Skip advert
Advertisement
Your questions answered

What is a hybrid car?

What is a hybrid car, what are the different types of hybrid cars and how do they work? Here's everything to you need to know...

These days, it’s difficult to come across a car brand that doesn’t sell some type of hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), while some like Lexus and Volvo offer the technology across their entire line-ups. So with electrification being the hottest trend in the car world right now, chances are, if you’re in the market for a brand-new car, you’ll have a smattering of hybrid options to choose from.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Essentially, all hybrids utilise multiple means of propulsion – most of the time it’s an electric motor and a petrol engine – however, there are various types of hybrids on the market, the main three being mild hybrids, full hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Each has its upsides and downsides, but our comprehensive guide is here to explain everything.

Read on to find out all you need to know about how hybrids work, which types of driving the different kinds are best suited to and whether a hybrid should be on the shortlist for your next car…

How does a hybrid car work and what are the different types of HEV?

There are several different types of hybrid cars and although all of them combine electrical and fossil-fuel power to some degree, each works in a slightly different way. Here's a rundown of them all.

Kia Niro Hybrid

1. Full hybrid

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

The most common type of hybrid car is a 'full hybrid', also called a ‘self-charging hybrid’ by Toyota and Lexus. This is where the car has an internal-combustion engine – often petrol, but sometimes diesel – as well as a battery and electric motor. Most non-plug-in hybrids are powered either by the engine alone, the electric motor alone, or with the engine working in tandem with the electric motor.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The now-discontinued Toyota Prius is perhaps the most well known hybrid. It was the first full hybrid car to be sold in the UK and has been a sales success ever since its launch in 2000. The last Prius was powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor. And like most hybrids, the Prius was either fully powered by the electric motor, the engine, or a combination of the two.

The battery in full hybrids is charged by the engine, meaning you don’t have to plug it in to charge like you would an EV or plug-in hybrid. The battery is also charged when slowing, thanks to regenerative braking that recuperates kinetic energy and transfers it to the battery. The downside of this type of hybrid is that it can only travel in zero-emissions electric mode at low speeds and for very short distances.

Hyundai Tucson Plug-In

2. Plug-in hybrid

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

A plug-in hybrid, or 'PHEV' for short, still pairs an engine with an electric motor, which can work either alone or in tandem. However, the key difference is that the battery in a PHEV is much bigger than a full hybrid's, allowing the car to travel further in pure-electric mode. 

Another important distinction is that while the battery in a PHEV can be recharged on the move, you’ll need to plug the car into a home wallbox or public charging point to get the most electric range and thus keep their running costs to a minimum. Once you run the battery flat they’re essentially just extra weight you need to cover around, which can really bring down your fuel economy.

Suzuki Ignis Hybrid

3. Mild hybrid

Mild hybrids also use an electric motor alongside a combustion engine, but unlike with full and plug-in hybrids, the two power sources can’t be used independently of one another. Instead, the small electric motor is used solely to assist the engine. Often, this takes the form of a 48-volt system that features an integrated starter-generator, which acts as both a starter motor and a power bank to assist the engine.

Advertisement - Article continues below

These are typically the cheapest way into hybrid ownership, mild hybrids offer a simpler powertrain with modest power and efficiency gains. You’ll find mild hybrid technology featured in an enormous variety of cars from the Suzuki Ignis city car and Swift supermini, up to the latest Mercedes C-Class and S-Class.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

4. Range-extender hybrid 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

While the internal-combustion engine in the other types of hybrids we’ve mentioned can drive the car’s wheel, a range-extender or ‘series hybrid’ uses its engine to generate energy for an electric motor that drives the wheels. Range-extenders like the BMW i3 REx fell out of favour as the range of pure-electric cars increased, but the new Nissan Qashqai e-Power is an example of this technology. Nissan calls it “an EV unplugged”, with the wheels driven by a 188bhp electric motor fed by a small 2.1kWh battery, the energy for which comes from a 1.5-litre petrol engine.

Hybrid car pros and cons – are HEVs worth it?

