What is a Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) car?
Combine battery and electric motor with an economical petrol
engine. Plug-in hybrid cars can offer you many of the benefits of an
electric car, they have a shorter electric battery range (approx. 30
miles) but can rely on their petrol motor for longer trips. The battery
can be charged whilst driving, but for the full benefit, you will need
to plugin. Charging a PHEV should take less than three hours. In a PHEV
you can enjoy miles of low-cost, all-electric driving while still
having a petrol engine for any long-distance trips.
What is a Mild-Hybrid EV (MHEV) car?
Petrol or diesel engine is supported by an electric motor. The
electric motor allows the engine to switch off when coasting, braking or
when stopped and quickly turns it back on when needed. Very similar to a
self-charging hybrid car but it has a smaller battery. The petrol or
diesel engine does the majority of the work but the electric motor
provides assistance. Because the engine isn’t working as hard this means
lower emissions and increased fuel economy. Battery is charged by
recovering otherwise wasted energy such as when slowing down. There is
no need to plug-in a Mild-Hybrid.