PHEV Cars

[Barryboy]

Hi. Anyone running a PHEV as their daily driver? Later this year I will be changing cars and would ideally like a full battery powered car but those with enough range are outside of my 15K budget, even used cars. As most of the time my driving needs are modest and only maybe once a week or so will I need to do a 200 mile trip. I think that a plug in hybrid would cover my local running needs on the electric battery and the petrol engine will avoid having to fuss about finding a working charger and waiting while the battery charges up. I know that I could just buy a decent small petrol engined vehicle but I'm keen to get most of the mileage done under electric power.

I have been doing some research and think the Golf GTE might be a decent shout but it's a very complicated setup with obvious potential for expensive repairs further down the line. Similarly the BMW i3 REX. Any thoughts, anyone?

[yumma]

I used to have a BMW 225xe and sold it here a few months back. Yes it looked a bit bland but it was a great all round car. The performance cracked me up as it was a rocket ship off the lights or joining a motorway, and I’ve owned some pretty quick cars, but I also averaged over 80mpg, my regular commute was 26 miles per day, 15-18 on battery alone, then at weekends often all on battery, plus the odd work journey all over Essex. I only sold it due to Covid changing my job, but I’d buy one again tomorrow if my job resumed as it was.

[astonandy]

Hi. Anyone running a PHEV as their daily driver? Later this year I will be changing cars and would ideally like a full battery powered car but those with enough range are outside of my 15K budget, even used cars. As most of the time my driving needs are modest and only maybe once a week or so will I need to do a 200 mile trip. I think that a plug in hybrid would cover my local running needs on the electric battery and the petrol engine will avoid having to fuss about finding a working charger and waiting while the battery charges up. I know that I could just buy a decent small petrol engined vehicle but I'm keen to get most of the mileage done under electric power.

I have been doing some research and think the Golf GTE might be a decent shout but it's a very complicated setup with obvious potential for expensive repairs further down the line. Similarly the BMW i3 REX. Any thoughts, anyone?

I'm running a MINI Countryman PHEV which is by far the best quality MINI I've had and has seamless integration of the ICE and Electric motors, is fun to drive (and quick with electric boost) as well as giving 57mpg average in a 200+bhp mini SUV. BUT...the electric only range is too small and hugely effected by temperature - 25 miles in summer and 14/15 miles in winter which is probably half what i think would be ideal. My brother at the other end of the scale had an X5 PHEV which gives a genuine 50 miles plus of range and he absolutely loves it and thinks it an ideal compromise (as does Harry Metcalfe) other than slow charging. If my MINI had a 50 miles range and the addition of the ICE for long journeys and all the fancy electric switching in and out, regenerative braking etc it'd be ideal for me too.

We loved the i3 concept but it's not a PHEV in the same sense - it's an electric car with a tiny ICE to recharge it in emergencies and we live in an area with very poor charging infrastructure so an all/mostly electric car wasn't for us yet if we needed to charge when out and about. I was also worried about service costs - independents won't touch them so its BMW dealers only and I've heard a couple of horror stories of basic repairs (blower motor/charging wiring) being riotous on labour costs because so much of the car comes to pieces to repair it so we didn't pursue the idea and went for our original first choice.

[Omegamanic]

I think it really does come down to what your daily drive is on average. If it’s less than 15 miles then there are lots of options. If you need more than that then it’s a big compromise.

I have a BMW 330e, and a single charge is generally fine for my daily use, with the ability to use the ICE combined with the electric motor for hybrid running on longer runs.

So far I’m averaging better than the official figures and I’m close to 140mpg overall.

[catch21]

I’ve been running a Golf GTE since August 2019 and it’s been faultless and brilliant. With a real world range of low 20s in the winter and high 20s in the summer I find my usual trips easily doable in the summer and doable one way in winter. When I’m volunteering/working in Swanage (18 miles) I can get there on 15 miles range, did it last week, and then get a full charge for the return journey from a public charge point.

You can scarcely sense the petrol engine starting when it does, only coming into view as it starts to work harder from 60mph or so. They’ve also thrown a lot of technology at it and I particularly like the adaptive cruise.

Just checked back and at one point during lockdown (28th May 2020) I’d done 762 miles out of the tank (40L) at 257mpg with a range of 320 miles left. That included 30 hours of electric-only running. Admittedly that was in quite exceptional circumstances as I was only doing essential trips and charging every time but it shows what it’s capable of.

