Fuel type & drivetrain
The difference between a regular hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a mild hybrid, what real-world plug-in-hybrid consumption looks like and which fuel type we record.
Questions and answers about fuel type & drivetrain
- What is the difference between a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a mild hybrid?
- A regular hybrid (HEV) has a small battery that recharges itself with braking energy; you do not plug it in. A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has a larger battery you can charge from a socket and drives roughly 40 to 100 km on electricity under WLTP. A mild hybrid (MHEV or 48V) uses a small electric motor only as start support; driving fully electric is not possible. Which type a model has is shown in the catalogue.
- Is the stated consumption of a plug-in hybrid accurate?
- That depends strongly on how you use it. The WLTP standard for a PHEV assumes a partly charged battery and a fixed mix of electric and combustion driving. If you charge often and take short trips, you use less than the figure. If you never charge, a PHEV drives like a heavier petrol model. The ADAC (the German motoring club) also measures PHEVs with an empty battery; where that figure exists we show it per model.
- What does a 48V mild hybrid do in practice?
- A 48V system helps the petrol or diesel engine when pulling away and captures braking energy to feed the on-board network, but does not drive electrically. It mainly saves in town and at stops, typically 0.3 to 0.8 litres per 100 km versus the same car without a hybrid. As a driver you notice little of it; it works in the background.
- Which fuel type does autoseeker record and where is it shown?
- We follow the EU type approval: petrol, diesel, fully electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), hybrid (HEV) and mild hybrid (MHEV). The fuel type appears at the top of the model page and is a filter in the catalogue. If a model has several drivetrain variants, each version is listed separately.
- Why don’t you compare fuel costs between types?
- Fuel costs depend on your driving profile, the electricity or fuel tariff, your region and your use, not just the model. A comparison that names “€X per year” is quickly wrong for a large group of people. We show consumption figures with source and reference date and let you weigh them yourself. Our tools are arithmetic, do not ask for income and give no recommendation.
No tax or financial advice. Every figure shows its source and reference date. Always compare with an independent adviser and the official source. Source: Manufacturer data + EU type approval + RDW (Dutch vehicle register) + ADAC (German automotive test body); the reference date is listed per figure.
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