Full EV or plug-in hybrid?

[Bonefish Blues]

If people go on long, 250+ mile long trips without the need to stop, then the pool of suitable EVs gets rather smaller. But if normal bodily functions are in evidence, then it's really not an issue.

 

[screenman]

A hybrid is the sensible answer, but you do have to factor in that you're carrying around two drive systems.
The wife's car is a full hybrid albeit not a plugin. The electric motor/battery is tiny so it only goes full electric mode in towns and other low load environments and then only for a few miles. It also has a horrible automatic gearbox, ok, all automatics are horrible but this one is particularly detestable.
Environmentally it's hard to justify as (for us) it rarely exceeds 56mpg, the regular petrol or mild hybrid version almost does that, but at least it's not spurting out too many noxious fumes in towns or stop-start traffic.
In retrospect a car with a bigger electric drive train would have been better, I quite liked the Dacia Duster full hybrid when I tried it.

What are your problems with automatic, have you driven a dsg car? Personally I dislike manual cars.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Thanks for the replies so far. All interesting stuff and given me a lot to think about.

If I were to go to full EV it would have to be one like the new Elroq or some others with a claimed 370 miles at the top end, although I appreciate from what I've read and heard from friends with EVs that actual range is nothing like the theoretical figure once the weather gets too hot, or too cold or too wet.

Luckily I've got plenty of time so I think a series of trips around car showrooms is in order.

And then the next decision will be lease or buy as I tend not to keep cars for more than four years.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

It really wouldn't need to have that much range. If I wanted to go to say Falmouth from home in Oxfordshire I plug the destination in, tell the car what battery % I need when I arrive and the car does the rest. It will, for instance, typically do a couple of short 'splash and dash' charging stops in order to minimise journey time, as opposed to a disproportionately long charge to 100%. It honestly just manages the journey in its entirety. That's in a car with an honest range of 250 miles. You don't need to carry all that heavy electricity around with you

ETA
This is an interesting watch. Maybe not all 35mins interesting, but it talks about the reality of doing distances in an EV


View: https://youtu.be/pSS-CzSdcOo?is=_AEMYDmTJ_sMOR1G

 

[Drago]

We've never failed to meet or exceed the stated range on any of ours, albeit it then takes very little in the way of right foot to knock 20% off and then achieve instead what normal folk report. Mind you, thats much the same with ICE as well.

Enjoy your shopping.

 

[ivegotabike]

Another vote for full EV.

With the increasing availability of fast charging options, the perceived issues of range anxiety and charging delays to trips are fading quickly.

 

[Legs]

I've had an EV company car (MG4) since October '24. I can charge at work in Derby (25 miles away) - where I work 3 days a week - at the company's expense. Range is 280 miles in summer and 200ish in the winter. I've only needed to charge at home about a dozen times (and that costs about £4.50). Paying only the tax on the BIK, it's incredibly cheap for me.

We had a Zappi charger installed at home which allows us access to cheap leccy tariffs, especially in combination with solar panels and home battery storage. (Now that heating oil has got so expensive, we've taken to heating our hot water with the immersion heater, which is considerably cheaper.)

In March '25 we replaced our ageing Kia Cee'd family car with a Skoda Octavia Estate PHEV, which suited Jo perfectly because her commute and school run was typically 20 miles per day and she'd need to travel to Hull every few weekends for family matters.

Jo got a new job in December '25 and Jo was offered a company EV, so, after a bit of consideration, she's forgone her car allowance for an Audi Q8, which we've had since May. We managed to sell the Skoda last month. The Audi's range is similar to the MG4's. She's got a company charge card so is insulated from the cost of having to charge up; when she goes to Hull, or anywhere else on a long journey, she'll slap on a fast charge.

 

[vickster]

Completely agree, once you get one with a range over 250 miles they’re completely useable as a main car

My Kona does 250-300 on a full charge, it's easy enough to top up while travelling although does require a bit more time and planning than just refuelling (cost wise, a no brainer now). I have a pod at home but I haven't bothered with an EV tariff as I only do ~4k a year and all the other rates for leccy are higher than the non EV tariff.
I went to Bournemouth for the weekend, cost me £28 on a fast BP charger for the return trip (done while having dinner) having charged up before going (I didn't need to fully charge as I still have way over 50% range left)