Electric, Plug In Hybrid, Self Charging Hybrid & Mild Hybrid - We cover it all!
In the ever developing world of Eco cars we understand its not always easy to keep track, thats why we have put together this helpful page on what it all means and what the benefits are! As well as showing you what available!
ELECTRIC
How does an Electric vehicle work?
In simple terms, energy is stored in a large battery, which drives a powerful electric motor.To charge it, simply plug it into a home chargepoint, or a public charger when you’re out and about, and the car will take care of the rest. The car then drives on battery power alone, there is no need to add petrol or diesel. It can even add charge to the battery while you are driving by recovering energy that would normally be lost – when braking for example.
What are the benefits of going Electric?
-
Cheap to run - Electricity is much cheaper than petrol or diesel, so your journey may cost less than a third of what it would in a combustion-engined car.
-
Zero Emissions - There are no exhaust emissions improving air quaility.
-
Charge at home - Just plug in when you get home, and your car takes care of the rest! Imagine waking up every day with a 'full tank’.
-
Relaxing drive - Electric cars are incredibly quiet inside, making for a relaxing atmosphere. Driving is easy, too, because electric motors produce maximum torque at all revs, so acceleration is instant.
SELF CHARGING HYBRID
How does a Self-Charging Hybrid car work?
In terms of how you use it, a self-charging hybrid car works just like a conventional car – there is no need to plug in – just fill up with petrol at the pumps, and off you go! So what does hybrid mean? It’s pretty simple, along with a petrol or diesel engine, hybrid cars also have an electric motor that is powered by a small battery. The aim of the electric motor is to assist the engine and occasionally drive very short distances on battery power alone – as opposed to driving long distances on battery power alone as a plug-in hybrid or a battery-electric vehicle would.
The battery is charged by recovering energy that would otherwise be wasted – when slowing down for example. The battery then feeds this energy to the electric motor to help with acceleration or to drive the car at low speeds. This means lower emissions, better fuel economy and more money to spend on the things you enjoy!
What are the benefits of a Self-Charging Hybrid car?
-
Lower emissions - The electric motor can assist with acceleration, there is less strain on the engine. This results in lower emissions. The electric motor can also take over at low speeds – in stop-start traffic in town centres for example. That means the engine doesn’t have to be running for as long, resulting in cleaner air!
-
Reduced running costs - Using less fuel is not only good for the environment, it’s also good for your finances!
-
Doesn’t require you to make any changes - If you aren’t quite ready to switch to a plug-in vehicle, hybrid cars might be the solution you’re looking for. A hybrid car doesn’t require you to do anything different than you would do in a conventional car. The car’s clever electronics take care of how the energy is recovered and used. All you have to worry about is keeping it topped up with petrol.
-
Relaxing drive - The assistance from the electric motor means the engine doesn’t have to work as hard and that makes for a quieter journey. The added torque also means effortless acceleration for a more relaxing driving experience.
PLUG-IN HYBRID
How does a Plug-In Hybrid car work?
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) works in a similar way to a self-charging hybrid– there is a petrol engine combined with an electric motor and a battery. In a plug-in hybrid, the battery is much larger than in a self-charging hybrid. This means the car is able to travel up to around 30 to 37 miles on battery power alone (depending on model) – more than enough for the UK average daily commute – but it can also call on the petrol engine for longer trips.
Like a self-charging hybrid, the battery can be charged whilst driving, but for the full benefit, you will need to plug in. Charging a PHEV should take less than three hours. Put this all together and you can enjoy miles of low-cost, all-electric driving while still having a petrol engine for those rare long distance trips!
What are the benefits of a Plug-In Hybrid?
Flexibility - If you aren’t quite ready to go fully electric, a plug-in hybrid is the perfect compromise. You can get around 30-miles of electric driving, which should be more than enough for most journeys, but you always have the petrol engine to fall back on if you’re planning a longer trip.
-
Zero emissions driving - Most of your driving will be on battery power, which is particularly helpful for improving air quality.
-
Cheap to run - Electricity is much cheaper than petrol or diesel, so when running on battery power, your journey may cost less than a third of what it would in a combustion-engined car.
-
Charge at home - Just plug in when you get home, and your car takes care of the rest! Imagine waking up every day with a 'full tank’.
-
Relaxing drive - Electric cars are incredibly quiet inside, making for a relaxing atmosphere. Driving is easy, too, because electric motors produce maximum torque at all revs, so acceleration is instant.
MILD HYBRID
How does a Mild Hybrid car work?
A mild hybrid car works in a very similar way to a self-charging hybrid car, but it has a smaller battery. Because the battery is smaller, a mild hybrid cannot drive on battery power alone – unlike a self-charging hybrid in which the motor can take over at low speed or when cruising.
Instead, the petrol or diesel engine does the majority of the work and the electric motor is there to provide assistance. This means the engine doesn’t have to work as hard, which means lower emissions and increased fuel economy. The battery is charged by recovering energy that would otherwise be wasted – when slowing down for example. There is no need to plug-in a mild hybrid, simply keep it topped up with petrol or diesel as you would with a conventional car.
What are the benefits of a Mild Hybrid?
-
Lower initial cost - While a mild hybrid doesn’t offer the same level of benefits as a full self-charging hybrid, the mild hybrid’s smaller battery means the initial purchase cost is lower.
-
Reduced running cost - Using less fuel is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your finances, too! Improved fuel economy means less money spent on fuel
-
Doesn’t require you to make any changes - If you aren’t quite ready to switch to a plug-in vehicle, mild-hybrid cars might be the solution for you. A mild-hybrid car doesn’t require you to do anything different than you would do in a conventional car. The car’s clever electronics take care of how the energy is recovered and used. All you have to worry about is keeping it topped up with petrol or diesel.
For more information contact your local Hawkins Dealership today! Find your local dealership here.