Is it worth buying a plug-in hybrid car? Here's when it is

Electric mobility is becoming the main battleground brands use to position themselves in a booming market that is growing and increasingly accepted by users. But at some point we must ask ourselves: do we really need a PHEV (plug-in hybrid) for our day-to-day use? And if we buy one… do we need a charger at home to use it properly, or are public chargers enough?

There is data showing the advantages of plug-in hybrid cars and when they start to be cost-effective for the user. If that data doesn’t match our daily routine, it may not be advisable to get one of these cars. Let’s see when a plug-in hybrid car starts to be cost-effective for the user.

Label 0

The plug-in hybrid car carries the DGT label 0, so it is ideal for driving in the restricted zones of major European cities. To obtain this label, it must have a fully electric range of at least 40 kilometres. This is achieved with a battery of around 9 kWh. Normal operation of the car is not enough to charge that battery, so it has a connector to power that battery.

Charging points

We won’t be wrong if we say that the best option is to have a battery charging point at home. It is the most convenient, the most economical, and what makes a plug-in hybrid car very cost-effective. If daily trips of around 50-100 kilometres are made, it is also very practical and economical, although the home infrastructure may be somewhat expensive at first.

If there is no charging point at home but there is a public one near home, it can also be very practical. In this way, you just need to go to it, and in a car of this type the charging time can be very short. So it can be very useful to have a plug-in hybrid car, since it can be charged easily and conveniently.

The number of kilometres driven per day is also important. A plug-in hybrid car can cover around 40 km in electric mode, so it may be enough for city journeys. On the road, the electric motor kicks in at certain moments to avoid fuel consumption, and although you reserve electric mode for city driving, it can help save money on long trips.

Price difference

The price is the main problem with hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars. A hybrid can cost more than a diesel car. It is a good way to save fuel, and that price can be offset by the fuel savings. In the case of a plug-in hybrid, the price is much higher. The cost of the battery and the hybrid drive system make the model considerably more expensive.

In addition, the maintenance of the mechanical part of a plug-in hybrid is the same as that required by any other car with a combustion engine, so there is no considerable saving on that front either. A plug-in hybrid car can cost around 30,000 euros, a figure far higher than a similar model with a combustion engine.

You need to weigh how it will be used, the charging possibilities, the estimated petrol consumption it may produce, and other variables to see whether you will really get the full performance out of a plug-in hybrid car. And now that you know, would you buy a PHEV model?