How Hybrid Cars Work

The hybrid technologies of vehicles vary, with three types of hybrids: Mild Hybrid, Full Hybrid, and Plug-in Hybrid. All three categories start from one concept: combining the efficiency of the electric motor with that of the internal combustion engine to achieve low emissions and low consumption, but they do so in completely different ways.

Mild Hybrids cannot operate solely in fully electric mode; they have a small electric motor that recovers energy during braking and returns it to the system during acceleration, or this energy is stored in an auxiliary battery, separate from the car's standard 12V battery, to power systems that increase consumption (air conditioning, power steering, or radio).

Full Hybrids feature a particularly advanced electric system, with a larger battery, more powerful motor, and a gearbox that intelligently interfaces the electric part with the petrol or diesel engine.

This allows the vehicle to have electric traction even at low speeds. Finally, Plug-in Hybrids are rechargeable systems, meaning you can charge a battery even larger than that of Full Hybrids and have a range of 50 to 60 miles in fully electric mode.

For example, if my daily route or a large part of it can be covered solely in electric mode, I can save on running costs. This means having access to a charging system, either a public charging point or a home box (you can install a wallbox to significantly reduce charging times.

For instance, Mercedes EQ-Power systems can reduce charging time from 5 hours on a domestic socket to 90 minutes using a 7.4 kW charger). These systems share the fact that they are homologated hybrids, which impacts both the manufacturer, who can reduce emissions/consumption, and the end customer, who can benefit from tax incentives.

Note: Full Hybrids and Plug-in Hybrids consume less than Mild Hybrids as they have a more dominant (larger) system. All these systems must be carefully evaluated based on where you drive and the route you take (to take advantage of recovering energy during deceleration or braking, turning off the engine) in Mild Hybrids, while in Plug-in Hybrids, if you travel a distance covered by electric range, you will only incur the cost of energy (in bills) and fuel savings, the latter being used if the battery runs low. Full Hybrids cost more to purchase but consume similarly to diesel (this could be a middle ground to consider).