This is a plug-in type, the engine isn't really used to charge the batteries. But yes, the majority of hybrids on the market seem to be the self-charging type which kinda defeats the purpose.
Our olde Pious of 13 years ago would do 70mpg or a touch more if driven with care, so it did the deed ok. It would even run for a mile or so on just the batteries.
A bit odd to drive though. The power switching was seamless and a technical marvel, but instead of the typical Otto cycle engine the valve timing was set up to mimic the Atkinson cycle (not a true Atkinson engine as they had a normal single fixed conrod per piston, but the end result was the same) and it gave a weird power delivery. Definitely a car the required languid driving to access its best, which suited me perfectly but Mrs D has a heavier right foot than me and took a quick dislike to it. I much preferred it to a small bore diesel, much less gruff.
Mrs D's Volvo will recharge itself, but I think it uses the brakes and engjne braking to charge rather than the petrol engine and takes a while to replenish the batteries on its own (I
think thats howmit is). However, even with an empty battery itll still take electrical power from the alternator to assist the petrol engine. Its an odd set up and I don't drive enough to get cosy with it, but it seems to deliver the goods.
You really have zero idea about EVs do you!
Er, I think I do.
Weekend before last we went to Dorset for a weekend with friends. 2/3 of the way there there were phoning us because they wanted to stop and charge, and tried to persuade us into a leg stretch. No thanks, we'll press on.
A few miles later there were getting very anxious and did exactly that, everything off and windows open. I doubt it made much difference but the did it anyway, and once we'd noticed it we started watching out for other Teslas and we saw 3 more that weekend in vloing hot weather with the windows down. Now, either theirnaircon has packed up of theyre driving in the heat on the motorway at 50mph with the windows down for some other reason (could be they're worried about something dropping off it, well, they are made in a tent).
So please enlighten us why 3 of the 4 Teslas we saw on the return journey were going relatively slowly with the windows down? You claim to be the Oracle and accuse me of ignorance, so you tell me.
Our friends stopped at Wareham but one of the 2 chargers they found didn't work, and the other had a regular car parked against it so they couldn't access it. We carried on the the hotel and the jouned us 3 hours later.
Then they spent all weekend wittering on about whether they would get home in one hit. This seemed unlikely to me as they hadn't managed one way and the same journey in reverse was unlikely to be any kinder. Every 5 minutes they mentioned it again.
And I was right.
We got back without stopping, still on the same tank of fuel we'd bought in February, despite the car being used daily since then. Never had to use a public charge once, even on 700 mile journeys home to shetland.
So when Mrs D's Polestar 2 comes in September we'll be keeping the T8 for journeys of that ilk, and for the huge boot. And the nicest interior of any
production car anywhere. Makes the Tesla ibterior look like some kind of sub Ikea pound shop chic in comparison,
.
