Self charging plug in hybrid, is there such a thing?

[Brigadier]

Talking today, the discussion got on to hybrids, my friend said they were the best of both worlds, I replied that they were also the worst of both worlds- as I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that neither ice or hybrid will work on their own if there is a fault in either. You have plug in hybrids and self charging hybrids, but is there such a thing as a plug in self charging hybrid, and if not, why not?

I have said the same previously on here; I would wager that the people whose driving needs and habits are best suited by them would be a very small subset of all drivers indeed.

 

[Ihavenojob]

There doesn't seem to be an outright winner, not even a pure ICE vehicle, all are dependant on certain things. Obviously ICE or self charging hybrids need petrol/diesel, a plug in hybrid needs petrol/diesel or, like a pure EV, be able to plug in for recharging. The plug in hybrid seems it is better equipped to cope if any one of it's fuel supplies was unobtainable, if no petrol/diesel available, a pure ICE or self charge would be of no use.

 

[Mottie]

There doesn't seem to be an outright winner, not even a pure ICE vehicle

Horses for courses…..

 

[cdbe]

Just spent a week in Scotland with my brother in law who has an MGHS - so you can plug it in (but his holiday cottage wouldn't allow it) so after 800 miles I expected it to be flat as a pancake and dragging round a quarter ton of battery - unfortunately I was sat in the back so couldn't see the TV screen thing (it has 2) that well, but it appears to have a percentage thing that when he was slowing down it went to minus (I presume charging the battery) - so every time he exited a roundabout on the A74 and put his foot down we got the full 300bhp, when driving round Tesco it was just using electric and overall I think he said around 55mph.

Can run the aircon when parked for lunch for the dog.

When I got home I checked the price - for one like his, 2024, 19k.

I read the reviews about reliability concerns so I'll keep hold of my chequebook for the time being but I can't see how these things aren't the short term future.

I think their future usage pattern will be 95% local home electric powered with the occasional 500mile trip.

I'm not a new car buyer myself but can't see how anyone who is would not be considering one of these things.

 

[Avocet]

Is that just the granny lead though? I'd have thought that most people buying plug ins would be using a proper charge box at their home.

No, it's the Type 2 (if that's the main lead supplied). Many of them are bought for company car tax advantages, and then not actually used effectively by plugging them in.