It feels like hybrids are everywhere these days. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), mild hybrids, self-charging hybrids – if you’re feeling bamboozled by all the different types of hybrid cars, who can blame you? But what’s the difference between them? What do they mean, and why might you want one instead of the other?
In the beginning, there was simply the hybrid – a petrol-powered car, augmented by a small electric motor and battery. That's type of hybrid we’re going to focus on in this article, which is known today as a self-charging hybrid. Core examples include the Toyota Prius, and the Lexus RX, but plenty of others are available to include the Kia Niro, Hyundai Ioniq, Toyota Rav4, Toyota Yaris, Honda Jazz and more.
Read on if you want to find out not only what a self-charging hybrid is, but also if it’s right for you. And if you decide that it is, don't miss our guide to The Best Self-Charging Hybrid SUVs.
What is a Self-Charging Hybrid?
- What is a Self-Charging Hybrid Car, and How Does it Work?
- How is the Battery Pack Charged?
- What’s the Difference Between a Self-Charging Hybrid and Other Types of Hybrid?
- Is a Self-Charging Hybrid Worth it?
- Will a Self-Charging Hybrid Suit Me?
- Three Great Hybrid Cars You Can Buy Today
- FAQs
What is a Self-Charging Hybrid Car, and How Does it Work?
Simply put, a self-charging hybrid is a car featuring a hybrid system that's a combination of a petrol (or, rarely, a diesel) engine and an electric motor. The motor is powered by an extra battery pack that’s bigger than the car’s normal 12-volt battery, and also bigger than the battery you'll find in a mild hybrid, but smaller than that of an electric car.
When you’re driving along normally, the electric motor boosts the engine's power, and it can drive the car by itself at low speeds. When you need a bit more acceleration, the electric motor will kick in to support the petrol engine and push the car along. Providing there's enough charge in the battery, the petrol engine will cut out and the electric motor will provide the power when the car is just inching along in traffic.
How is the Battery Pack Charged?
Well, this is the clever bit. A self-charging hybrid uses regenerative braking (i.e. the friction of the electric motor when it isn’t running) to slow down the car. This, in itself, generates kinetic energy – and the hybrid stores that energy in the battery. If you aren’t braking much, a hybrid electric vehicle can also charge the battery from the petrol engine, a bit like any normal car does using an alternator.
The car does all of this automatically – you don’t need to flick a switch – and unless you’re listening carefully to the engine note, you probably won’t even notice it.
What’s the Difference Between a Self-Charging Hybrid and Other Types of Hybrid?
A self-charging hybrid is a closed system – you can’t add charge to the battery yourself. Instead, it’ll charge itself up using either the petrol engine or regenerative braking (hence the name).
In a plug-in hybrid, by contrast, you can charge the battery up yourself by plugging the car in. As a result, plug-in hybrids usually have bigger batteries and more powerful motors, and they weigh more, but this means they can travel short distances (typically around 30-40 miles) without using the petrol or diesel engine at all.
Both of the above are examples of full hybrid systems, and can be found in hybrid SUVs and hatchbacks, as well as certain sports cars, such as the BMW i8.
A mild hybrid has a much smaller battery and motor than a self-charging hybrid. This means it can’t run on electric power unless it’s at a standstill, but the motor provides a very small boost to the petrol or diesel engine under acceleration. Many new cars across all segments now use mild hybrid systems. Although not as extensive in their capabilities as the best hybrid cars, mild hybrids essentially have the same aim of reducing emissions, improving fuel consumption, and ultimately cutting running costs.
Is a Self-Charging Hybrid Worth it?
Yes, usually. Self-charging hybrids are often a little more expensive to buy new than an equivalent petrol or diesel car. However, they typically offer the fuel economy of the former with the fuel prices of the latter – an ideal combination. As a result, you’ll usually make back the extra you spend on a self-charging hybrid in fuel savings.
As more and more people switch to hybrid models, you should find they hold their value pretty well, and don’t forget that self-charging hybrids tend to come with an automatic gearbox as standard – something you have to pay extra for with most conventional rivals.
Will a Self-Charging Hybrid Suit Me?
