- Everything you ever wanted to know about hybrids
- Find out how a PHEV differs from a hybrid
- Are hybrids more expensive to maintain?
There’s more choice than ever for car buyers. Ever-increasing numbers of models that use different sorts of power are now for sale. Among them are hybrid cars. On paper, these look like they combine all the benefits of an electric car with those of petrol power.
What is a hybrid car?
A hybrid car is one that uses an electric motor to supplement a regular combustion engine. In most cases the car has a petrol engine, not diesel.
How do hybrid cars work?
The electric motor in a regular or self-charging hybrid car helps to cut fuel consumption. It steps in particularly when cars consume the most energy. This is mostly when they move off from stationary or accelerate quickly. When a hybrid car starts from standstill, the electric motor gets the car moving. When it reaches 2-5mph, the petrol engine takes over. Under hard acceleration, the electric motor steps in to supplement the combustion engine.
A regular hybrid car doesn’t have to be plugged in. The electric batteries are charged by either the petrol engine or regenerative braking. This enables the car to gather energy that’s normally wasted when it slows down. The excess energy is then diverted to recharge the batteries.
What is a plug-in hybrid?
Like a regular hybrid, a plug-in hybrid combines a petrol engine with an electric motor. However, as the name suggests, you can charge a plug-in hybrid’s batteries at a recharging point. This could be a dedicated recharging station in the street, at a supermarket car park, or even your power socket at home.
Plug-in hybrids usually have a longer electric-only range than regular hybrids. They can be driven just like a full electric vehicle, and some lasting even up to 30 miles on battery power. Unlike regular hybrids, plug-ins can also use the electric motor to travel up to the legal maximum speed limits.
Are there government incentives for hybrid cars?
Although you can get a grant of up to £3,500 off the price of a new electric car, there are no government incentives for hybrid cars. However, you can get £500 towards the cost of installing an electric car charger at home through the government’s Homecharge Scheme.
How long do hybrid car batteries last?
Like any other battery, the batteries used by hybrid cars will wear out. Most car manufacturers will say a hybrid car’s batteries should last the lifetime of the car. But the performance of the batteries is likely to suffer as the car gets older. When buying a used hybrid car, it’s worthwhile checking out how long its battery warranty is and when it expires.
Hybrid electric cars - advantages and disadvantages
In theory, a hybrid car should boast the combined benefits of electric and regular combustion engine cars. On paper they are certainly more economical than a petrol engine over shorter distances.
You can drive plug-in hybrids as electric-only cars for short trips. Some can cover up to 30 miles and, with the average commute estimated around 12 miles, you could potentially get to work and back in electric-only mode. That means, not only are you driving without any engine noise, but electricity is a much cheaper fuel alternative to petrol. You don’t have to worry about running out of charge either, as you do with a purely electric car.
Nonetheless, you do still have to plan where you will charge a plug-in hybrid. For people who have a drive or garage with power sockets, this won’t be a problem. But if you park on the street, you may have to find nearby public charging points.
The real downside of hybrid cars is that the batteries are very heavy. And when they do run out of charge, you’re driving a normal combustion engine car that’s carrying extra weight.
Are hybrid cars cheaper to run?
This depends on the kind of mileage you do. If your regular driving includes around town or short trips, hybrid cars can be cheaper to run. On longer journeys, particularly if you’re in a plug-in hybrid that you can’t charge, they might prove more expensive than a regular car. .
Where you’ll notice the difference is in the amount of car tax you’ll have to pay. If you buy a hybrid registered before April 2017 you’ll probably pay no car tax at all. From April 2017 onwards, the car tax laws have changed, now leaving only zero-emission cars exempt. However, thanks to their car’s lower emissions many hybrid drivers get discounts on congestion charge.
Are hybrid cars more expensive to maintain?
You may think hybrid cars would be more expensive to run because they’re more complicated. That isn’t the case. If you use a hybrid car for short journeys, it may need less maintenance than the equivalent combustion engine because its petrol engine will be used less. Luckily, electric motors are very simple and need minimal care.
The complexity of hybrid cars is in the electronic control units that decide where and when the two power sources are used and these shouldn’t require any maintenance. And because hybrid cars harvest energy from slowing down, you’ll brake less, meaning less wear and tear on brake pads and discs.
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