Full hybrids make a lot of sense for those who cover a lot of miles, or spend a good amount of time in stop-start traffic. You don’t need to plug in a full hybrid anywhere to charge it, so they’re very convenient, and makes them ideal for those who don’t have a wallbox at home or can’t get one installed, They’re also lighter than plug-in hybrids because they don’t use such huge batteries, often making them more economical on longer journeys, plus they’re generally less expensive than PHEVs, too.

Advertisement - Article continues below

You obviously can’t travel very far on electric power alone – usually just a mile or two in a full hybrid – but because driving around town often involves a lot of braking, the regenerative brakes help keep the battery charged, giving you a longer electric driving range.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Plug-in hybrids are best suited to those who want a stepping stone to a fully electric car, and who either have access to charging points or can get installed at home. The biggest benefit is that you can travel pretty far without using a drop of petrol; the latest Range Rover PHEV, for example, can cover up to 70 miles in EV mode. 

However, it’s vital that plug-in hybrids are kept as fully charged as possible whenever possible, because once the battery runs flat you’re essentially driving around in an extremely heavy petrol or diesel car because of the battery and motor. The result is pretty poor fuel economy once the battery is flat. 

Road tax for hybrid cars (HEVs)

Hybrid cars fall into a lower tax band than their internal-combustion-engined equivalents. For example, a Kia Niro Hybrid (or any other full hybrid) costs £145 a year to tax, compared to £155 for a purely petrol or diesel-powered car. Used hybrids and plug-ins have even lower tax rates. For example, a Prius registered before 1 April 2017 pays zero road tax. In fact, any vehicle emitting under 100g/km of CO2 registered before then pays zero.

How do hybrid cars (HEVs) charge – and do you have to charge them?

A full hybrid doesn’t need to be plugged in to charge. Instead, the on-board battery is charged by the internal-combustion engine as the vehicle drives, and also via kinetic energy captured when you’re slowing down. Some full hybrids, like the latest Kia Niro Hybrid, have similar regenerative braking systems to electric cars, with multiple strengths of regen to choose from. With a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, charging is also done using the engine and brakes, however, because of their larger battery sizes, you’ll be more out of a PHEV if you plug it in to charge, either at home or at a public charging station.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Welcome one and all, I’m Ellis the news reporter on Auto Express, the brand’s former online reviews editor and contributor to DrivingElectric. I’m proud to say I cut my teeth reporting and reviewing all things EV as the content editor on DrivingElectric. I joined the team while completing my master’s degree in automotive journalism at Coventry University and since then I’ve driven just about every electric car and hybrid I could get my hands on.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Top 10 best seven-seater electric and hybrid cars 2024
Best 7-seaters
Best cars

Top 10 best seven-seater electric and hybrid cars 2024

18 Jan 2024
Best-selling electric cars: 20% of new cars are EVs
Electric
News

Best-selling electric cars: 20% of new cars are EVs

6 Sep 2023
Audi Q5 hybrid review
Audi Q5 TFSI e plug-in hybrid
In-depth reviews

Audi Q5 hybrid review

29 Aug 2023
Top 10 fastest hybrid cars 2023
Fastest hybrids header
Best cars

Top 10 fastest hybrid cars 2023

21 Aug 2023

Most Popular

Nissan’s masterplan: 6 new cars by 2026, including next-gen Micra, Leaf successor and revamped Juke,
New Nissan Future models - Picture 1
News

Nissan’s masterplan: 6 new cars by 2026, including next-gen Micra, Leaf successor and revamped Juke,

Nissan has set itself a target of introducing 30 new models globally over within the next two years
25 Mar 2024
New Genesis Neolun concept paves the way for the GV90 SUV
New Genesis Neolun concept - picture 1
News

New Genesis Neolun concept paves the way for the GV90 SUV

With a host of new technology, the Neolun is the brands first step towards a full-size electric SUV.
27 Mar 2024
Confirmed: New Cupra Formentor will be electric
Cupra Formentor V2
News

Confirmed: New Cupra Formentor will be electric

The future of the Cupra Formentor has been confirmed by the brand’s CEO, Wayne Griffiths. The next generation SUV will be a full EV
22 Mar 2024