The first hybrid car entered the market in 1997 when Toyota launched the Toyota Prius. Today, there is a very large selection of hybrid cars worldwide, and Toyota in particular is still at the forefront of this development.
In the UK, these cars are becoming increasingly popular, as the range, price and availability fit the Brits’ better. This is especially true when it comes to the question of range, as hybrid cars eliminate the fear of the car dying, which is still a risk factor for pure electric cars.
But what is a hybrid car, how does a hybrid car work and what are the best hybrid cars on the market for you? See our guide of these various considerations below.
What is a hybrid car?
In general, hybrid cars are known for combining an electric motor with a combustion engine, hence the name. The main rule is that the car uses the electric motor at lower speed, while the combustion engine supplies the car with fuel for accelerations and higher speed. The fuel for hybrid cars is often petrol, but can also be diesel or biofuel. The combination of the two engine types makes it possible to take advantage of both so that you generally get better fuel economy and can drive more climate-friendly.
Generally, there are three types of hybrid cars:
- Mild hybrid: A mild hybrid car uses only a small amount of electricity via a smaller engine, while most of the power comes from a combustion engine fuelled by petrol or diesel.
- Full hybrid (FHEV): This is the classic hybrid car with both a combustion engine and an electric motor. The battery is charged while driving and does not need to be connected to a recharging station. In other words, full hybrids are self charging hybrid cars.
- Plug in hybrid cars (PHEV): A plugin hybrid runs on both petrol and electricity, but is predominantly electric. A plug-in hybrid’s battery is charged with a cable at a charging station and drives like a “pure” electric car on shorter trips. Refueling is relatively fast.
Below you can read more about the classic hybrid car.
