It is becoming the preferred option for many users in the world, although in Spain its growth is still relative. In any case, there are several mobility options and it is no longer so easy to determine which of them is the best for us.
For many users, the electric car It has become the preferred option when buying a new car, but the truth is that this type of mobility does not suit all drivers and their needs.
In these cases, the user is not necessarily condemned to opt for a car with a combustion engine, since between one extreme and the other we find several intermediate possibilities.
One of them is the plug-in hybrid car, the closest thing to an electric car, but without giving up some of the most important advantages of the traditional vehicle. We are going to see what are the differences between these two types in order to determine which of them is more suitable according to our personal circumstances.
What is a plug-in hybrid car
The plug-in hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) It is a type of hybrid car that has an internal combustion engine, usually gasoline, associated with an electric motor.
The difference with a conventional hybrid is that both engines can move the car by themselves, for which the electrical part has a small battery that usually has a autonomy of at least 50 kilometers for urban routes.
Battery can be recharged by the combustion engine or with the traditional plug-in system to the electrical network, thus allowing its use completely electric for short-haul routes.
In any case, the driver can choose the mode he wants to use and even opt for a combination of both technologies.
Electric car or plug-in hybrid?
We already know how a plug-in hybrid car works, so we can delve into the differences that make them more suitable for certain uses.
We have already advanced the first difference: while the electric car has only batteries as a source of energy, the plug-in hybrid has a lower capacity battery and a combustion engine associated with it. As a result, we find these main qualities:
Autonomy
This is possibly the differentiating factor when it comes to using both cars on a day-to-day basis, at least as far as practicality is concerned. While electric cars depend entirely on the capacity of their batteries, plug-in hybrids have two sources of energy that they shoot their autonomy up to 1000 kilometers in many cases.
The electric, on the other hand, will have an autonomy very dependent on the use that is given and the type of car, which can vary between 200 and 600 km. Of course, the plug-in hybrid in its 100% electric version will almost never exceed 70 km.
Emissions and noise
Both the electric car and the plug-in hybrid can run in electric mode, a process during which none of them will emit polluting gases and particles no noise from mechanics.
However, the plug-in hybrid will act like a conventional vehicle when it must use the heat engine, emitting gases into the atmosphere and generating noise from the engine.
Savings and benefits
Of course, as long as we use the electric mode in either of the two cars, the cost per kilometer It will be less (something that also depends largely on how and where we charge the batteries, as the price can vary a lot). And it is that fossil fuels are going through the roof.
Another issue related to this is that of maintenance, which in the case of the plug-in hybrid is superior by having a mechanics full of moving parts that rub against each other, as well as liquids such as oils and coolants that the electric one does not need.
Óscar Magro puts the hybrid Toyota Yaris to the test.
Ending this section with the benefits, the plug-in hybrid takes advantage in this case, as it has the acceleration capacity of the electric, but also the road performance of a vehicle with a heat engine.
Label 0 and taxes
In this sense, the electric car has the upper hand in almost all sections. On the one hand, all of them have the DGT label 0, while only the plug-in hybrids with electric autonomy of more than 40 kilometers they will be able to access it. As we already know, This difference is vital when accessing restricted areas of circulation or neighborhoods with limited parking.
In addition, the electrics are completely exempt from paying registration tax, while plug-in hybrids enjoy certain bonuses that in no case will be total.
If we are eminently urban drivers, electric is the most interesting option
That being said, which option is better? As we always say, all and none, it will depend on our habits and needs.
Yes, we are eminently urban drivers or that we make short trips, the electric one may be the most interesting option. Instead, if we are drivers used to traveling or make medium or long journeys between towns, clearly the plug-in hybrid or another type of vehicle with greater autonomy and less dependence on a charging point will better suit our needs.
And the hybrid car?
We have already said, there are several options available in the market, as the different technologies have experienced a remarkable development in recent years. So is a conventional hybrid better than a plug-in?
First of all, don’t forget to check the types of hybrid cars that exist, something you can do in this article. With that said, we go on to briefly list the differences between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid:
- The plug-in hybrid car emits less gas and polluting particles because it can circulate in 100% electric mode.
- The conventional hybrid car consume less than the plug-in hybrid when it uses the heat engine to move and charges the battery.
- It is essential to have a charging point every day to take advantage of the plug-in hybrid car, whether at work or, above all, at home, where days off, holidays or a change at a professional level always come.
- The plug-in hybrid car has the label 0 in almost all cases (battery with more than 40 km of autonomy).
These are the data, yours is the decision, make it a good one!