[Caruso]

I have an i3 REX and it suits me just fine. I charge it on the drive a couple of times a week and have taken it on a family holiday to Wales. The REX makes it so much more usable, however it did throw an expensive bill for some wiring in the engine bay.

[Barryboy]

Thanks, all. Before I got this diesel Golf estate I had a 2012 Lexus CT200H which was fine except that the electric range was limited to 3 miles and even then when you got up to 20 MPH the petrol engine kicked in. This gave me the taste of electric driving I would like for local trips (which will be most of my motoring from now on in) and recharge overnight on a granny charge plug - or even a free top up at Tesco! I could live with that and if I could afford a high end battery car I would get one, but given the fact I am now retired I have to be more realistic and am starting to think a PHEV would be the best way to go.

[Barryboy]

I have an i3 REX and it suits me just fine. I charge it on the drive a couple of times a week and have taken it on a family holiday to Wales. The REX makes it so much more usable, however it did throw an expensive bill for some wiring in the engine bay.

I love the design of the i3 and the concept of the onboard range extender is very clever. Unfortunately the owners groups are littered with tales of expensive repair bills connected with the REX so I have ruled it out.

Rob

[stiglet]

I ran a MINI Countryman PHEV for two years and can echo everything astonandy says. Also the petrol tank is quite small and it almost caught me out from time to time on longer trips . Apart from that it was a great car and I was sorry to see it go when the lease ran out esp. as it was a about 215 quid a month.

My sister drove it and liked it so much she bought an ex -demo.

[Sweepinghand]

I have an i3 REX and it suits me just fine. I charge it on the drive a couple of times a week and have taken it on a family holiday to Wales. The REX makes it so much more usable, however it did throw an expensive bill for some wiring in the engine bay.

I have an i3 Rex
You can’t go wrong tbh
Approx 130-150 on the full charge if not driven heavily
Another 90 in the petrol

So charging it about once a week off the granny charger does me

You could easily achieve your 200 mile trip on the combined or even easier if you can do a fast charge at the mid point before the return

Is it a thrill of a car? No
Fast as accelerating but a boing drive really

But the ££££ savings are enormous
About £2.60 to charge on the granny charger fir a full charge

Join the i3 Facebook thingy the people are ace and a good few cars for sale


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[gerrudd]

I've be following this thread. It is finally time for me to bite the bullet and replace both my cars. I'm thinking PHEV for one, possibly a Volvo V60.

[subseastu]

I've just been looking at this and the car that caught my eye is a Mercedes-Benz C Class C350e AMG Line estate. I'm looking at the 2018 onwards which maybe a little over the £15k budget but they seem like a hell of a lot of car for the money.





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[Sweepinghand]

I love the design of the i3 and the concept of the onboard range extender is very clever. Unfortunately the owners groups are littered with tales of expensive repair bills connected with the REX so I have ruled it out.

Rob

Not so - not on the group I’m in

BMW i3 U.K. a great community


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[Gavbaz]

I have a Toyota RAV4 plug in Hybrid. I have swapped my Toyota Hilux for it.

At the minute I get about 45 miles on electric and that means I charge it every 3 days (given my current usage). Perfect for travelling during the week as I use zero fuel and the performance is great. If I run out of charge it then becomes a hybrid, I am yet to do so, still have a full tank showing around 500mile range. Love it.

[Barryboy]

Anyone running a Vauxhamll Ampera? This car looks interesting. if a little dated compared to the i3.
Rob

[Dave+63]

Anyone running a Vauxhamll Ampera? This car looks interesting. if a little dated compared to the i3.
Rob

The Ampera isn’t a PHEV, it’s an EV with a REX. It’s arguably the best REX built so far but Vauxhall dropped the model at the end of 2014 (I believe).

The Chevy Volt (as it was in USA) was upgraded with a new model which unfortunately didn’t come over here. They also produced the Bolt (full EV) which didn’t make it over here either.

They’re a very good car bug getting a bit long in the tooth now.

[zelig]

I (briefly) had a Mitsubishi Oulander PHEV, which I’d describe as ... adequate.
It was big, practical, tax efficient, but slow, dull to drive, a little flimsy in places & not particularly economical for the use I had.
At the time I was doing 25k mile p.a. with lots of motorway miles, so the 35 mile battery range was soon depleted & I was just carrying dead batteries.
if your driving is more mixed urban, motorway it’ll deliver better economy.

z