Everything you need to know about hybrid, fully electric and fuel cell cars to help you make the best choice for your needs
The Hybrid Range
HEV's or Hybrids are powered by both gasoline and electricity. An electric motor provides a boost to the petrol engine during acceleration and can even power the car completely in certain situations such as cruising at a constant speed. The battery doesn’t need to be charged from a mains supply; it is instead charged by regenerative braking when the vehicle decelerates.
Hybrid vehicles are also covered by Hyundai's comprehensive 5 year unlimited mileage warranty. Click here for full details of the 5 year warranty, as well as Hyundai's high voltage battery warranty.
A self-charging hybrid works in exactly the same way as a conventional car with no cables to plug in. The technology uses a normal petrol engine, an electric motor and a high voltage battery. The electric motor works with the petrol engine to enhance performance whilst reducing co2 emissions and improving fuel consumption. The battery is recharged by a combination of the engine and through recovering energy which would otherwise be lost (such as when slowing down) or by regenerative braking. The IONIQ Hybrid and Kona Hybrid – can be classed as self-charging hybrids.
Whilst the hybrid is able to run on electric power for short time periods as it is designed primarily to assist the combustion engine, it’s only the Plug-in Hybrid that can sustain a longer distance in electric mode only. Thanks to the larger capacity battery the IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid can travel up to 39 miles from a full charge.
The speed of acceleration, number of passengers, load on the battery, and remaining battery charge could influence when the petrol engine starts. Hybrid vehicles will utilise the battery whenever it is most efficient to do so thanks to ECO-DAS technology, and there isn’t a set speed in which the petrol engine will become the main power supply. With the IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid it is possible to run solely on full electric mode for up to 39 miles due to the larger capacity battery.
In the UK there are now more public charging point locations than there are petrol stations. The infrastructure is constantly expanding, and is updated via the satellite navigation system within each Hyundai. To access the latest locations online, and their operational status we’d recommend looking at Zap Map.
Similar to a combustion engine car which can have fuel economy affected by different factors, an electric car is the same. Outside temperature, number of passengers or luggage in the car, driving style, and load on the battery from aspects such as heated seats, or air conditioning can alter the driving range that can be achieved.
The servicing schedule doesn’t include aspects such as oil changes because there are less moving parts than a combustion engine, and due to regenerative braking there is often less wear imposed on the brake pads and discs.
An electric car is cheap to recharge in comparison to filling the fuel tank dependent on the type of journeys you do, especially if you can benefit from cheaper overnight electricity tariffs. Low BIK rates for business users also make electric cars a cost effective option.
All Read Hyundai Aftersales departments are trained to work on hybrid and electric technology. Click here to book your service.