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Is a hybrid car right for you?
Like it or not, electrification of our cars is here to stay, and hybrid cars are leading the charge.
Updated • Published
15 min read
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9 min readDrive
Like it or not, electrification of our cars is here to stay, and hybrid cars are leading the charge.
Updated • Published
15 min read
Text size
Updated •
Published
Text size
Hybrids are often considered the stepping stone between cars with conventional internal combustion engines (referred to as ICE) and pure electric vehicles (EV). Hybrids combine the two.
But there are now several different types of hybrids, so to help you understand the options and the pros and cons of each, we’ve looked at some of the reasons you might consider a hybrid and explain how the different types of hybrids work.
Hybrids consume less fuel than regular cars, since the electric motor drives the wheels for part of the time, especially from standstill or at lower speeds, and helps for the rest of the journey. When the engine fires up, it doesn’t have to work as hard either, as the car is already in motion, further improving fuel economy.
In EV-only mode, there are no harmful emissions from the exhaust pipes, making hybrids especially suitable in densely populated areas.
Electric motors are almost completely silent and thus quieter than an engine, as well as smoother in operation, improving comfort.
The addition of an electric motor provides a useful extra amount of power and torque, for stronger acceleration and throttle response.
Hybrid sales soared by 75 per cent year-on-year in 2024. It seems to be the powertrain of choice. Compare the resale value of a 2021 to 2024 Toyota Camry petrol versus hybrid, and the facts are irrefutable. The hybrid is worth up to 30 per cent more, model for model – which is more than twice the difference between the two powertrains when new. Great news for hybrid owners.
Using the Hyundai Kona as an example, the Kona Hybrid from $36,500 (before on-road costs) is only two-thirds of the price of its electric-only equivalent, the Kona Electric Standard, which kicks off from $54,000.
With hybrids able to use their internal combustion engines to keep the batteries topped up, drivers don’t need to worry about where their next charge is coming from.
EVs need time to fully recharge. Even a modest battery size of 50kWh as found in the popular BYD Atto 2 would require more than 30 minutes using a common 100kW DC charge station, or over 24 hours if plugged in at home. These figures more than double if you double the battery size to 100kWh, as found in many premium EVs.
All types of hybrid cars use a clever combination of an internal combustion engine (usually petrol) and one or more electric motors to drive the wheels. The most common type of hybrid is the non-plug-in hybrid (HEV) vehicle like a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
The next most common is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which has a larger battery though still a fraction of the size of the battery in a full electric vehicle (EV). A PHEV’s battery can be recharged using electricity from an external source like a household socket, or by the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is on the move.
Both have an engine paired with an electric motor, battery pack and generator, to send drive separately or concurrently to the wheels.
Then there is the mild hybrid, which, as the name suggests utilises only a small amount of electric assistance.
While mild hybrid vehicles have their internal combustion engine running all the time while driving, they do derive small fuel economy benefits from electric assistance. Affordable and comparatively simple, the Suzuki Swift Hybrid is an example of a cost-effective mild hybrid.
There are also range extender electric vehicles (REEV) or extended-range electric vehicles (EREV).
Popular in Chinese makes like the Leapmotor C10, as well as in the Nissan e-Power models like the Qashqai and X-Trail, these are still regarded as hybrids, since they feature an electric motor driving the wheels, while an internal combustion engine solely powers the battery, as there is no plugging in.
We’ve explained these further below.
The first things to note about HEVs is that they only need petrol, as opposed to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) that you 'plug in' to charge as well as refuel, occasionally.
In a series-parallel HEV, the battery pack is relatively small.
In earlier hybrid Toyotas, this provided enough charge to get the car moving to speeds of around 40km/h(or slightly more, depending on battery size) respectively, before the engine fires up to assist with directly driving the wheels.
However, later generations greatly expanded the EV-only functionality of HEVs, such as when coasting along, or during light throttle inputs.
The HEV’s battery pack is charged by the engine when driving, either when idling or on the move, and/or via kinetic energy gathered from the action of braking. This is known as regenerative braking. No external charging of the battery pack is possible. Note that Toyota promotes its hybrids as ‘self-charging’, which is technically true, but sidesteps the fact that a fossil fuel is still required for it to happen.
PHEV vehicles, which are now more popular than ever, has a much larger battery pack. During the mid-2010s, popular examples like the original Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV offered a stated pure EV range of about 50km or so, before the engine takes over. However, as batteries became larger and more efficient during this decade, typical manufacturer-stated PHEV ranges have doubled to around 100km. And, in some cases, even tripled to about 150km.
While a PHEV’s battery pack can be charged by the vehicle’s engine, as per a HEV’s, plugging into mains power is necessary due to its extra size and capacity. That’s the price you pay for having useable everyday pure-electric range.
