Going electric or hybrid

AdrianC

mrprosser said:

teachfast said:

I hired a self charging hybrid with a cable and the petrol kicked in after about a mile even when it was charged high.

I don't think there are any self charging hybrids with a cable.

No, because a hybrid you can plug in is a... plug-in hybrid. There's a clue there somewhere.

Grumpy_chap

AdrianC said:

mrprosser said:

teachfast said:

I hired a self charging hybrid with a cable and the petrol kicked in after about a mile even when it was charged high.

I don't think there are any self charging hybrids with a cable.

No, because a hybrid you can plug in is a... plug-in hybrid. There's a clue there somewhere.

I understand, though, that a PHEV can be plugged in but will also charging the battery using the ICE and recovered energy etc, same as a regular self-charging hybrid, when away from the plug.  The battery is not limited to the short range and that's your absolute lot.  Please correct me if I am incorrect.

NaughtiusMaximus

mrprosser said:

teachfast said:

I hired a self charging hybrid with a cable and the petrol kicked in after about a mile even when it was charged high.

I don't think there are any self charging hybrids with a cable. You either hired a mild hybrid (self charging from the engine) or you hired a plug in hybrid.

Mild hybrids are a 3rd type of hybrid and different again (forgot to mention them in my earlier post).

Regular self charging hybrid =  small battery charged only from the internal combustion engine and regenerative braking, when sufficient charge is in the battery and under low acceleration the car will run on purely electric power, at other times it will be driven by either a combination of engine + battery or engine alone.

Mild hybrid = an even smaller battery charged primarily from regenerative braking. The difference here is the electric drive is only ever supplementary to the petrol engine, they never run on purely electric power.

Grumpy_chap

I understood that a PHEV was essentially this:

NaughtiusMaximus said:

Regular self charging hybrid =  small battery charged only from the internal combustion engine and regenerative braking, when sufficient charge is in the battery and under low acceleration the car will run on purely electric power, at other times it will be driven by either a combination of engine + battery or engine alone.

But fitted with a larger battery that is also capable of adding additional energy via a plug.  Once in use, I understand it works similar to the "Regular self-charging hybrid" (which used to be called "full hybrid").

The PHEV can then achieve longer range and more aggressive use in full-electric mode.

I welcome correction if my knowledge and understanding is incorrect.

NaughtiusMaximus

Grumpy_chap said:

I understood that a PHEV was essentially this:

NaughtiusMaximus said:

Regular self charging hybrid =  small battery charged only from the internal combustion engine and regenerative braking, when sufficient charge is in the battery and under low acceleration the car will run on purely electric power, at other times it will be driven by either a combination of engine + battery or engine alone.

But fitted with a larger battery that is also capable of adding additional energy via a plug.  Once in use, I understand it works similar to the "Regular self-charging hybrid" (which used to be called "full hybrid").

The PHEV can then achieve longer range and more aggressive use in full-electric mode.

I welcome correction if my knowledge and understanding is incorrect.

Yes, that's pretty much it. 

As for the terminology:

When the technology first came to the market and for a long time afterwards there was only one type of hybrid car, which were simply referred to as 'hybrids'. 'Plug in hybrids' came along about 10 years ago, but with standard hybrids still being called 'hybrids' at that point. 'Self charging hybrid' is the more recent term for what used to just be called 'hybrids' I first heard it used about 3 years ago. 'Mild hybrid' is the most recent technology, only being available the past few years. 

Nowadays if someone says hybrid car it can refer to any of these 3 types.

BOWFER

Those mild hybrids really are a waste of time.
Just an excuse for manufacturers not to having to improve the efficiency of their ICE engines.
"ooh look, if we go mild hybrid we can claim the Co2 is XXX"
Suppose it's understandable not wanting to waste millions developing new ICE engines though.

born_again

mrprosser said:

I don't think there are any self charging hybrids with a cable. You either hired a mild hybrid (self charging from the engine) or you hired a plug in hybrid.

What is a Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV)?

A Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) is perfect for those who want to travel further in electric mode. It’s got a bigger battery than a Self-Charging Hybrid, and can give you a 30 mile electric range. When that electric range is depleted, the car automatically switches to Self-Charging Hybrid mode.