Our cars
Plug-in hybrids? Not for the lazy
After a few months of driving the Peugeot 508 SW, I give my two-cents on whether I think buying a plug- in hybrid is worth it.
Richard Bush
Ask any car person what the best all- round, easy-to-live-with, eco-minded vehicle is on the market, and they’ll likely name a model with plug-in hybrid technology. That’s because plug-in hybrids offer the proverbial best of both worlds, with bursts of zero-emission EV performance, alongside a conventional combustion engine for when you need to travel longer distances.
Indeed, I’ve been of the same opinion for a long time now. I’ve told many friends and family members that plug-in hybrids are probably the best frugal option and the most sustainable choice when it comes to myriad lifestyles. However, my recent acquisition of the Peugeot 508 SW plug-in hybrid has made me rethink things a little.
Driving a full-electric vehicle forces you to drastically reconsider your daily routine – pretty much immediately. You must constantly keep an eye on the battery depletion, be wary of where local charging stations are and ensure you definitely plug-in and charge at the end of the day. With a plug-in hybrid however, you don’t necessarily have to think about any of that – in fact, you can just crack on as if you’re driving a regular car. Your fuel efficiency figures will suffer consequently, but that’s your prerogative. And that’s a big part of the appeal, but also, part of the issue. I had every intention of being eco-conscious and squeezing every bit of efficiency out of the 508 when it first got delivered. But, I very quickly found myself becoming lazy. The safety net of having an on-board petrol engine meant that
Peugeot New 508 SW GT Hybrid 225 e-EAT8
P11D £47,585 Price as tested £47,640 Official consumption 193.6mpg – 274.8mpg Test consumption 51mpg Mileage 9,453
54 | November/December 2024 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
I didn’t have to conform to fuel efficiency best practices.
It seems the biggest motivator for me in terms of not conforming has been my lack of routine – and I would urge anyone who is thinking about buying a plug-in hybrid to consider what their routine is and how it could possibly affect their own motivation to be green. And trust me when I say, it’s likely the small, seemingly inconsequential things that will make a difference.
For example, I work from home – that means my weekly trips out of the house are fairly sporadic, time-sensitive and diverse. In other words, I’m always in a rush, and charging the car when arriving at the shops – or back home – is the last thing on my mind. On the weekends, I have trips out with my four-year- old and one-year-old to contend with. That means that every time we arrive somewhere it’s all hands
on deck to run around the car, take the pram out of the boot and ensure the kids aren’t running on the road. I really don’t have the time or mental dexterity to get the charging cable out of the boot and plug in – even when pulling up my own driveway. It’s lazy, I know.
So, is it worth buying a plug-in hybrid? Well, that depends on what your daily routine looks like. Are you childless? Do you work an office job that provides reliable EV charging at location? If so, then I’d argue you’ve got a much better chance of making the most out of a plug-in car's eco prowess. And when driven correctly, they can, indeed, be ludicrously effective at being efficient. If you’re anything like me though, I’d seriously assess the likelihood of laziness kicking in. If you’re not committed to the cause, your fuel costs will suffer, so you might be best just going for a regular ol’ hybrid.
Why we’re running it
To see how the head-turning Peugeot 508 handles busy family life.
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