For those of us not sure about making the leap to a full electric vehicle (EV), but yet who are keen to do their bit for the environment, then the ‘halfway-house’ plug-in-hybrid car (PHEV) is a sound bet.
This technology offers the ease of use of a combustion-engined car, with a fuel tank and straightforward engine, but with the zero-emission driving abilities that make it more EV-like – and more versatile than both mild and full hybrids.
Here’s a selection of some of the best PHEVs available, with both new models and used examples in our mix.
BMW 330e
The first PHEV version of the long-serving BMW 3 Series arrived back in 2016, in the previous generation of the model to the one still on sale in showrooms today. It paired a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine to a 66kW electric motor and tiny 7.6kWh battery pack, which resulted in up to 252hp and an electric range of up to 40km. The 330e has evolved from there into even longer-range derivatives, but the original makes a sensible used buy.
Ford Ranger PHEV
Big pick-up trucks are in demand and they’re slowly abandoning their traditional diesel power in favour of lower-CO2-output drivetrains – and one of the best is the new Ford Ranger, which comes with a PHEV version. A turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine sits with a 75kW motor and 11.8kWh battery, so the official 43km electric range isn’t brilliant, but it has 218hp and a massive 697Nm of torque – making it a strong workhorse.
Hyundai Tucson PHEV
We almost don’t need to tell you to buy a Hyundai Tucson of any format, because it is one of Ireland’s top-selling vehicles, and it has been for years on end now – with good reason: it’s superb. As a PHEV, you get the most power of any model in the line-up (253hp), but with a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine augmented by a 67kW electric motor and a 13.8kWh battery, you can go up to 63km on electric power alone.
Mazda CX-80 PHEV
There are a lot of big SUVs available that, if you specify them with their PHEV drivetrain option, end up sacrificing their third row of seats for packaging reasons. But the Mazda CX-80 keeps the full complement of chairs, despite teaming a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a robust 129kW electric motor and sizeable 17.8kWh battery, which results in both 327hp and 61km of all-electric driving range.
Mercedes-Benz C 300 de
We include this car as a solid used example of a PHEV for one simple reason: it’s a rare diesel PHEV. This means that instead of the C 300d e using a petrol engine as its basis and therefore being quite uneconomical when used with a discharged battery, it employs the diesel engine from a contemporary C 220 d for maximum efficiency. All that, and you get a massive 700Nm of electric-diesel torque, plus a 13.5kWh battery providing up to 50km of zero-emission range.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Mitsubishi beat pretty much every other SUV manufacturer to the punch by getting its Outlander PHEV to market as far back as 2014 – so if you want a part-electric SUV but you can’t afford the newer models on our list here, this makes a fine budget alternative. It originally launched with a 12kWh battery pack and up to 50km of EV range, but in 2019 the battery was enlarged to 13.8kWh, boosting the zero-emission driving capabilities to 65km. This still-competitive specification is probably why for every year from 2015 to 2017 inclusive, the Mitsubishi Outlander was the best-selling PHEV in Europe.
Skoda Superb Combi PHEV
We know estate cars aren’t popular here in Ireland, but when something is so startlingly capable in all regards as the Skoda Superb Combi PHEV, we’re determined to change that. You don’t need an SUV if you have a family, you just need one of these things. It teams a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor and gigantic 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack for an all-electric range of more than 100km. And there’s a whopping 510-litre boot at the back, too.
Toyota Prius
Though the original generation of the Prius appeared back in 1997, it didn’t become a PHEV until much later in its life, for the Mk3 of 2012, while the all-new Mk5 is sold as a plug-in hybrid only in this part of the world. The sleek form hides a 2.0-litre petrol engine and 120kW electric motor, along with 13.6kWh battery pack that delivers up to 71km of range.
Volkswagen Passat GTE
Volkswagen decided to make the PHEV version of its preceding Passat model into a pseudo-sporty GTE model, which originally managed up to 50km of electric range. The battery was uprated to 13kWh in 2019, taking the range up to 56km, and power comes from a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed DSG automatic transmission. Outputs were 218hp and torque at 400Nm, enough for a 0-100km/h time of 7.4 seconds, with both saloon and estate bodies available.
Volvo XC60 T8
Available both brand new, if you’re feeling flush, and used, the smashing Volvo XC60 T8 is one of the best plug-in-hybrid SUVs of them all. Its stunning interior and smooth driving manners make for an endearing companion, while the battery started at a modest 9.2kWh (giving 29km of electric range), but was then increased to 11.6kWh in 2020 and then 14.8kWh for 2022, boosting the zero-emission running significantly to 77km. Throughout this time, the T8 has had in and around 400hp, so not only is it a clean and comfortable form of family transportation, the Volvo is super-rapid too.