hybrids and electric vehicles are changing the world one car at a time - are you ready for the future?

They might still be relatively new to the market, but hybrids and EVs have come a long way since the Toyota Prius made people sit up and pay attention back in the late-90s. At the time, hybrids drew a lot of criticism, but they've since gained huge popularity.

Overview

what is a hybrid?

At the most base level, a hybrid combines a traditional style petrol or diesel internal combustion engine to work in tandem with an electric motor. That’s where the simplicity stops however, as different manufacturers – and even different models – tend to mix those combinations of power in different ways.

what are the different types of hybrid?

In the most popular set-ups, hybrids either use the battery to assist the petrol/diesel engine when needed for extra support up hills or when overtaking, or they can run for limited distances on battery power alone. There’s also a third option; the plug-in hybrid, which uses a larger battery alongside the internal combustion engine. These can be charged through being plugged into mains electricity, giving a more impressive electric-only range. Then there’s the range extender set-up, which runs mostly on battery but with a small back-up engine in case you run out of charge.

what are the hybrid's design features?

Hybrids come in a variety of car types, from a small car like the Toyota Yaris all the way up to a huge SUV such as Porsche’s Cayenne. So you’ll be able to find a size and style to suit your needs, depending on what works best for you. That being said, hybrids are still not the best at out and out motorway driving compared to other models, so if that’s what you need, it may be wise to steer clear of the segment, for now at least.

what is an ev?

EVs (or 'electric vehicles'), are fully electric cars, so use pure battery alone. These are different to hybrids which mix power sources.

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