You might notice the engine stops more often thanks to the assistance from the electric motor, while the power boost from the electric motor results in better acceleration. A mild hybrid can’t be driven using electric-only power, unlike a self-charging or plug-in hybrid.Įxamples of mild hybrids include versions of the Suzuki Vitara, Ford Puma, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Fiat 500, Range Rover Evoque and Kia Sportage.Ī mild hybrid is much the same as a conventional car to drive. The battery is recharged via harvesting power otherwise wasted during deceleration. What makes hybrids a little more complicated is there’s three different types:Ī mild hybrid is the most basic form of electrification where cars use a small battery and electric motor to assist the combustion engine. In theory, hybrid cars are capable of unbelievable economy and low CO2 emissions, but in the real world they’re only zero emission for short trips and rely on their less efficient combustion engines for longer journeys.
If you want to approach the 300-mile mark you'll have to pay closer to £60,000 or above for premium cars such as the Tesla Model S and Jaguar I-Pace.įor many, hybrids are a good compromise between 100% electric cars with limited range and traditional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.
Most affordable 100% electric cars, including the Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq, have a real-world range of around 150 miles. It's estimated that three out of five journeys under five miles are currently made by car, ideal for pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids, which often have an electric-only range of around 30 miles. Now they come in all shapes and sizes, from city cars to hatchbacks and SUVs to sports cars. There was a time when driving an electric car meant you had to pootle around in odd-looking micro vehicles. Choosing the right green car for your lifestyle These days the market for hybrid cars is a multi-billion pound industry, with more and more people choosing to go green with their vehicles. Both models featured a petrol engine that was used to power an electric motor, allowing the car to run on dual efforts. This was swiftly followed by Honda’s Insight, which was launched in America and Japan two years later. Toyota was the first to break the market and introduced the Toyota Prius to the public in 1997. Hybrid cars took a backseat in car manufacturing until the 1990s when they started to creep into the market once more. These were far cheaper to buy than the hybrid model, which was soon overlooked. Dr Porsche designed this coach using fuel to generate power for four electric motors (one for each wheel), and in the process accidentally created the first hybrid engine concept for a car.īut just as hybrid cars were being built at the start of the 20th Century, Henry Ford started mass-producing his famous fuel-powered cars. The first hybrid car was invented in 1898 by Dr Ferdinand Porsche, who combined both electric and petrol elements into one engine for a prototype coach. Hybrid cars may have recently rocketed in popularity, with enquiries for hybrid car insurance rising 243% in the last seven years, but this type of car has actually been around for more than 100 years. Choosing the right green car for your lifestyle.In the meantime, hybrids, which are partially electrified vehicles and still use an internal combustion engine, are a good stepping-stone between 100% electric cars (many with limited range) and conventional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. However, that accounts for a tiny percentage of registered cars. This target date presents a whole set of challenges – not just for car manufacturers, but also to create an infrastructure able to cope with tens of millions of electric vehicles (EVs).Īt the end of 2019 there were close to 265,000 EVs on the UK’s roads, following a strong 12-month period that saw more than 72,700 electric vehicles sold. The government is planning to end new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicle sales by 2035 – or even sooner – as the country pushes for a net zero carbon emissions figure by 2050.