If you spend lots of time in town, then yes, it almost certainly will. Around town, self-charging hybrids are far more economical than traditional petrol or diesel cars, because all the stopping and starting enables the regenerative braking to regularly charge the battery, while low-speed driving means the car can use that electricity to run without petrol for more of the time.
On the motorway, a hybrid will be less efficient, because there are fewer opportunities for the battery to charge, so the car must use more fuel, both to run and to charge the battery.
Three Great Hybrid Cars You Can Buy Today
Honda Jazz Hybrid
The Honda Jazz has always been immensely popular thanks to its practicality, fuel efficiency and reliability, and the latest version adds to that with a self-charging hybrid powertrain.
The Jazz looks good, too; its familiar one-box shape has been sharpened by some smart detailing and smooth surfacing. Inside, there’s a warm and homely interior that’s much airier than some rival small cars, thanks to its big windows and raised driving position.
If rougher roads form a regular part of your driving, you can now choose the Jazz Crosstar, a jacked-up version with tough plastic cladding and water-resistant upholstery, so it's ideal for those muddy dog walks.
Honda Jazz Review
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Toyota popularised the self-charging hybrid with the Prius, and now the company’s hybrid technology has become so popular that its Corolla family car is available exclusively with hybrid engines.
Partly as a result of this, you actually get the choice between not one but two hybrid powertrains: a 1.8-litre base engine, which is the more efficient of the two, and a powerful 2.0-litre, which is smoother to drive.
You can also opt for a roomy estate model, which offers almost as much space as the equivalent Volkswagen Golf Estate, or if you need more ground clearance, the Trek model gives it to you, along with a tough textured plastic bodykit.
Toyota Corolla Review
Kia Sorento Hybrid
If you want a self-charging hybrid with seven seats, your choices are relatively limited. However, the Kia Sorento is a big SUV with a self-charging hybrid powertrain that works brilliantly well.
For starters, it’s a great SUV in its own right. All of its seven seats are pretty spacious (even the rearmost pair), and all three rows get USB charging points and separate climate controls. There’s a big boot and a smart interior, and equipment levels are generous.
Then there’s the hybrid powertrain, which is smooth, quick to respond, and quiet. As a result, the Sorento is that rare thing: a big SUV that you don’t need to specify with a diesel engine if you want manageable fuel economy.
Kia Sorento Review
FAQs
How Long Will the Battery in a Self-Charging Hybrid Car Last?
It’s hard to say, because so far, we haven’t heard any major stories of battery failure in hybrid cars. The oldest are now more than 20 years old, so that should give you peace of mind. In theory, however, all self-charging hybrids’ batteries should last the life of the car – in other words, they should outlast the car’s engine. What’s more, because the petrol engine is in use less of the time than it would be in a conventional car, that, too, should be pretty long-lived. Lots of hybrids are used as taxis and rack up several hundred thousand miles.
Does a Self-Charging Hybrid Need Petrol?
Yes – or diesel, if that’s what the internal combustion engine (ICE) runs on. Unlike a plug-in hybrid, a self-charging hybrid can’t run on electricity alone, because its electric motor simply isn’t powerful enough to drive the car at more than a few miles per hour, and the battery doesn’t hold enough charge to power the electric motor on its own for more than a few minutes. So while you might be able to limp a self-charging hybrid onto your driveway with no fuel in it, you probably won’t get any further than that.
Is a Self-Charging Hybrid Green?
Kind-of. What a self-charging hybrid gives you is the best of all worlds: fuel efficiency that can match or better a diesel but with far fewer smoggy NOx and particulate emissions, and also lower CO2 emissions than a conventional petrol car.
Additionally, a hybrid’s relatively small battery requires less lithium and cobalt than the larger one you'd find in a full-electric car or a plug-in hybrid – two precious metals that are difficult to get hold of and environmentally taxing to dig out of the ground.
When all things are considered, an electric car is likely to be better for the environment than a hybrid because it produces zero tailpipe emissions. However, a hybrid represents a good halfway house if you’re not ready to switch to electric yet, or have nowhere to charge a plug-in car. It should also lower your environmental footprint compared with a conventional petrol or diesel car (or a mild hybrid).