All About Hybrid and Electric Cars

Why choose an electric or hybrid lease?

Electric or hybrid vehicles are often more expensive to buy than their petrol or diesel equivalents. Leasing, however, offers a decidedly affordable gateway to being able to drive a green vehicle and at the same time take advantage of the many other benefits of leasing green, including: 

• Reduced on-road running costs
• Lower fuel bills, especially with 100% electric vehicles
• No risk of depreciation
• Drive the latest technology
• Tax incentives, e.g. 0% Benefit in Kind (BiK) in 2020/21
• Save up to 40% off your lease payments via a Salary Sacrifice scheme
• Lower initial and monthly costs

PHEV, BEV, MHEV or HEV

We realise how confusing all of the new abbreviations are for alternative fuelled vehicles.

So we thought about offering this guide. 

Below we explain what a PHEV, BEV, MHEV and a HEV is, along with the pro’s and con’s.

PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Car

The Plug-in Hybrid car is a great start for those who want to dip their toes in the water when trying to understand how an electric vehicle would work around their commute and lifestyle.

Its effectively a bridge between a regular hybrid vehicle and an electric car but the on-board battery pack requires a charge via a standard 3-pin plug or home charging solution. It also has an engine, usually petrol to take over when the battery runs out.

Depending on the vehicle, the vehicle will come with a large battery pack which will be good for a set amount of miles, usually between 22 and 48. The electric motor is then generally used for slower journeys although the engine could kick in where required, even if the battery is not low.

Some of the Plug-in Hybrid cars such as the Audi A3 E-Tron and VW Golf GTE can actually hit motorway speeds without any intervention from the engine at all.

The beauty of the PHEV is that a daily commute the the workplace of 15 to 20 miles is easily achieved, especially if you can have a quick charge at work as well.

Pro’s of a PHEV Car

• Range Anxiety is non-existent due to the on-board engine
• Generally cheaper than a fully electric vehicle
• Zero emission commuting (15/20 miles)

Con’s of a PHEV Car

• The car is a little weighty, so engine use only can have a negative effect
• VRM is no longer cheaper on PHEV’s.
• Need a homecharging solution

Example of a PHEV Vehicle:

• Audi A3 TFSI e Sportback
• VW Golf GTE
• BMW 330e Saloon
• Hyundai Ioniq PHEV
• Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

BEV – Battery Electric Vehicle

Since the UK government announced the demise of internal combustion engines, battery electric vehicles (BEV) are really becoming very popular.

All aspects of the traditional diesel or petrol engines have been replaced by electric motors and the vehicle carries very large lithium battery packs to power the car.

The electric motors use the electricity from the grid to store in the batteries, the power is then delivered to the motors. Also, most electric cars have brake regen (regenerative braking). So when you ease off on the throttle, the car brakes slightly and the energy created gets turned into electricity, just like the old dynamo lights on a bike.

The biggest advantage at the moment on fully electric cars is when it comes to company cars, with huge benefit in kind advantages from the 6th April 2020 at 0% and 1% from the 6th April 2021. There are also incentives to businesses when purchasing zero-emission vehicles.

On top of the above are the environmental benefits you get with an electric car, no tailpipe emissions so, in turn, will improve air quality if more and more people switch to BEV’s.

BEV’s are also legally allowed to display the new Green Flash Number Plates as introduced by the UK Government. The idea is for local authorities and councils to introduce incentives to those in Zero Emission vehicles.

Pro’s of a BEV Car

• Company Car Tax (BIK) Benefits
• Zero Tailpipe Emissions = Cleaner Air
• Low Running Costs
• Congestion Charge Exempt (Requires Registration)
• You can display Green Number Plates

Con’s of a BEV Car

• Range Anxiety for many
• Needs to be plugged in
• UK Charging Infrastructure
• Charging Time

Examples of a BEV Vehicle:

• Jaguar I-Pace
• Kia e-Niro
• Renault Zoe
• Tesla Model 3
• Audi E-Tron Quattro

MHEV – Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Recently introduced by many of the car manufacturers to promote that they are heading the greener way, a MHEV works by having a traditional combustion engine alongside a small battery pack and electric motor.

