What is Hybrid Electric Vehicle ?

In ‘mild hybrids’, the amount of electric power that drives the wheels is limited

The car won’t normally drive on electric power alone, but a small electric motor can be used to fill in the gaps

These systems are cheaper than ‘full hybrid’ models but have a much smaller benefit it terms of emissions.

Some hybrid cars are what’s known as ‘plug-in’ hybrids.

s the name suggests, these cars can be plugged-in to the national grid by means of a cable, as you would an electric car. This will charge the car’s batteries, enabling some electric-only range (usually between 20 and 40 miles) and usually reducing the amount of petrol used over longer journeys

This in turn reduces the cost per mile as well as the overall exhaust emissions of the car, when used correctly; there is no requirement to plug the car in (unlike with electric cars) and many owners choose not to.

Examples of hybrid cars include the ubiquitous Toyota Prius, the generously-proportioned Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and the the sporty BMW i8.

In fact, there are well over 50 hybrid cars currently on sale in Britain, ranging in price from around £13,500 (for the Suzuki Ignis mild hybrid) to more than ten times that (for the top-spec £147,000 Porsche Panamera hybrid).

To make things more confusing, some models are available as a petrol car or as a hybrid.

And more bafflingly still, some hybrids have a plug-in option as well as a non-plug-in version

You’d be surprised at how many cars are now available as a hybrid of some description, though – the Volkswagen Golf, Mercedes E-Class, Volvo XC90 and BMW 3-Series are all now available with hybrid powertrains.

The primary reason for using a hybrid car is to reduce the amount of liquid fuel you use.

The secondary reason is to be able to drive without emitting any pollution for relatively short distances.

Ordinarily, this will save buyers money, as well as reducing damage to the environment.

However, it’s important to remember that any savings you make (financial or environmental) will depend on the way in which you use your vehicle, and that the increased cost of buying a hybrid might outweigh the amount you save on fuel.

he car motor as we've known it for the past hundred years is an 'internal combustion engine'.

There are several variations on the theme, but they nearly always involve burning a liquid fuel (generally petrol or diesel) inside a cylinder, to move a piston, to create motion.

Internal combustion engines were chosen over their rivals (such as the steam engine) because they're relatively well-suited to powering automobiles.

Now, though, the environmental cost is becoming clear.

Not only do they normally run on fossil fuels, a finite resource, but the pollution they cause has a harmful impact on both local and global levels

This does not mean the end of the internal combustion engine altogether, however.

The technology remains an integral part of hybrid cars

whereas a conventional 'ICE' (Internal Combustion Engine) car uses its engine to turn the wheels directly, a hybrid car uses its engine in conjunction with a battery and electric motor.

To most consumers, the difference is slight. Apart from quieter operation and reduced fuel bills, many motorists wouldn't notice any change if they swapped a conventional ICE car for a hybrid.

The impact of the planned ban on petrol and diesel cars has been, we feel, exaggerated.