Some older HEVs, like Honda’s defunct Insight, Civic Hybrid and CR-Z from the 2010s, used a ‘parallel-only’ hybrid set-up, where the electric motor assisted the petrol engine but never drove the wheels directly.
All modern Hondas, from the HR-V and Civic to the CR-V and Prelude, employ a ‘series-parallel’ arrangement similar to Toyota’s. So do many other manufacturers with HEV systems, including Hyundai, Kia, Chery, MG, GWM and others.
HEVs are the cheapest entry into hybrid electrification, with prices for the MG3 Hybrid and Toyota Yaris HEV hatchbacks starting from under $30,000. Popular names in the small SUV hybrid field include the Haval Jolion, Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Kona HEV and Honda HR-V e:HEV, and they kick off from under $40,000.
The available performance comes on strongly because electric motors produce their maximum torque from zero revs, boosting acceleration and providing immediate throttle responses. This in turn means a smaller-capacity and lighter petrol engine is sufficient, further improving efficiency.
HEVs produce fewer carbon and nitrogen oxide emissions than petrol or diesel cars, resulting in dramatically more economical and cleaner vehicles – especially in city areas where heavy traffic means the electric motor is more likely to be the main propulsion system driving the wheels.
All HEVs feature a stop-start function that cuts the engine when coasting at lower speeds and when braking. This further saves fuel, lowers emissions and cuts noise pollution. Sitting in heavy traffic is (slightly) more bearable with no idling engine droning away.
The very nature of the HEV – an electric motor and engine combo – means the battery pack never needs to be plugged into an external power source for recharging. The engine diverts power to a generator to charge it instead, or electricity is converted from otherwise wasted kinetic energy using regenerative braking technology when you apply the brakes. If you live in an apartment or have no access to off-street parking, you never need to worry about finding a long-enough power cord.
Result? No range anxiety or wasting time and energy finding a place to plug the car in, but with some reduced fuel consumption while still being able to treat it like a regular car.
While there are cheap HEVs, they are generally more expensive than their equivalently sized and equipped petrol-engined counterparts because of the added cost and complexity of electrification, from the battery pack and electric motor to the unique transmission and electrical cabling. A base Kona petrol is over $3200 cheaper than the hybrid equivalent.
HEVs are at their best in terms of driving performance and efficiency around town, because they can take advantage of the low-speed torque of the electric motor in stop-start traffic, while the regular braking feeds energy back into the battery.
Out on the open road at constant speeds, the economy advantages of HEVs over petrol-only cars can be reduced as regenerative braking inputs are fewer. Petrol and diesel vehicles also become more economical at highway speeds.
Batteries are heavy and usually located in the lower rear half of a vehicle, at the cost of some luggage capacity and cargo versatility. This can also lead to a higher floor, meaning heavier items require extra excursion.
Where’s the spare wheel? If you have a hybrid with a temporary spare tyre instead of a full-sized spare, count yourself lucky, because most hybrids only have a tyre-inflator kit. Given SUVs are often marketed in the context of outdoor adventure, a tyre inflator kit doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Having two propulsion systems in the one car adds cost and complexity to servicing and repairs, though most have proven reliable and durable.
Although battery packs are usually guaranteed for eight years, over time their ability to hold charge does decline. In hybrids, this means the petrol engine will run slightly more often than when the car was new. However, even with the battery beyond its best, the hybrid system will still have benefits over a petrol-only vehicle. Unless there is a major fault with the battery in its first three years, usually it becomes uneconomic to replace the battery in an aging hybrid.
A PHEV is a hybrid but with a socket like an EV, so it can be charged from an external source, such as from a home, office or charging station. In normal driving, some electricity is fed back into the battery pack from the engine and regenerative braking systems within the car, however the plug-in capability provides the option to charge the PHEV’s battery (which is usually larger than a regular hybrid’s battery) from an external power source, allowing for longer electric-only range.
Some PHEVs can be made to use their petrol engine to fully charge the battery while being driven, however this is not a very efficient way to charge the battery.
With an externally chargeable battery, a PHEV is much closer to the ownership and driving experience of an EV.
Compared to its hybrid sibling, the Kia Sorento PHEV’s battery is more than nine times the capacity. In plug-in hybrids, in EV mode the use of the electric motor is prioritised until the battery is depleted, after which the car works more like a regular hybrid, with petrol engine and electric motor working together more frequently for propulsion and to keep a minimum charge in the battery.
It’s the solution to range anxiety while still enjoying many of the EV advantages. You’ll just need to charge a PHEV more often than a fully electric car in order to keep running on electricity.
Some PHEVs have a phenomenal combined petrol/EV range, such as the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV’s theoretical 1300km distance between refills and charges. Though to achieve anything close to that, you’ll need to stop regularly to recharge the battery.
As with all EVs, a PHEV comes with its own charging hardware, namely a cable to a three-pin household socket. Additionally, a wall box can be purchased and installed by an outside supplier from around $1500.
