Hybrids are hard on ICE engines (combustion)

[TheSwede]

The title hardly means any major surprise, but Engineering Explained clarifies the subject in a good way in the video below. Mobil1 is sponsor, but that does not reduce the relevance of it!

 

[H Rafiq]

I don’t think there are any issues with most hybrids to be honest. Toyotas hybrid system is very refined. I have a gen 2 Prius. Priuses in general can go many miles on the original engine and hybrid battery, and no major issues, just wear n tear stuff.

 

[Cubbington]

From. “Owning” a PHEV company car, I think they are utter crap, from an environmental point of view…

if we’re being realistic, our government, whether current or previous, have pushed company car drivers into PHEVs or EV purely from a BIK point of view.

A PHEV carries the weight of an ICE engine, and battery + EV motor, so is either dragging the weight of the ICE or the EV, depending on which power train it’s running on.

From my personal experience as a rep on the road, the switch from diesel to PHEV from a purely MPG point of view was a downgrade..my Diesel Octavia VRs would easily achieve 55mpg, whilst being fun to drive…the Arteon, if religiously charged would only realise 45mpg, and was sh*t to drive! It wasn’t worth charging on normal networks, so unless charging at home, it would run on ICE and just be dragging the EV hardware around…37mpg was realistic at best…

Moving to my 2020 Leon Cupra ST 4Drive, I regularly achieve +40mpg, with an additional 160bhp and about 400kg less weight than the Arteon, it drives so much better.

Don’t get me wrong, EV is wicked to drive on, but get the right tool for the job…I’d love to go full EV, but we’re not there yet, IMHO

 

[H Rafiq]

From. “Owning” a PHEV company car, I think they are utter crap, from an environmental point of view…

if we’re being realistic, our government, whether current or previous, have pushed company car drivers into PHEVs or EV purely from a BIK point of view.

A PHEV carries the weight of an ICE engine, and battery + EV motor, so is either dragging the weight of the ICE or the EV, depending on which power train it’s running on.

From my personal experience as a rep on the road, the switch from diesel to PHEV from a purely MPG point of view was a downgrade..my Diesel Octavia VRs would easily achieve 55mpg, whilst being fun to drive…the Arteon, if religiously charged would only realise 45mpg, and was sh*t to drive! It wasn’t worth charging on normal networks, so unless charging at home, it would run on ICE and just be dragging the EV hardware around…37mpg was realistic at best…

Moving to my 2020 Leon Cupra ST 4Drive, I regularly achieve +40mpg, with an additional 160bhp and about 400kg less weight than the Arteon, it drives so much better.

Don’t get me wrong, EV is wicked to drive on, but get the right tool for the job…I’d love to go full EV, but we’re not there yet, IMHO

Yes plug-ins are poo. They’re just a comic to be honest. If you do a short work commute where you can run on EV alone, then they may be beneficial. If full EVs offered the range of diesels or full hybrids then it’d be a no brainier. I had a gen 1 Leaf, but had to give it up cuz of the range, then bought a Cupra 280! Stick with your Cupra. It’s fun, and mpgs ain’t bad in the grand scheme of things. My gen 2 Prius gets 450-550 miles a tank depending on weather. I bought it for £2.5k a couple of months ago

 

[SRGTD]

Yes plug-ins are poo.

IMHO, the most ownership-friendly hybrids are the self charging full hybrids as you treat them just like a normal ICE car. No remembering to have to plug in to charge the battery - the car does it for you while you’re driving.

Admittedly, you’re highly unlikely to get as much pure EV range as you would in a PHEV as the traction battery in full hybrids is much smaller, but being a smaller battery means there’s less dead weight to carry around. However if you’re a business user, you don’t get the BIK benefits with a full hybrid that you do with a PHEV.