What are hybrid cars and how do they work?

SOME people just aren’t ready to go full-electric, even if they will have to when buying a new car from 2030 in Britain.

If you’d rather start by dipping your toe into the world of EV motoring, a hybrid is a good place to start.

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What is a hybrid car? 

A standard hybrid (usually) has a petrol engine, battery and electric motor. You don’t plug it in, the engine charges the battery as you drive and periods of electric-only driving are possible, although they’re often short and mainly at lower speeds.

A plug-in hybrid has either a petrol or diesel engine, plus a battery and electric motor. As its name suggests, you can plug it in.

Because its battery is usually bigger, it can drive for much longer periods on just electricity and at higher speeds.

A mild-hybrid car is a bit of a marketing exercise, really. It can’t drive on electricity alone, but instead has clever tech onboard that’ll help the engine be more fuel efficient.

How much does a hybrid car cost? 

 A hybrid vehicle can be as much as 20 percent more expensive than a normal car.

At the top of the premium market a Range Rover P400e can cost north of £100,000.

At the other end of the spectrum, Brits can scoop a Toyota Yaris Hybrid for less than £19,000.

What are the benefits of owning a hybrid car? 

The main benefits of owning a hybrid car are that it consumes less fuel and emits less CO2 than a normal engine if driven in the right way.

Hybrid car owners can also avoid some congestion charges.

And driving a hybrid means drivers can get extra benefits in the shape of lower first-year road tax and company car tax.