Plug-in hybrids get plugged in more than you might think

Key points

• Plug-in hybrid powertrains were developed to be the best of both worlds: a combustion engine and fuel tank that can handle those longer journeys exactly the same as a non-hybrid car, with an electric motor and a battery large enough for most or all of someone’s daily driving range.
• But only if you plug it in.
• And it is often taken as a statement of fact that plug-in hybrid owners don’t plug in their plug-in hybrids.
• Instead, they were seduced into buying a car with far too big a battery, no doubt as a result of generous incentives, the theory goes.
• And if those drivers aren’t going to plug in and therefore enjoy at least some entirely electric driving, they should have bought a parallel hybrid instead, which often delivers better efficiency than a PHEV with an empty battery, at a significantly lower price.