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Plug in hybrid, does it need to be plugged in?

  • 21-06-2020 5:17pm
    #1
    Ryder
    Registered Users Posts: 995 ✭✭✭


    hi. Just a quick question about these.....do they have to be plugged in?

    I presumed yes, so had ruled out as parking is on street, but they would suit me well as most driving is slow traffic and short motorway, all travel times under 1hr. A friend told me today that they dont need to be plugged in and can charge off the petrol engine.


Comments

  • #2
    blueberrypie
    Registered Users Posts: 211 ✭✭blueberrypie


    I have a petrol hybrid-toyota aurius it charges as it slows in traffic.
    No plug in/charger needed.


  • #3
    1st dalkey dalkey
    Registered Users Posts: 241 ✭✭1st dalkey dalkey


    A plug in hybrid has a chargeable battery and a regular engine.

    When charged, the battery will drive the vehicle for about 50km on its own.

    The car will then revert to the regular engine and drive like a standard hybrid.

    This does put charge into the battery, but only small amounts and will not recharge the battery fully.

    To recharge fully, and get the 50km electric drive range back, you need to plug it in.


  • #4
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Your friend is right, the car doesn't have to be plugged in.
    My outlander can charge the battery when driving.


  • #5
    Ryder
    Registered Users Posts: 995 ✭✭✭Ryder


    Thanks. Have another thread about upgrading from a petrol s80 to a more modern large saloon. For my driving, diesel dosent make sense and may get penalised further in a budget. Few cars in petrol only so the plug in hybrid is a great option for me. Likely will rarely get a chance to charge but at least it makes the 5 series and e class contenders


  • #6
    Black_Knight
    Moderators Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Black_Knight


    Somewhat defeats the point of a plug in if you don't/can't plug it in. I know many don't (happy with their traditional hybrid efficiency, lazy to plug it in, don't have home charging, ignorant/poor dealer education etc.) But the beauty with a phev is that your 50km on electric (many people's daily commute) is driven at pretty much zero cost. Recharging daily can lead to many phev drivers going months without filling with petrol.

    If your drives are mostly an hour long, I'd assume you're frequently going over 50km in a day (50km is likely the absolute max they'll do on electric), and with no place to charge you don't get that "zero cost" drive.

    IMO, phev isn't for you. If there's a hybrid version of what you're interested in and it's cheaper, get that.


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  • #7
    Ryder
    Registered Users Posts: 995 ✭✭✭Ryder


    Black_Knight wrote: »
    Somewhat defeats the point of a plug in if you don't/can't plug it in. I know many don't (happy with their traditional hybrid efficiency, lazy to plug it in, don't have home charging, ignorant/poor dealer education etc.) But the beauty with a phev is that your 50km on electric (many people's daily commute) is driven at pretty much zero cost. Recharging daily can lead to many phev drivers going months without filling with petrol.

    If your drives are mostly an hour long, I'd assume you're frequently going over 50km in a day (50km is likely the absolute max they'll do on electric), and with no place to charge you don't get that "zero cost" drive.

    IMO, phev isn't for you. If there's a hybrid version of what you're interested in and it's cheaper, get that.

    Agree with that. Other than the lexus, its not easy to find a decent saloon offering a hybrid version. Most that I can see are plug in. Off street parking and no option at work means that a plug in couldn't be used to its potential. Still a better option than a diesel though environmentally and should hold its value, the same or better than diesel


  • #8
    Zenith74
    Registered Users Posts: 754 ✭✭✭Zenith74


    biko wrote: »
    Your friend is right, the car doesn't have to be plugged in.
    My outlander can charge the battery when driving.

    What sort of levels does the battery get charged to through pure regen?


  • #9
    zg3409
    Registered Users Posts: 6,549 ✭✭✭zg3409


    Black_Knight wrote: »
    If there's a hybrid version of what you're interested in and it's cheaper, get that.

    Note in many cases the hybrid non plug in version of many cars is actually more expensive the way the grants are given out. PHEV can claim lower co2 and thus lower tax too.

    I agree though if you cannot plug in you won't see much savings on fuel at all and hybrid and phev are more complicated with more to go wrong.

    You might be better with petrol only, but in slow moving rush hour city traffic a hybrid can save fuel. On motorway they are less efficient than diesel on long runs.


  • #10
    lapua20grain
    Registered Users Posts: 821 ✭✭✭lapua20grain


    If you can plug it in, do. I have a outlander phev and can plug in at home and work and my normal commute would be 30km each way the last time I put petrol in it was January and I still have 3/4 of a tank. They work well if used properly, waste of time if you don't.


  • #11
    whippet
    Registered Users Posts: 7,668 ✭✭✭whippet


    I’ve only had my PHEV a couple of weeks already and it is making more sense fuel wise now in daily use that it did when I ordered it.

