Mild Hybrid (MHEV)
These are very similar to a normal petrol or diesel car, except they have a battery which can power some features of the car.
You’ll always use your combustion engine alongside your battery with these, as the battery is not big enough to power the car by itself.
It helps the combustion engine along instead, which reduces the amount of fuel you’ll need.
It also powers the stop/start cycle, seamlessly switches the engine off during coasting and automatically starts it again when you need to accelerate.
Most mild hybrids also have ‘regenerative braking’, which means it uses the the power produced when you’re braking to charge the battery.
These run similar to a petrol or diesel car – you do not need to charge them. So you can run one without a driveway, garage, or home chargepoint, or making any lifestyle changes.
Full Hybrid (FHEV)
Often called a 'self-charging hybrid', or sometimes a ‘parallel hybrid’, they have a combustion engine and a battery, and they can run solely on one or by combining the two.
The battery is charged from the combustion engine or from regenerative braking, which uses the power produced when you’re braking.
The electric energy is normally used for the start of journeys, at low speeds or steady cruising, then the petrol or diesel engine kicks in when it’s needed.
These run similar to a petrol or diesel car – you do not need to charge them. So you can run one without a driveway, garage, or home chargepoint, or making any lifestyle changes.
Some manufacturers offer variations where the battery drives the car all of the time instead of just some of the time. Speak to your dealer to find out more about the specific differences between makes and models.
Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)
These are the stepping stone towards a fully electric car.
They use all of the technology of a FHEV, but they have a larger battery and range. You’ll need to charge and top up the battery using a chargepoint to make the most of this technology.
It’s the most environmentally friendly hybrid, as they can drive for up to 40 miles using just electricity, which means fewer emissions.
You’ll only see the benefit if you’re able to regularly charge your car, so make sure you have somewhere to charge it. If you do not plan to charge often, consider choosing a different hybrid instead.
These tend to have a higher Advance Payment because of the combined technology, and fully electric cars are more efficient.
Full Electric (EV)
These are the long-term future of motoring, with the government planning to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 and hybrid vehicles from 2035.
Electric vehicles work solely on battery power and are the ultimate eco-friendly choice, as they create zero exhaust emissions.
The range of an electric vehicle is the distance you can drive on a single full charge of the battery, but this can be affected by things like the temperature outside, your driving style and whether or not you're using air-conditioning.
Electric vehicles do not produce any CO2 emissions. This makes them the most environmentally-friendly choice on the Motability Scheme.
You’ll need to have access to a charge point to recharge the battery.
If you have off-street parking, you should be able to have a charge point fitted at your home.
If this is the first charge point you've had installed, Motability will cover the cost of supplying and fitting the charge point.