Hybrid, electric or petrol: which suits you?
Sample author · · 1 min read
The right answer depends less on the car than on how you drive.
Petrol
The lowest price to buy and the easiest to service anywhere. Best if you drive mostly on the open road or not very far each year.
Hybrid
A petrol engine with a small battery that charges itself while you drive. In town traffic a hybrid often uses half the fuel of a similar petrol car, with nothing to plug in.
Plug-in hybrid
A bigger battery you charge at home, enough for most daily trips on electricity, and a petrol engine for longer ones. Worth it if you can charge every night.
Electric
No fuel at all and very little servicing. Check the battery's health and its real range against your longest regular trip, and where you will charge. Electric cars pay road user charges by the kilometre.
Still unsure?
Tell us how far you drive in a week and we will suggest a few cars to try.
Questions people ask
How long does a hybrid battery last?
Usually the life of the car. Many hybrids pass 250,000 km on their original battery; a test shows its health.
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