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But when they're in EV mode, the battery is too small and the ICE engine shortens the range, meaning more electricity is required per mile (that electricity is still partly generated by fossil fuels). When you're doing a long trip, the petrol engine has to work harder as it's carrying a heavy battery so pollutes more than a conventional ICE.
They're also more complicated than either a conventional ICE or an EV and so servicing is more expensive.
It's literally the worst of both worlds and a total con job.
Soul-
Ima disagree.
Weight is a marginal efficiency factor on long trips at steady speeds, it matters most when accelerating. Wind resistance is most critical, so a slippery hybrid is going to give better motorway MPG than a fat non-hybrid.
And the weight isn’t as different as you might think. As an example a Skoda Octavia PHEV weighs 1600kg which is about 150kg more than a petrol version (9% or so) and is less than a Tesla 3.
More complicated and expensive to run yes, that’s another reason I don’t want one.
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They're probably ideal for people like me who spend most of their time with 10 mile round journeys interspersed with the odd 250+ miles non-stop. (I don't have one, I've got an older style Toyota hybrid which seems to get better MPG than an equivalent ICE).
Ultimately though they're all pretty polluting and arguably the whole EV thing is a bit of a con job.
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Is this true though based on real world actual use?
We do a few medium journeys, occasional long journeys, but lots of short journeys - eg 5 miles p/d to nursery, 8 miles p/w to tennis, etc. etc.
I bet a 15 mile range would cover 80% of our driving.
I can believe rep spending their week on the M4 would be better with a modern diesel over a PHEV, but the majority of UK drivers? I struggle to believe it.
Hefty
aggi
hugo7
A PHEV is good for lots of folks.
It would suit me. When we use the car it’s a short bop to the tip or to parents 15 miles away, for which electric is great, or it’s a holiday to Europe or Scotland or The Lakes for which electric would be tricky.
ETA: I don’t have one, I’m too tight.