As with EVs, PHEV owners report that they habitually plug their cars in to charge overnight as they would a mobile phone, except they don’t worry about being left stranded if they occasionally forget to recharge their cars.
A PHEV’s low fuel consumption and emissions ratings have really come in handy since Australia switched to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) carbon-reduction scheme in 2025, since high-polluting ICE models (especially diesels) are accruing fines for their manufacturers based on the emissions they generate, and these are set to become more punitive annually over the next few years.
PHEVs allow the driver to control when the electric motor operates, to preserve charge for when it is most beneficial running in EV mode, such as in built-up areas or during traffic jams.
EV charging infrastructure is growing rapidly across Australia, meaning PHEV owners are increasingly able to use their vehicles without the ICE security blanket if they so desire.
In EV mode, PHEVs are as hushed and smooth as EVs, while packing plenty of low-down torque oomph.
The added complexity of a larger and heavier battery pack, combined with extra electrical engineering for the plug-in technology, means more to service and repair over the longer term, on top of the engine and motor combination.
Currently, PHEVs cost substantially more than their petrol and HEV counterparts.
As with most HEVs, PHEVs powertrain electrification often results in reduced cargo capacity, though it’s worse in the PHEV because the battery pack is larger again, often necessitating the removal of a spare wheel.
Though a warranty for up to eight years is the norm, if you do choose to replace a PHEV’s battery pack, it’ll be more expensive than an HEV’s smaller equivalent.
For example, a Prius battery pack is about $4000 while an PHEV’s can cost upwards of $15,000 (before labour) for some models, so you’ll need to consider whether this sort of expenditure makes good economic sense in an older vehicle.
Using a regular household outlet requires from around six to 12 hours (and more) depending on the PHEV, while obviously a HEV requires no plugging-in hassles.
Owners who forget or don’t bother to plug their cars in and drive their PHEVs purely on petrol will suffer higher fuel consumption compared to regular cars and especially HEVs.
Mild hybrids commonly have an engine starter motor that can also function as an electricity generator (known as a starter-generator), so after starting the engine, the same unit can also send energy back into the car’s battery, which is usually a 48-volt unit rather than 12 volts.
This removes the need for a conventional alternator and separate starter motor, saving weight, and brings the ability to give the petrol engine a boost under acceleration. Mild hybrids with starter-generators also commonly include engine start/stop technology, which operates far more smoothly than start/stop systems in cars with conventional starter motors.
Mild hybrid cars in Australia include the Suzuki Swift, Mazda3, Mercedes-Benz C200 and Toyota HiLux 48V.
Range-extender EVs (REEV – but also known as EREV for Extended Range EV) are hybrids that only have an electric motor driving the wheels, but they carry an on-board compact petrol engine that is there solely as an electricity generator to recharge the battery pack.
The Holden Volt (2011-2014) and BMW i3 REx (2014-2019) are defunct examples. Both were well packaged and good to drive but short on range and too expensive, with the latter also criticised for providing disappointing additional extended petrol range, while being markedly noisy when the extender engine was running.
Since then, the number of REEV models has multiplied, namely from Nissan with the Qashqai e-Power and X-Trail e-Power models, as well as the Leapmotor C10 REEV and B10 REEV and the XPeng G6 EREV.
Do plug-in hybrids charge while you drive?
Yes, the petrol engine can be used to charge the battery pack, while energy from braking is captured and stored as electricity. Some PHEVs can also charge the battery all the way up while driving, but that increases fuel consumption significantly. You can also then choose to run in petrol/electric hybrid mode and save the charged battery for later.
Which plug-in hybrid has the longest range?
Larger-battery PHEVs from China, including those by BYD, Chery, GWM and MG, now provide EV-only range of up to 150km and even more, while claiming to exceed 1000km between refills.
Can you drive a plug-in hybrid without charging?
Yes, just as you would a normal-engined car, but the extra weight of the electric bits would mean it would probably use more fuel than a non-PHEV equivalent.
What happens if you don’t charge a plug-in hybrid?
Nothing, it will still drive normally, but pure-electric driving range would be minimal, while burning a hole in your wallet in extra fuel costs due to dragging a heavy battery around.
Note that there is no data at present stating that additional degradation from the PHEV battery can occur due to a lack of use.
Can hybrid cars run on fuel only?
Yes. HEVs rely on fuel to run as their all-electric range is limited before the petrol engine kicks in. The petrol engine will start running earlier if you’re going up a hill or accelerating hard. Most plug-in models can go from about 50km to 100km, while some of the latest, larger-battery versions can even manage up to 150km, before their engine chimes in to assist.
What happens when a hybrid car runs out of battery power?
Nothing, it’s business as usual, as the engine kicks in to assist with driving the wheels and recharging the battery pack.
