Used Hybrid Cars for Sale

A hybrid car essentially combines two power sources – a regular internal combustion engine and a battery-powered electric motor. The majority of hybrids use petrol engines, though there are some examples of diesel hybrids, including those from Mercedes, Volvo and Peugeot.

There are three types of hybrids – mild, regular (or self-charging as they’re sometimes known) and plug-in hybrids.

More manufacturers are now introducing mild hybrids, which is a way of marginally improving running costs and lowering CO2, but at a relatively small expense. There are various types available, but the most common feature is a small additional battery, a 48-volt electric motor and an integrated starter-generator, which has a dual purpose as a starter motor and a power source to help the engine.

Mild hybrids can often turn the engine off when coasting but struggle to run for any real distance on electricity.

In the case of a self-charging hybrid, there are various configurations available as well, but most use a setup where the car is powered in three ways – solely by the engine, only by the electric motor and then with a combination of the two.

Self-charging hybrids, as their name suggests, don’t need plugging in, but can only travel for short bursts with the engine off, predominantly around town.

The third type of hybrid is a plug-in. The basic setup is similar to a self-charging setup, but they use a larger battery that is recharged by plugging it into a wallbox, public charger or domestic plug socket.

Plug-in hybrids can typically be charged from empty to full in a few hours, and can then travel far more electric-only miles than other types of hybrids. Most can travel for around 30 miles, though some models with far bigger batteries can manage to double this.

The advantage to a hybrid car is that they help to generally bring lower running costs, especially around town. It’s why cars like the Toyota Prius and Kia Niro are so popular with minicab drivers. With that electric-running ability, the engine can often be turned off a lot of the time, especially with self-charging and plug-in hybrid models.

They’re typically reliable too, with Toyota’s popular hybrid vehicles being especially well-proven in this area. Performance is usually smooth and responsive, too, with the additional zip from the electric motor being particularly welcome. Residual values are traditionally very good as well.

There aren’t too many disadvantages with hybrid cars, but one, in particular, is the cost. These vehicles will nearly always cost more to buy than a standard petrol or diesel car, though you do need to factor in the reduced running costs.

Sometimes, they can be less practical too. Especially in the case of a plug-in hybrid, the larger battery can eat into boot space, though it’s usually only the storage area beneath the boot floor that is lost. Some models have their batteries positioned under the rear seats, however, which can help alleviate some of the space issues sometimes associated with hybrids. It’s worth checking this out in case boot room is a tip-top priority for you.