Plug-in hybrids, also known as plug-ins, are available almost exclusively for corporate rentals, largely due to the perks offered by these electrified vehicles. However, there are many voices arguing that their extremely low nominal consumption and, accordingly, the promised exhaust gas emissions are far from being confirmed in practice, and therefore there is no reason to encourage their purchase with government benefits.

The choice of a plug-in hybrid looks like an ideal solution for car leasing, given that these models with a pre-tax retail price of up to 40,000 euros and CO2 emissions of less than 50g per kilometer are exempt from the company vehicle tax. It is worth clarifying that these cars are not designed for everyone who buys a car for a long-term lease. This technique is still expensive, and the models that have it have a fairly high rent, so we are talking more about high-ranking company executives. There we would say that plugins are a one-way street. So is it worth stimulating this particular segment of the market?

Of course, providing incentives for plug-in hybrids is not Greek ingenuity, as specific cars are getting corresponding positive treatment in other markets as well. At the same time, however, there are countries that have removed all types of incentives for the purchase of plug-in hybrid cars. Some operators compare the overly optimistic fuel consumption figures as well as the extremely low CO2 ratings of rechargeable hybrids to a fiasco. No, this is not another scandal like what happened with Dieselgate, but a simple side effect… Car manufacturers have made the most of the existing measurement protocol WLTP (World Harmonized Passenger Vehicle Testing Procedure) so that through plug-in hybrids they can reduce the average level fleet CO2 emissions and comply with the stricter limits set by the European Union. So, in a standard measurement cycle, plug-in hybrids, despite their supposedly high power, have an official fuel consumption of about 2 liters per 100 km and carbon dioxide emissions up to three times lower than a city car! How representative are these values ​​for real driving conditions? Before giving an answer, we must understand how such a vehicle works.

→ Hybrid cars: everything I need to know

What characterizes all hybrid vehicles is the presence of a smaller or larger electric motor that keeps the heat engine running. When Toyota introduced hybrid technology 25 years ago with the Prius, the idea was to somehow harness the car’s kinetic energy as it slowed down.

Therefore, instead of having this kinetic energy completely converted into heat and released by the brakes to the environment during braking, at least a percentage of it could be used. This is done with a small generator that does some of the work of slowing down, generating electricity, which is then stored in a battery. This is where the advantage of the hybrid layout comes into play. The battery, in turn, feeds the electric motor, which works as an auxiliary to the heat engine.

An advanced form of a hybrid vehicle is the plug-in hybrid. At the same time, the electric motor is much larger and its presence is aimed not only at reducing emissions, but also at achieving higher performance. The hybrid system is more efficient and the battery is much larger, so that a purely electric vehicle can be driven a sufficient distance, from 40 to 100 km, depending on the model. It is this purely electrical operation, when the driver starts with a full battery, that is the reason why these cars achieve such unrealistic figures in terms of consumption and CO2 emissions. Except that in this particular case, the battery is not recharged exclusively while the vehicle is braking. Basically, the battery is charged when it is connected to the home network or to a charger, for example, designed to charge electric vehicles. Hence the name “plug-in” because plug-in hybrids simply plug into a power outlet.

→ Gray areas

Unlike other cars, the representativeness of a plug-in’s emission and consumption specifications is highly dependent on its driver’s habits! Let me explain: the standard measurement in this class of cars is carried out with a fully charged battery. This means that for most of the process, the car will run on electricity without consuming fuel. Thus, its very impressive characteristics arise.

In the real world, the burden on the environment will largely depend on whether the owner sets off every day with a charged car, as well as on the length of trips he makes, that is, on the electric range. each model offers.

If we assume that the plug-in provides 60 km of mileage on electric traction, and its owner, for example, lives in Kifissia and works in the center of Athens, then he will drive about 40 km every day, actually forgetting to refuel the car. If he has the opportunity to charge it at home, then it would be foolish to neglect it, since the cost of electricity consumption is much lower than the cost of fuel, and the charging time of a plug-in battery in a simple socket is estimated at about three hours.

→ I don’t charge it, how long will it stay on?

But what if someone is careless about charging their car, or even if they don’t have a way to charge it and just decided to do it on the spur of the moment? Also, what will be the consumption of the plug-in hybrid, given its increased weight, when it opens up on the track, and before passing, for example, Chalkis, will the battery be exhausted?

In these cases, although it is clear that the vehicle cannot reach the nominal flow rates achieved under ideal conditions, nevertheless, both experience and specialized measurements have proved that the plug-in not only has excellent performance, but also – despite its extra weight this is due to its larger battery – it’s also more economical than a “regular” hybrid.

How is this possible? Simply put, even on the track, the powerful recuperation system of the plug-in hybrid system works all the time: on a descent, when we cut off speed behind a slower vehicle, or when braking on a toll. As a result, on the road, the plug-in runs as economically as a diesel. For example, a 300 hp plug-in. can consume about 8 liters per 100 km, which can drop to 5 liters per 100 km on a country road and even lower in the city.

→ Should incentives continue to be provided?

In other words, should the state subsidize technology whose performance depends on the charity of its user? We are in a period of transition where the automotive industry is struggling to adjust to the era of electrification. Plug-in hybrids are a useful intermediate step to help the world become familiar with electrification. In many large cities, their owners will be forced to charge them if they need to move to their center, to areas with zero pollution, and in any case they will help limit greenhouse gas emissions. After all, motivation isn’t everything. In the coming years, as electric technology becomes more affordable, we will see no concessions even to purely electric vehicles. First of all, at some point we as consumers will have to change, considering not only our wallet, but also the impact of our choices on the environment.