    Most days I don’t use a drop of petrol .. pottering around locally .. but on longer journeys it’s still very efficient .. a 90km round trip the other day retuned 3.1l/100km ... and that was normal driving on motorways etc

    I did consider going fully electric but nothing really ticked all the boxes for me apart from the Tesla 3 .. which just didn’t really appeal to me


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  • #12
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 7,499 ✭✭✭[Deleted User]


    whippet wrote: »
    apart from the Tesla 3 .. which just didn’t really appeal to me

    Shouldn't of said that.
    You've upset the fanboys.


  • #13
    Gforcemurphy
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭Gforcemurphy


    WWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT???????


  • #14
    whippet
    Registered Users Posts: 7,668 ✭✭✭whippet


    BrownFinger wrote: »
    Shouldn't of said that.
    You've upset the fanboys.

    we are all adults I hope. That's why there is such a variety of cars out there


  • #15
    kaahooters
    Registered Users Posts: 641 ✭✭✭kaahooters


    whippet wrote: »
    we are all adults I hope. That's why there is such a variety of cars out there

    thats gonna push buttons!


  • #16
    ELM327
    Registered Users Posts: 21,318 ✭✭✭✭ELM327


    Plug In hybrid.
    Word count: 3
    "Plug In" percentage of word 66.6%


    The clue is in the name


  • #17
    zilog_jones
    Registered Users Posts: 6,641 ✭✭✭zilog_jones


    1st dalkey dalkey wrote: »
    This does put charge into the battery, but only small amounts and will not recharge the battery fully.

    To recharge fully, and get the 50km electric drive range back, you need to plug it in.

    It depends on the car, but some have a mode to charge the battery (maybe 80-100%) using the engine, but this is not an efficient solution to driving. The intention is to use this before entering upcoming emissions-restricted zones in some cities.

    Depending on the PHEV, if you drive it without plugging in the fuel consumption may not be particularly great. Without knowing what specific cars the OP is looking at, we can't say for sure.


  • #18
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,855 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    lapua20grain wrote: »
    If you can plug it in, do. I have a outlander phev and can plug in at home and work and my normal commute would be 30km each way the last time I put petrol in it was January and I still have 3/4 of a tank. They work well if used properly, waste of time if you don't.

    You need to use your petrol it'll start going bad soon

    https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/does-fuel-go-off-old-fuel-and-fuel-storage-questions-answered/


  • #19
    lapua20grain
    Registered Users Posts: 821 ✭✭✭lapua20grain


    Del2005 wrote: »
    You need to use your petrol it'll start going bad soon

    https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/does-fuel-go-off-old-fuel-and-fuel-storage-questions-answered/

    I'm planning on doing a good spin to Wexford in the next couple of weeks (when allowed to do so) this should burn away any old fuel, I will then only half fill the tank.


  • #20
    galwaytt
    Registered Users Posts: 12,751 ✭✭✭✭galwaytt


    whippet wrote: »
    we are all adults I hope. That's why there is such a variety of cars out there

    nah, this is cars we're talking about.

    Ode To The Motorist

    “And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, generates funds to the exchequer. You don't want to acknowledge that as truth because, deep down in places you don't talk about at the Green Party, you want me on that road, you need me on that road. We use words like freedom, enjoyment, sport and community. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent instilling those values in our families and loved ones. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the tax revenue and the very freedom to spend it that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a bus pass and get the ********* ********* off the road” 



  • #21
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,855 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    lapua20grain wrote: »
    I'm planning on doing a good spin to Wexford in the next couple of weeks (when allowed to do so) this should burn away any old fuel, I will then only half fill the tank.

    Might be an idea to top up with fresh fuel to dilute the bad fuel before the spin and then unfortunately just burn off the rest of the petrol in useless journeys!

    https://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/does-gas-go-bad/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=YW5kcm9pZC1hcHA6Ly9jb20uZ29vZ2xlLmFuZHJvaWQuZ29vZ2xlcXVpY2tzZWFyY2hib3gvaHR0cHMvd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFjLj9K3to6DnFVDuFvMDBH2ocJXc5hhmXwf4wgOUDO16isct1JBKuzY1oFx8QN5vnkH5MNw80wmrj7nuPb2CCjWWTM5cHPW4VPOP3r-9tnpW2wf1bRqTplbqqNeTxZKJ7KtQs2Yzuhypq44-FiusL_cSmkcH6II2NcKQYw_oFy-


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  • #22
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,104 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    A bit of Fuel Fit is used to stop petrol going stale in lawnmowers etc. Never heard of someone using it in a car.
    Toyota hybrid uses the engine to charge the battery, which in turn drives an electric motor. Most others uses the electric motor for the first number of kms or to supplement the petrol engine, which can recharge the battery at other times.
    Toyota is not plug in. They actually use it as a selling point, WTF?


  • #23
    zilog_jones
    Registered Users Posts: 6,641 ✭✭✭zilog_jones


    My Toyota's a plug-in ;)


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