some basic questions regarding hybrid cars

born_again

No, Self charging hybrid (HEV) will have a 50 mile range. PHEV might.

If you can charge at home, then just get a EV & reap the savings.

daveyjp

You won't get 50 miles from a non plug in hybrid battery. In reality the questions you ask are impossible to answer as so many factors affect how often a hybrid uses just battery - external temperature, climate control settings, ancilliary electrics demand. The on board computer can usually show where power is going and it is constantly changing between the engine powering the car, charging and discharging the battery, just battery power etc.

From almost 12 months of Yaris hybrid experience in winter it may never use EV mode, in summer far more as a result winter mpg has bewn around 50, summer it was closer to 70.

Get in, drive, leave the car to do what it does.

Stubod

I was very sceptical about sefl charging hybrids…until I got one!! I spent a year looking for a replacement for my Yeti, but nothing seemed to tick all the right boxes as I was looking for a "smaller" SUV type vehicle. I wanted a petrol, automatic with good comfort and economy.

I tried all the usual suspects before I "discovered" a Kia Niro, (20222 model). I have now had this car for 4 years and it has been great, does everything I want it to do while returning an actual 65 mpg. May not be the quickest car I have ever owned, but plenty for me, and a 7 year warranty.

For my next car I will be looking for another self charge hybrid.

NB, It will probably do about 3 miles max on battery alone. The change between EV mode and ICE mode is totally seemless. It has "paddles" which you can either use as regenerative braking, or in "sport" mode you can use them for changing gear should you be inclined that way. Personnaly 99.9% of my driving I just leave it in "eco" mode and let it do its own thing….

born_again

Having had a Niro HEV & now running a Niro EV..

£50 a month in petrol, compared to Ave of £10 a month in Electricity for the same mileage. No way would I be going back.

marlot

Our toyota corolla (non plug in) runs the engine about half the time on short journeys. It easily gives 50mpg.

As a bonus, it comes with an app, so I can fire up the car to pre-warm (or pre-cool) it.

Three years old, no unexpected bills so far, though I suspect the 12v battery is at the end of its life (the charging system for the 12v battery is the worst aspect of the car).

The PCP is up shortly, and I'll be buying it.

Goudy

Apart from there being different types of Hybrids like Plug in, Full HEV, Mild and very Mild starter generator types, each manufacturer will have their own take on them which tends to mean they work slightly differently.

For Full HEV's there is an internal combustion engine (ICE), electric motor/generator and a high voltage traction battery of some sort.

Usually both power supplies will either work together or independently (though with later designs the ICE won't necessarily drive the car alone) so usually have to transmit their power through a gearbox.The usual type of gearbox used in them is a constantly variable transmission CVT type that often has the motor/generator inside.

Inside these gearboxes there are usually two motors. One is a main drive motor and the other is a generator to capture wasted energy from braking and it is also span backward for reverse gear.

More often than not in the latest Hybrids the ICE will usually only work to charge the traction battery unless power demand is very high (you floor the pedal). This means the ICE doesn't need to produce the same levels of torque a straight ICE car would.

The ICE in a Hybrid is either helping the electric motor when demand is high or charging the battery which has allowed manufacturers to change the cycle of the engine from the good old fashioned Otto cycle (equal strokes of suck, squeeze, bang, blow) to what is commonly referred to as the Atkinson Cycle. It does this by altering the intake valve timing so it gets more out of a firing or bang stroke with a big reduction in pumping losses as it holds the intake valve open longer.

So the displacement (engine CC) of a HEV's ICE isn't really the biggest factor in it's efficiency. Most have far larger ICE's that comparable non hybrid cars.

They are also much more thermally efficient so modern hybrids tend to control the cooling system via electric pumps that can be turned on and off and have their speed adjusted, saving more load on the engine. You also have no need for an alternator dragging power from the engine.

The upshot is you get a much more efficient "engine" driving the car but there is a weight penalty of the battery. This has lead to some more development, better lighter batteries and redesigned gearboxes which are smaller and lighter.

The likes of Toyota now use Li-on instead of NiMH batteries which are more energy dense per kilo and to preserve their life they only charge and discharge to a set point. They often only charge to about 80% and discharge to 30 or 40%.

They have also adapted their gearbox to include a direct drive. So basically it's electric drive like an EV only until up to speed, then the gearbox takes over at higher speeds. This means it only needs a couple of higher ratio gears so it's smaller and lighter.

Full HEVs and EVs will never be really comparable but they do still have a place in the market and demand is still high.

As for reliability, there aren't many inherent faults with them. Yes of course batteries like EV batteries have a life cycle, but the rest of the power train is probably more reliable that a straight ICE. The ICE is doing far less work and the gearboxes are robust and most are without clutches.

Iceweasel

And don't forget that there are also mild hybrids.

I have a diesel- electric one.

3 litre diesel with a 48v battery

298 bhp gives it the possibility of 0 to 60mph in under 5 seconds

But drive it gently and it does 75mpg.