should plug-in hybrid cars be saved?

Stuck between simple hybrid and all-electric, do plug-in hybrid cars still have an interest? Within the Automobile Propre editorial staff, opinions differ!

For Pierre: “yes, it’s an excellent electrical antechamber”

Statistically, it has been shown that the average daily journey in France is well below 50 km, a figure that almost all of the plug-in hybrids of the market is able to accomplish in electric. Starting from this principle, having a dual electric and petrol engine makes it possible to have butter and butter’s money, combining the qualities of both. We will thus be able to travel without emissions and at a reduced cost on weekdays in mainly urban home/work journeys, where internal combustion vehicles consume the most, and be able to take the road for longer journeys at weekends and during holidays without having to worry about recharging, especially on the motorway where the autonomy of electric vehicles melts like snow in the sun.

In theory, the plug-in hybrid can therefore satisfy a greater number of people by becoming the only vehicle in the household thanks to its accomplished versatility and is cleaner to drive than a pure combustion engine on the condition, of course, that the ‘we lend ourselves as regularly as possible to the exercise of recharging.

There is also a significant margin for technical progress since the rechargeable hybrid is one of the latest arrivals in the world of engines. The cursor can thus be placed closer to the electron supply to reduce the carbon footprint, with larger battery capacities and benefiting from developments in electrics to cover greater displacements in electrics and already existing downsized heat engines, sober and reliable, to the point of reversing the roles and that they become range extenders, as BMW was able to do with the i3 REx, which was probably right too soon.

Be that as it may, what cannot be taken away from the rechargeable hybrid is that it constitutes an excellent antechamber to the electric. Firstly, because it is a perfect initiation to recharging with a net made up of the service station to create habits without experiencing the anxiety of a breakdown and fearing the specter of a broken terminal. Subscription card, smartphone applications, plug format or even exotic units such as kW and kWh, learning is thus done in a serene way. Then, it allows you to taste the comfort and calming of electric driving provided by the silence, the absence of vibration and its flexibility, which is particularly felt in urban areas, when cycling or use of public transport is not possible, obviously.

For Florent: “no, customers have already switched to electric”

As Pierre explains, the plug-in is certainly seen as the solution that brings together the best of two worlds: a battery that allows you to make your daily journeys in electric, and the thermal to calmly consider longer journeys and erase this fear of limited autonomy. But this “two in one” side is also a “wheels between two chairs” side. And rather than seeing the glass half full, I see the glass half empty.

This complex technical assembly is too expensive, resulting in models that are too expensive. Example with the Renault Captur : in Techno finish, the rechargeable hybrid costs €8,950 more than the mild hybrid… and €6,050 more than the simple hybrid. It is therefore necessary to know how to make the investment profitable! Problem, drivers of plug-in vehicles do not always know how to use it. A rechargeable model is of interest… if it is recharged. Because when the battery is empty, fuel consumption can soar, pushed by the weight of the machine.

At the end of 2021, Citroën underlined that with customers of its hybrid C5 Aircross “55% of journeys of less than 40 km are made in electric mode only and 52% of customers already recharge their vehicle once or twice every 100 km”. It’s “encouraging” according to the brand, “not enough” for me. Moreover, the manufacturer has added to the multimedia system an alert for vehicles that are not recharged regularly enough, as if customers forgot why they took a plug-in!

The rechargeable hybrid has been diverted from its function. It is most often purchased by companies that escape part of the taxes. But these will then little drive in electric. At the start of 2022, a study showed that while individuals were going to make 47 to 49% of journeys electric (which is in line with Citroën’s data), for businesses, it’s 11 to 15%.

You might as well move on to the next step as quickly as possible, 100% electric. Moreover, customers seem to do so: in France, from January to July, electric vehicles represented 12% of sales, while rechargeable hybrids are at 8%. In Europe, while sales of electric cars continue to grow in a market disrupted by the lack of electronic components, sales of plug-in hybrids are on the decline.

It is true that the electric car is helped by a higher bonus, at least for vehicles up to €47,000. As far as autonomy is concerned, if plug-in hybrids have an advantage with their “bi-fuel”, they are challenged by electric cars which now have improved autonomy, the new family cars having around 450 km of autonomy. And even if it’s not comparable, the customer knows that a quick charge will help him get a great ride. And if it takes longer than a full tank of gas, it is now much cheaper.