Glossary of car terms
The vocabulary behind the spec sheet. What a figure measures, how it is produced, where practice drifts from it.
No term matches that filter.
#
- 10-80% charging time
- The time to fast-charge the battery from 10 to 80 percent; more representative than the peak kW.
A
- ADAC Pannenstatistik
- Annual German breakdown statistic based on roadside-assistance call-outs, used as a reliability indication per segment.
- AdBlue (SCR)
- A urea solution that after-treats nitrogen oxides on modern diesels; it runs out and must be topped up periodically.
- APK (periodic vehicle inspection)
- The legally mandatory periodic RDW inspection for safety and environment; not a valuation or warranty.
B
- Battery degradation
- The gradual capacity loss of an EV battery over time and use; usually a few percent per year, non-linear.
- Bidirectional charging (V2L, V2H, V2G)
- An EV that not only charges but also feeds back: to appliances (V2L), to a home (V2H) or to the grid (V2G).
- Boot volume (VDA)
- Luggage space measured with the standardised VDA method using 1-litre blocks.
- BPM
- A one-off tax on registering a passenger car in the Netherlands; here only factual as a concept.
- BPM (concept deep-dive)
- Additional factual explanation of the basis and import depreciation of the BPM; no calculation or advice.
C
- Charging curve
- The course of the DC charging power against the state of charge; it determines the real fast-charge time, not the peak kW.
- Charging power (AC/DC)
- The power in kW at which an EV can charge alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).
- Company-car tax (bijtelling)
- A fiscal addition to income for private use of a company car; explained here only factually.
- Crossover
- An intermediate body style between hatchback and SUV: taller than a hatchback, lower than an SUV and usually aimed at urban use.
D
- Drive layout (FWD, RWD, AWD)
- Which wheels get power: front wheels (FWD), rear wheels (RWD) or all four (AWD); it affects traction and consumption.
- Drivetrain & battery warranty
- The factory warranty on the engine or drivetrain, and on EVs a separate, longer battery warranty with a capacity threshold.
E
- Estate (station wagon)
- A hatchback or sedan with an extended rear for extra luggage space; in English: estate or station wagon.
- Euro NCAP safety
- Independent crash test with stars and sub-scores; the standard tightens per protocol, so the year belongs with it.
- EV (fully electric car)
- A car driven solely by one or more electric motors that draws its energy from a battery charged at a charging point.
H
- Hatchback
- A compact passenger car with a tailgate that runs up into the roof, without a separate boot lid.
- Heat pump (EV)
- A heating system that uses ambient heat and lets the range drop less in cold weather than a resistance heater.
- Hybrid (self-charging)
- A car with a combustion engine and an electric motor without a charging connection; it charges itself via the engine and braking energy.
L
- LPG (autogas)
- Liquefied petroleum gas as an alternative fuel; in Europe mainly as a retrofitted or factory option on petrol cars.
M
- Mild hybrid, full hybrid & PHEV
- Three kinds of hybrid: light electric support, self-charging full hybrid, and plug-in with a plug.
- MPV (multi-purpose vehicle)
- A spacious family car with a tall roof and usually five to seven seats, focused on passenger and luggage volume.
- MRB (vehicle road tax)
- Periodic ownership tax for a registered vehicle; explained here only as a concept.
N
- NEDC
- Outdated pre-2018 EU test cycle, structurally more optimistic than WLTP.
- NEDC versus WLTP
- The difference between the old and the current EU test standard; WLTP figures sit structurally higher than NEDC.
P
- Particulate filter (DPF/OPF)
- A filter that catches soot particles from the exhaust and burns them off periodically; many short trips hamper the regeneration.
- PHEV (plug-in hybrid)
- A hybrid with a charging connection and a battery that allows several tens of kilometres of purely electric driving.
R
- Range
- The distance an electric car covers on one full battery; the WLTP statement deviates from real-world use.
- Rating "Efficiency"
- Our summary score for energy or fuel consumption per kilometre; based on WLTP and real-world consumption.
- Rating "Practicality"
- Our summary score for daily usability; built from boot volume, space, towing weight and flexibility.
- Rating "Reliability"
- Our summary score for breakdown sensitivity and sustained usability; based on ADAC breakdown statistics and owner reports.
- Rating "Sustainability"
- Our summary score for environmental impact per kilometre driven; built from emissions, energy source and lifespan.
- Rating "Value retention"
- Our summary score for how well a model holds its new price; based on historical residual-value curves.
- Real-world consumption
- The consumption drivers achieve in daily use, typically higher than the WLTP statement.
- Regenerative braking
- Recovering braking energy by letting the electric motor work as a generator; it lowers consumption and brake wear.
- Registration document
- The official registration document with the binding vehicle data, issued in the Netherlands by the RDW.
- Residual value & value retention
- What a car is still worth after a number of years; value retention is that as a percentage of the new price.
- Residual-value curve
- The course of the market value over the years; steep in the first year, then flattening, differing per segment.
S
- Sedan
- A four-door passenger car with a separate enclosed boot behind the cabin; the classic three-box body style.
- SOC & SOH
- State of Charge is the current charge level in percent; State of Health is the remaining capacity relative to new.
- SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle)
- A car that sits higher on its wheels with larger wheels and a more upright seating position, with or without all-wheel drive.
T
- Timing belt or chain
- The valve drive: a belt with a fixed replacement interval, or a chain that in principle lasts the engine's lifetime.
- Towing weight (braked/unbraked)
- The maximum trailer mass a car may tow, stated separately for braked and unbraked trailers.
U
- Utility factor
- The assumed fraction of electrically driven kilometres by which a plug-in hybrid's WLTP statement is weighted.
V
- Vehicle weight (kerb weight, payload, GVW)
- The kerb weight, the permitted payload and the maximum permitted mass; what is binding is the type plate.
W
- WLTP
- European type-approval test that has set the stated consumption and range since 2018.