There are several plug-in hybrid cars on the road today, but not everyone knows what PHEV Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles are.

These are vehicles with two engines, an endothermic one powered by petrol or diesel and an electric one. 

Let’s see in detail what it is and how a plug-in hybrid car is recharged.

What is a plug-in hybrid car?



The first electric and hybrid cars date back to 1997 with the Toyota Prius, and it was only later that fully electric and zero-emission cars came onto the market. Then came plug-in hybrid cars, i.e. cars with dual thermal and electric drive, but with a larger battery than the full hybrid and equipped with a socket for recharging, the so-called ‘plug’.

These vehicles are designed to travel 50-60 km in fully electric and zero-emission mode, but at the same time have great autonomy thanks to the heat engine with ‘traditional’ petrol, diesel and now also LPG and natural gas propulsion.

They are called plug-in because they are equipped with a plug for charging the battery, which makes them independent of regenerative charging or the heat engine during operation.

Other advantages are the emission-free running for a given number of kilometers and the possibility of maximum utilization of the two technologies of combustion engine and electric motor, guaranteeing the maximum efficiency and zero emissions of the electric drive as well as the autonomy typical of ‘thermal’ cars.

What is the range of a hybrid car?

On average, the range of plug-in cars is between 30 and 50 km, although the latest models go up to 80 km in electric-only mode, making them suitable for completing most short urban journeys without polluting.

How does plug-in hybrid charging work?



A plug-in hybrid car can be recharged from a home socket or from fast charging stations found in large cities and shopping centres. This is a technology that, as the specialists at DazeTechnologyare well aware, will be the subject of major developments in the coming years with the aim of driving the public towards fully electric and zero-emission cars.

Plug-in hybrid cars combine an internal combustion engine with one or two electric units. Thanks to the larger battery pack capacity compared to full hybrids, plug-in hybrids can travel up to 50/70 km in full electric mode and recharge in about three to four hours.

Plug-in hybrid charging works mainly in two ways:

  • using a wall socket or charging post;
  • through the internal combustion engine or through regenerative braking.