Don’t be fooled by these claims – the only way you’ll get close to achieving these figures is if you charge up regularly and drive everywhere on electric power, which isn’t always feasible.Īnd of course, if you want even more efficiency, why not go for a hybrid estate instead? Manufacturers also often quote outrageous fuel economy figures for their plug-in hybrid vehicles, sometimes more than 200mpg. Most have an electric-only range of around 30 miles, which should be enough for your daily commute. Plug-in hybrid SUVs have much larger battery packs which need to be charged at the mains to get the best fuel economy. The electric motors in both these systems are designed solely to improve the efficiency of the combustion engine and, as such, they can’t travel far on electric power alone. Mild hybrid and self-charging hybrids don’t need to be connected to the mains – they charge their batteries by siphoning power from the petrol engine. If you’re new to hybrid vehicles, here’s a brief overview to help you cut through the jargon. So you should be able to find one to suit your lifestyle. You’re spoiled for choice, too, with manufacturers offering mild-hybrid, self-charging hybrid and plug-in hybrid SUVs of all shapes and sizes. Pick the right hybrid SUV and it can be no more expensive to run than a conventional hatchback or estate – and you get all the desirable SUV traits like a tall driving position, lots of ground clearance and fashionable styling. Bear in mind that figure assumes you’re using the battery as often as possible, but even once you’ve drained it, it’ll still return upwards of 40mpg which is impressive for the segment. The RAV4 PHEV is arguably the best they’ve made yet, offering an official electric only range of 46 miles and up to 242mpg. Toyota has been making hybrid cars since the 1990s, so this isn’t a bad thing – the firm’s engineers have had chance to get very good at it. The latest Toyota RAV4 and its badge-engineered cousin, the Suzuki Across, are exclusively hybrid.
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