Where a hybrid makes more sense than an EV, and how plug-in hybrids work in practice.
Questions this desk answers
ADAC's test of the all-wheel-drive Seal U DM-i found 65 km of electric range and 7.7 l/100 km once the battery was empty, both worse than the official figures. The plug-in hybrid only pays off if it is charged often, and its five-star safety rating was carried over from the electric Seal U.
Analysis Hybrids 7 sources
A Franco-German deal struck on 16 October would keep today's rules for calculating plug-in hybrid emissions in place until the end of the decade, six weeks before a tougher step was due. It is a negotiating position, not law, but it matters for official CO2 figures and the company car tax that follows them.
Report Hybrids 10 sources
A new Transport & Environment report finds that plug-in hybrids registered in 2024 emitted close to six times their official CO2 figures on the road. Its answer is to steer incentives towards models built to be charged, including a fuel tank of no more than 15 litres.
Analysis Hybrids 11 sources
Official SMMT figures show plug-in hybrid registrations up 55.5% in the September plate-change month, while conventional hybrids slipped. Buyers joining the trend should factor in the pay-per-mile charge that reaches plug-in hybrids from April 2028.
Report Hybrids 9 sources
Long electric range changes what a plug-in hybrid can do. Regular charging changes what it actually uses.
Analysis Hybrids 5 sources