Down side to mild Hybrid

[gromit105]

I have the Volvo XC60 plug in hybrid, I get free charging at work but still won’t go full electric for the main car as charging away from home is not quite as easy so maybe next car. That 1.5p a mile was a “pleasant surprise” for the hybrid on top of the £650 road tax and fuel duty. But still for the moment 50miles of free driving a working day is

 

[Hollowpoint]

I would think in that case it would be managed by recording the mileage at the point of purchase then giving your estimated annual mileage. When you come to sell the car if less than 3 years old the final mileage is again taken and the difference in cost would be adjusted.
I've recently bought my first EV after being impressed with Lindsay's Peugeot (she only does about 2,500 miles per annum). I do about 7,500 miles per annum. Our currently standard fixed electric tariff charges us 26p a unit so we're now considering changing to an EV tariff where it will be less than 10p a unit between midnight and 5am. The downside is that the daily charge increases as does the charge per unit between 5am and midnight.

I did wonder if may link it to road tax as well as mot. Then when you sell a vehicle and get your road tax refund, you have to give your mileage. Also when the new owner buys road tax they states what mileage they bought the vehicle at.

 

[landymick]

I’ll be sticking to good old diesel, I like the idea of a hybrid though .

 

[Shooter1]

I had a self charging hybrid, a Honda HRV - got rid of it after just 6 months, was the worst car I've ever had. First problem was that the battery just didn't have enough in it to defrost the car and warm the heating system up in the winter months. It was the coldest car I've ever had. The engine function was to charge/top up the battery when it was running, but first thing in the morning there wasn't enough in the battery to demist the windscreen. Direct drive power to the wheels was via the battery and the electric motors, it was fine when in pure electric mode but lousy when the engine function was charging the battery on the move. The engine was loud at the best of times, but when you accelerated the engine was exceptionally noisy as it upped its revs to keep up with with the power the battery needed. There was also lag between putting your foot down on the accelerator and the power actually reaching the wheels, because the petrol engine had to charge the battery for that to run the car. Worst thing was that like some other self charging hybrids, it had a CVT gear system, which just made the whole system worse. It was a shame, it looked like a vey nice car, stylish and modern..........but it was terrible to drive. The fuel economy wasn't good either, around town the electric drive system was pretty good, but at speed it needed the engine to charge the battery constantly and it wasn't as economical an advertised. I was glad to see the back of it, it went back to the Honda garage. I replaced it with a small ordinary petrol engined Audi, which was cheaper to buy, cheaper to insure, a better drive and its more economical on fuel. I'll never consider a hybrid of any sort again.

 

[ColinD]

Strange one that, as I thought with any Hybrid plug in or self charging the heat from the ICE heats the car unlike a pure electric one were there is no substitute as no ICE. Well that's how my Hyundai PHEV works anyway

 

[Gers32]

Sounds to me @Shooter1 that the battery was either far too small by terrible design, or faulty? Having dealt with Honda design teams for several years, I can't see the design being at fault.

 

[Shooter1]

Sounds to me @Shooter1 that the battery was either far too small by terrible design,

That's what I thought to be honest. It surprised me as I owned one of the original CRV's for many years and it was one of the best cars I've ever owned. The HRV went back to the dealer about 8 weeks after I bought it to be checked, they said that this was just the way the car is, being a self charging hybrid. Whilst they had it, the dealership lent me their demo model and it was exactly the same. it wasn't just the hybrid system that was pants though, the CVT gear system with the hybrid set up in this particular vehicle is awful, engine screams at you, verbally over revving, when you accelerate as it tries to pour charge into the battery for the acceleration and you anti. for what seems like an age for the CVT system to move up a drive. The whole car was awful beyond belief. Got rid as soon as I could.

In contrast my partner drives a very nice Peugeot 2008 with a self charging mild hybrid system. The hybrid system in this is a vastly superior drive to my Honda, it's a comfier drive, it's far more economical, it's much quieter and it has a standard auto gearbox which makes for a great combination.

 

[Claypole]

Acceleration in the Honda HRV won’t be compromised because the petrol engine is struggling to charge the battery up. When you put your foot down, the engine will directly power the car, along with the electric motor. The hybrid battery should always be charged enough from regular driving. The HRV is generally noted for being a bit underpowered for more spirited driving.

The over revving (aka the ‘rubber band effect’) is fairly standard for CVT gearboxes. My hybrid Corrola does exactly the same thing on the motorway, the gearbox is just slow to react to a sudden demand for acceleration.

 

[Trumpetier]

Well my car went through it's MOT on Monday and passed, phew.
Few advisories, but it's taken the pressure off me and I can now have a more relaxed approach at looking for my next vehicle.