Hybrid Electric Cars
Taking you Further for Less.
If you want a car that’ll eat up the miles while sipping fuel like a fine wine, a Hybrid ticks all the boxes.
By adding an electric motor to drive the wheels at low speeds – and help take the strain when it’s going fast – modern Hybrids give you the flexibility of petrol power with far less pollution. They also save you plenty of cash at the fuel pump.
How Does a Hybrid Car Work?
A Hybrid is just like a regular petrol or diesel car except that there is a small electric motor set into the drivetrain which can power the wheels for short distances.
The car generally uses its electric motor to move the car at speeds beneath 5 miles an hour, where the main engine is far less efficient. The motor can also provide assistance to the main engine when the car is traveling at speed, allowing the gearbox to select a lower gear and save fuel by running more efficiently.
Unlike an Electric Car or a Plug-in Hybrid, a Hybrid car (sometimes advertised as a “Self Charging Hybrid”) doesn’t plug in. All of the energy the electric motor uses comes from the petrol or diesel fuel you put in.
The battery of a Hybrid gets its power when you brake, with the electric motor reversing in polarity to become a generator, slowing the car while pumping electrons into the battery. The car will also harvest some power from the alternator while you’re driving, turning engine power into electricity for later use.
Due to the small size of the battery, Hybrids don’t travel very far under electrical power – generally up to a mile. While this doesn’t sound far it’s still enough to save you a good glug of fuel, especially at low speeds.
- Hybrid Vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight put Hybrids on UK roads nearly 30 years ago and they’ve been improving constantly ever since.
- Now just about every car you can buy has a Hybrid option – from all-terrain SUVs like the Toyota Rav4 to everyday family cars like the Ford Puma.
- Which will you choose?
Car Finance Calculator For Electric Hybrid Cars
Representative example:
Borrowing £9,000 over 60 months with a representative APR of 21.9%, an annual interest rate of 21.9% (Fixed) and a deposit of £0.00, the amount payable would be £238.28 per month, with a total cost of credit of £5,296.90 and a total amount payable of £14,296.90
Useful Links for Electric Car Research
Useful Mild Hybrid Car Links
Mild Hybrid Cars
What is mild Hybrid
Does a mild hybrid save fuel?
Do Mild Hybrids have a battery?
Useful Hybrid Car links
Hybrid Cars
How Does A Hybrid Car Work?
Can I still drive a Hybrid Cars after 2030?
Do Hybrids work on Electricity Alone?
How Long do Hybrid Car Batteries Last?
Hybrid electric cars are powered by an internal petrol or diesel engine with one (powering all wheels), two (powering the front or back two wheels) or four (each powering one wheel) electric motor, which uses energy stored in batteries.
Hybrid electric cars can’t be plugged in to charge the battery. The batteries are charged by their internal combustion engine and by electricity created whilst braking a process known as regenerative braking.
All new cars sold in Britain must have a plug socket by 2030 and standard Hybrids don’t. Don’t worry, though, you won’t have to crush your car.