Does a Plug-in Hybrid Need to Be Charged?
2 Answers
Plug-in hybrid vehicles do need to be charged. Detailed explanations are as follows: 1. Charging Methods: Under normal circumstances, the engine of a plug-in hybrid vehicle cannot directly charge the power battery. However, it can charge the battery through some energy recovery devices. Therefore, when the power battery is low on charge, it must be charged externally. 2. Advantages of Plug-in Hybrids: The advantage of plug-in hybrids is that they have relatively large batteries that can be charged externally. They can operate in pure electric mode until the battery is depleted, after which they can continue driving in hybrid mode.
Of course it needs charging! I drive a plug-in hybrid myself, and initially thought it would be like regular hybrids that don't require charging stations. Turns out the battery is several times larger than those in conventional hybrids. If you don't charge it, the engine has to haul around hundreds of pounds of dead battery weight, resulting in fuel consumption over 20% higher than the official figures. My daily commute is 50km - I plug in the slow charger at night and depart with full charge the next morning to cover the entire distance. Only use gasoline for weekend road trips, with per-kilometer costs working out to less than half of regular gas cars. Don't believe those marketing claims saying charging isn't necessary - manufacturers designed the plug-in architecture precisely for charging, otherwise why would they include charging ports?