would otherwise sit. Size varies by model and model year.

The official sticker or document showing a new car's consumption, emissions, and, in the US, estimated fuel costs, in the format each market's regulator requires.

The gap between the ground and the car's lowest point, which sets what obstacles it can pass over, such as speed bumps, rough tracks, curbs, and snow.

The maximum the loaded car may weigh, as specified by the manufacturer: vehicle, occupants, and cargo combined. The ceiling that defines payload.

A cabin heating system that draws heat from outside air instead of generating it from electricity alone, which can reduce winter range loss in electric cars.

A hybrid pairs a gas engine with a battery and motor. It never plugs in; the battery recharges from the engine and regenerative braking.

The regulatory approval process a car must pass before it can be sold in a market, covering safety, emissions, and official test figures.

Units for the same thing: a car's power output. Spec sheets show kW, horsepower or metric horsepower (PS), and the last two differ slightly.

An engine that burns fuel in cylinders. On CarPairly, ICE is the gasoline powertrain: a car with no electric-only driving mode, mild hybrids included.

The UK's advisory 1 to 50 rating of a car's insurance risk, where group 1 is the lowest risk. Thatcham says a Vehicle Risk Rating is replacing it.

Standardized anchor points for fitting child seats without relying on the seat belt: ISOFIX in Europe, LATCH in the US, the Universal Anchorage System in Canada.

The unit of power. On a car page it describes two different things: how strong the motor is and how fast the car can charge.

kW is power, kWh is energy. Mixing them up is an easy mistake when reading electric car spec sheets and charging prices.

The unit of energy used for battery capacity and electricity billing. Think of kWh as the size of an electric car's tank.

Electric car efficiency as energy used per 100 kilometers. Lower is better; it is the EV equivalent of L/100 km.

The US efficiency figure for electric cars: energy consumed per 100 miles, shown on the EPA label. Lower is better.

Fuel consumption as liters used per 100 kilometers. Lower is better. Canadian and Australian labels use it, and UK labels show it alongside mpg.

The three ways to pay for a new car: rent its depreciation, borrow toward owning it, or buy it outright. Each fits a different situation.

Two main lithium-ion EV battery chemistries. LFP contains no cobalt or nickel, while NMC is described as offering higher energy density.

The official published price of a car before discounts — CarPairly's standard term for the manufacturer's current price in each market.

An Australian federal tax on the portion of a car's price above a set threshold, with a higher threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles.

A mild hybrid is a gasoline or diesel car with a small electric assist. It cannot drive on electricity alone.

The EV efficiency figure shown for the GB market: miles driven per kilowatt-hour of energy. Unlike consumption figures, higher is better.

The year label a manufacturer gives a version of a car, which can differ from when it was built or sold. Specs can change between model years.

Miles per imperial gallon, the fuel economy figure UK drivers use. The bigger gallon makes UK figures read higher than US ones.

Miles per US gallon, the American fuel economy figure. Higher is better, and it is not comparable with UK mpg.

The manufacturer's suggested retail price on a US window sticker. It excludes sales tax, and the destination charge is listed separately.

The charging connector Tesla developed and opened to the industry, standardized by SAE as J3400. One connector handles both AC and DC charging.

The old European lab cycle that WLTP replaced. NEDC figures should not be compared with WLTP or EPA numbers, because they come from different tests.

The converter inside a plug-in vehicle that turns AC power into DC for the battery. Its kW rating caps how fast the car can charge from an AC source.

A driving mode where lifting off the accelerator slows the car strongly through regenerative braking. Some cars bring themselves to a complete stop this way.

The UK's all-in price for a new car, quoted as a total that adds mandatory charges such as VAT and delivery. What it includes can vary by seller.

The total weight of people and cargo a car may carry: the gap between its curb weight and its maximum permitted weight (GVWR).

A plug-in hybrid has both a gas engine and a battery you charge from a socket, giving a limited electric-only range before the engine takes over.

Everything that generates and delivers a car's motion: engine or motor, battery or tank, and transmission. It defines which type of car you are comparing.

Warming or cooling the cabin and battery before you need them, ideally while the car is still plugged in.

The official distance an electric car covers on a full battery, measured on a named lab cycle. Always check which cycle produced the number.

The distance an electric car actually covers in everyday driving, which can differ from the rated figure and is affected by speed, temperature, and driving conditions.

Slowing the car by running its electric motor as a generator, recovering energy into the battery instead of wasting it as brake heat.

The predicted worth of a car after a set period and mileage — the forecast that anchors lease payments and total cost calculations.

The recurring tax for keeping a car registered and on the road, set by each country and often tied to emissions, weight, or engine size.

Crash-test star ratings from Euro NCAP in Europe, ANCAP in Australia, and the US government's NHTSA. Compare only within one program, and check the test year.

The US purchase tax added at the dealer on top of the advertised price, varying by state and locality: the mirror image of Europe's included VAT.

The European size ladder for cars, from A (mini cars) to F (luxury cars), used to define which cars are fair to compare.

A fuel-saving feature that shuts the engine off when the car is stationary and restarts it when you release the brake or press the accelerator.

The battery's current fill level as a percentage, like a fuel gauge. Charging speed and everyday charging habits are described in SoC terms.

What a car costs over your ownership period: depreciation, energy or fuel, insurance, maintenance, and financing interest, not just the purchase price.

The manufacturer's stated maximum speed, which may be a technical maximum or a set limit. Posted speed limits still apply, so compare it after range, price and practicality.

The twisting force a motor or engine produces, quoted in Nm or lb-ft. Read it together with power and gearing.

The maximum weight a car is approved to tow, listed in its handbook or specification sheet. Under UK guidance, no train weight on the VIN plate means do not tow.

An equipment level of a car variant, with its own price, features, and sometimes its own performance figures. The base trim carries the headline price.

Using exhaust energy to force more air into an engine, so a smaller engine can deliver more power.

The two regional AC charging connectors: Type 2 in Europe and Australia, J1772 in North America. Manufacturers committed to adding NACS on North American models.

Gross capacity is everything the battery physically holds; usable capacity is the part the car lets you drive on. Range comes from usable.

A distinct version of a model with its own powertrain and model year — the unit CarPairly builds car pages and comparisons around.

The consumption tax built into European and UK car prices. Consumer prices there include it; US prices exclude their sales tax instead.

A feature that lets an EV power external devices, such as tools and appliances, from its battery through a socket or adapter.

A dedicated home charging unit for an EV, installed by an electrician and faster than a household socket. Home units commonly deliver about 7 kW of AC power.

Electric efficiency as watt-hours per kilometer, the fine-grained unit some trip computers and spec sheets use. Lower is better.

The distance between the front and rear axle centers, a dimension worth reading alongside overall length to see how a car's length is packaged.

The lab test used for official new-car fuel consumption, CO2, and electric range figures in Europe and the UK. Comparable between cars, but not a promise for real driving.