Robin's Diary

Who said life was easy?

Just as the restrictions are lifting and the world is returning to normal, it’s not normal as we used to know it. Never mind the world shortages of whatever a ‘semi-conductor’ is, which seem to be affecting anything and everything, the car industry or rather the car buyer now has another confusing decision to make……

“What sort of car do I buy?” That is now the quandary for many car buyers, and the whole mystifying world of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles is the main cause!

So I shall try to simplify and explain….

Firstly there are 2 different hybrids - one with a battery to support the petrol engine and one with a petrol engine to charge the battery to run the electric motor to drive the car. The first one is cheaper, but less clean than the second one, but both are cleaner than full petrol or diesel.

Neither need to be plugged in to drive and refuel, basically the same as a conventional car. The plug-in hybrid will do short journeys, 20 to 30 miles on full electric, but will trip onto petrol or diesel when the battery runs out, so you can drive on long journeys without stopping to recharge - these cars are more expensive than hybrids, as they basically have two engines and a big battery and are usually found in bigger cars and SUV’s. The full EV is, as it sounds, only powered by battery, cleanest, greenest, but needs to be plugged in to charge. With diesel sales now less than EV sales, the choice for most is what type of Hybrid or EV will your next car be?      

“It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny.” Jean Nidetch