Similar to a Plug-in Hybrid, the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) has both a petrol or diesel engine and a battery. However, the HEV cannot be plugged in to charge. The battery charges through regenerative braking or using internal combustion engines. The battery in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle will be used at low speeds with the petrol or diesel engine taking over as the car gets faster.
HEVs can be either mild or full hybrids, and full hybrids can be designed in series or parallel configurations.
Mild Hybrids, also known as MHEVs, rely on a battery and electric motor to power the vehicle and can allow the engine to cut off when the car or van stops, using Stop Start technology. Mild hybrid systems cannot produce enough energy to power the vehicle using electricity only. These vehicles tend to cost less than full hybrids, however, do provide less fuel economy benefit than a full hybrid electric vehicle.
Full hybrids have larger batteries and more powerful electric motors, allowing the vehicle to run on electricity for short distances at low speeds. These vehicles are more expensive than mild hybrids but do provide better fuel economy and environmental benefits.
There are different ways to combine the power from the electric motor and the engine. Parallel hybrids are the most common HEV design. Parallel Hybrids connect the engine and the electric motor to the wheels through mechanical coupling. Both the electric motor and the internal combustion engine drive the wheels directly.
Series hybrids only use the electric motor to drive the wheels and are more commonly found in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).
A rapidly expanding marketplace means there’s a lot of choices when it comes to picking the right eco-friendly vehicle.
Some of our favourite HEVs are the:
Audi Q5 Sportback, a hybrid that boasts impressive performance
Ford Mondeo Hybrid, voted Britain's Best Family Car
