There are several ways people can incorporate electricity in their motoring, from electric cars to mild hybrids to hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrids.
The latter category is one of the most potentially compelling options because it allows you to charge up your hybrid car rather than just have the car charge itself.
As petrol prices continue to remain high as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut, many more people may consider buying a plug-in hybrid.
With that in mind, a group of journalists from Auto Express have decided which is the best plug-in hybrid on sale in the UK.
They have decided it is the £32,495 MG HS Plug-In Hybrid, a car that comes with a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine attached to a 23.2kWh battery and a combined power output of 295bhp.
Speaking about why they had chosen the MG as their winner ahead of cars from rivals such as BMW and Toyota, the reviewers said people shouldn’t be surprised the winner is Chinese.
They explained: “This shouldn’t be a surprise, given that the country’s pro-electric industrial policy has made it the global epicentre of ‘new-energy vehicles’.”
The MG was praised for being able to go the furthest on pure electric power, 68 miles, and for being easy to drive, even more so than rivals from BYD and Chery.
However, the car lost marks for a lane assist that the reviewers said “can induce sticky steering” and that “pings mercilessly” if the driver gets too close to the white lines.
Despite this, they said the MG was “a decent car, at a terrific price” and “the best plug-in hybrid you can buy right now”.
Coming in behind the MG in second was the £45,360 Volkswagen Tayron that shares its platform with fellow VW group car the Audi Q3.
Although they reviewers said the car’s steering felt “detached” they said the 201bhp powertrain gave drivers a “proper surge” and that the SUV was a “consistent high performer” in their tests.
Completing the podium behind the VW and the MG was the £50,675 Honda CR-V that was praised for being efficient and having a good interior.
Although they said the handling was quite “nose heavy” they said that as long as it was driven smoothly its comfort was “rather enjoyable”.
Furthermore, the reviewers were also pleased with the fact that the key functions of the car were handled through physical controls rather than through a touchscreen.
Auto Express’ verdict on the best plug-in hybrids comes as manufacturers hope they will grow in popularity because of the recent Middle East crisis.
As of recent SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) figures they were the fourth best selling fuel variant in the UK behind battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and petrol cars.
In a statement on new car registrations for April, SMMT said: “Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations rose 46.4 percent to take a 13.8 percent market share.”