Charge-depleting or
EV mode refers to a mode of vehicle operation that is dependent on energy from the
battery pack.
Battery electric vehicles operate solely in this mode. Most
plug-in hybrids operate in charge-depleting mode at startup, and switch to
charge-sustaining mode after the battery has reached its minimum
state of charge (SOC) threshold, exhausting the vehicle's
all-electric range (AER). Although there is no technically mandated minimum all-electric range, future state and/or federal legislation may address this for policy purposes.