Essentially the electric motor assists the traditional engine, generally at low speeds to keep the emissions down as well as providing additional power for systems such as the Air Con and engine cooling systems.

The electric motors can also provide an extra boost to the engine, enabling the vehicle to accelerate a little quicker thank those without the mild hybrid system as well as allowing the engine to cut out for coasting duties, so those essential systems like power steering still function.

Pro’s of a MHEV Car

• Lower Emissions
• Cheaper to purchase than normal hybrids/PHEV’s
• Cheaper to purchase/lease

Con’s of a MHEV Car

• No real benefit to fuel economy
• No road tax benefits
• No real electric only range

Examples of a MHEV Vehicle:

• BMW X5 MHT
• VW Golf E-TSI
• BMW 3 Series MHT Saloon & Tourer

HEV – Hybrid Electric Engines

Most of the vehicle manufacturers now offer a Hybrid of some sort with Toyota really producing one of the first mainstream Hybrid cars with the Prius.

In simple terms the Hybrid is a traditional combustion engine that works alongside an electric motor. The battery pack on-board is charged by the engine as well as things like brake regen (regenerative braking).

Unfortunately, there are several types of Hybrids (HEV’s) so lets break these down:

• Parallel Hybrid (eg. Toyota Prius) – This has an internal combustion engine alongside and electric motor and battery pack. A parallel hybrid can be powered fully by the elctric motor or the engine as well as a combination of the two.
• Plugin Hybrid (eg. VW Golf GTE) 
• Range-Extender hybrid (eg. BMW i3 Range Extender) – The is vehicle is always driven by the electric motors from the battery packs. But an internal engine is onboard to charge the battery in the same way as a petrol generator would do to provide the power.

A parallel hybrid does not need to be plugged in like the PHEV so it doesn’t require you to have home charging facilities or complicated access to the UK charging network.

Pro’s of a HEV Car

• Great at low speeds where it generally runs from electric power
• Some of the HEV’s are congestion charge exempt
• Better fuel ecomony than traditional engine cars.

Con’s of a HEV Car

• No longer exempt from road fund licence
• Not as economical at motorway speeds
• Some of the cars are awful to drive

Examples of a HEV Vehicle:

• Toyota Prius (Original)
• Lexus CT200h
• Kia Niro Hybrid
• Volvo XC90 Recharge
• Volvo XC60 Recharge

So what is an ICE?

An ICE is an internal combustion engine, such as a traditional diesel or petrol car. In the new world of motoring abbreviations, you will hear ICE mentioned a lot more.

The term ICED – means that a traditional engined car has parked in an electric charging point space, therefore blocking the use of the facilities. Its getting quite common with many users photographing, naming and shaming on social media such as Twitter and Instagram.

How much do home chargers cost? 

The Government-funded Electric Vehicle Home charge Scheme (EVHS) provides grants for home charge points. From 1st April 2020, the maximum amount available to customers will be £350 off a charger. Until that point, the previous regulations apply, which sees the grant capped at up to £500 per charge point.

Contributions will cover no more than 75% of the cost of a charge point and its installation, and grants will only be available for those that have the unit fully-installed by an OLEV-accredited installer. Other regulations that apply include the requirement for charge points to be smart – able to be remotely accessed and capable of receiving, interpreting, and reacting to a signal.

Prices vary depending on charge point manufacturer and speed. Typically a 3 kW unit will cost between £250 and £500, while a 7 kW charge point will cost between £450 and £800 – though these costs are only guidelines and subject to change. It is worth remembering that new EV buyers may well be eligible for a discounted or free charge point as part of a manufacturer-backed perk. There also are EV-focused tariffs that offer similar schemes.


To be eligible to apply for the scheme, EV owners must provide evidence of keeper-ship, lease, be named as the primary user of an eligible electric vehicle (bought new or second hand), and have off-street parking facilities suitable for charge point installation. The charge point must also be installed by an OLEV authorised installer. Choosing a supplier that is not on the list will most likely mean incurring the full cost of the unit and installation. Finally, the date of installation must not be more than four months ahead of the date of delivery of start date of vehicle.

For more details on the Home charge and related schemes, visit the OLEV website.

You can local and national charge points using this link: https://www.zap-map.com/live/