AmpLoft
Charging cost calculator
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How it works

Every AmpLoft guide filed under How it works. Practical, plain-English walkthroughs, ranked on what actually matters.

9 guidesBrowse all topics
A technician in a blue-lit workshop probing an open electric vehicle battery pack mounted on a stand with a small handheld toolLatest in How it works
How it works

Do Electric Cars Catch Fire More Than Gas Cars?

This teardown explains what actually causes EV battery fires, how they differ from gasoline car fires, and what current safety research says about frequency.

· 25 min readRead the guide →
A dark-colored electric car plugged in and charging in a home driveway at dusk, the garage door open and lit behind it, the street otherwise quietHow it works

Why Are Electric Cars So Quiet? How EVs Add Sound Back

Electric cars are quiet because there is no engine or exhaust to hear. This teardown explains why, plus the low-speed warning sound regulators require.

· 23 min read
A blue hatchback plugged into a wall-mounted charger beside a house on a foggy frosted morning, cable running to the charge port, cabin windows glowing warm and headlights litHow it works

What Is a Heat Pump in an EV?

This teardown explains the EV heat pump: why it moves heat instead of making it, what COP means, why it fades in deep cold, and what it wins back in winter.

· 34 min read
A dark electric car parked on a driveway at dusk with a thick cable running from it into a lit open garageHow it works

What Is Vehicle-to-Load? Using an EV as Power

What is vehicle-to-load? This teardown explains how an EV's onboard inverter turns the pack into an outlet, its output limit, and how long a charge lasts.

· 32 min read
A removed EV battery pack on a workshop stand while a technician inspects its high-voltage connectionsHow it works

What Happens to Old EV Batteries? Second Life & Recycling

This teardown follows old EV batteries from retirement into second life storage and recycling, and sizes the EV battery waste problem honestly, hype removed.

· 26 min read
A Level 2 EV charger mounted on a garage wall with its cable connected to an electric car parked insideHow it works

Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charger: What It Is, Speed, Cost

This teardown explains the Level 2 electric vehicle charger: the 240 volt home standard, its real speed in miles per hour, what it costs, and who needs one.

· 36 min read
Close view of an electric vehicle battery module, the stacked cells that store the energy an electric car runs on, lit with cool violet accent lightHow it works

How Do Electric Cars Work? AC or DC Explained

Electric cars run on both: AC and DC. This teardown explains how electric cars work, where each current type is used, and how energy reaches the wheels.

· 31 min read
An EV charging connector held in one hand and a gasoline pump nozzle in the other, side by side against a plain background, the charger in cool blue light and the nozzle in warm lightHow it works

EV Range Extenders: Do They Work?

This teardown explains how a range extender for an EV works, what an EREV and a PHEV really are, and whether the small onboard generator is worth its weight.

· 27 min read
A shoe resting on a car pedal in a dark footwell, a glowing blue car-shaped graphic on the display aboveHow it works

Regenerative Braking: How It Works and One-Pedal Driving

Regenerative braking explained: how does regenerative braking work, how the drive motor becomes a generator, where the energy goes, and what limits it.

· 42 min read