Hybrid Vehicle

A hybrid vehicle combines a combustion engine with at least one electric motor and a battery. The electric side recovers energy when braking and assists or replaces the engine at low speed, which cuts fuel use in stop-and-go traffic. Depending on battery size and whether the car plugs in, hybrids fall into three families.

The three families of hybrids

• Mild hybrid (MHEV): a small electric motor assists the engine when pulling away and makes the start-stop system smoother. It cannot move the car on electricity alone, so the savings are modest.
• Full hybrid (HEV): the car can drive short distances at low speed on electric power. The battery is recharged by the engine and by regenerative braking, and the vehicle is never plugged in.
• Plug-in hybrid (PHEV): a larger battery is charged from an outlet or a charging station. Short daily trips can be covered in electric mode, and the engine takes over on longer journeys. Its benefits depend entirely on how often it is charged.

Hybrid or fully electric: choosing for a fleet

A hybrid makes sense where a battery electric vehicle does not fit yet: long or unpredictable routes, no charging point at the depot or at the driver's home, frequent motorway driving. Four questions help decide:

• Usage profile: a full hybrid shines in city work with many stops. On the motorway, the electric motor contributes little and consumption is close to that of a conventional car.
• Charging access: a plug-in hybrid that is never plugged in carries a heavy battery for nothing and can use more fuel than a comparable petrol model.
• Taxation: in France, hybrids no longer share the annual CO₂ tax exemption that fully electric vehicles keep. Check the rules that apply to each vehicle category before ordering.
• Transition path: a hybrid is often a step in a fleet electrification plan, used on the routes that are hardest to electrify, rather than an end point.

Measuring real-world consumption

Type-approval figures from the WLTP procedure assume that a plug-in hybrid is charged regularly. In daily fleet use, the gap between official and actual consumption can be wide, especially when company cars are refuelled with a fuel card and rarely charged at home. The only reliable method is to compare liters bought, kWh charged and kilometers driven, vehicle by vehicle, over several months.

Typical use cases follow from this: a full hybrid for urban field technicians or delivery rounds, a plug-in hybrid for a sales representative who can charge at home every night, and a conventional or electric model elsewhere. The same consumption data also feeds the fleet's emissions reporting.

How Dadycar helps

Dadycar is a French fleet management software that shows whether each hybrid delivers the savings expected. Fuel consumption tracking sets actual fuel use against mileage for every vehicle, so a plug-in hybrid that is rarely charged stands out quickly. Trip and mileage data help identify which hybrids could later be replaced by fully electric models, and reminders flag upcoming due dates. A free account covers up to 50 vehicles, and data is hosted in France, with OVHcloud.

FAQ

Does a full hybrid need to be plugged in?
No. A full hybrid recharges its battery through the engine and regenerative braking. Only plug-in hybrids are designed to be charged from an outlet or a charging station.

Is a plug-in hybrid always cheaper to run than a petrol car?
Only if it is charged regularly. Driven mostly on fuel, it carries extra weight and can consume more than a comparable petrol model, which cancels the expected savings.

Should a fleet buy hybrids or go straight to electric?
It depends on each route. Electric suits predictable trips with access to charging; hybrids remain useful for long or irregular journeys while charging infrastructure is being built.