Government subsidised plug-in cars may never have been charged

The traditional hybrid car is one where the internal combustion engine is the main power source to drive the car and also to generate power to charge the batteries.  The electric engine is there to help in situations where it is very efficient such as accelerating and recouping energy when braking.

With a plug-in hybrid, the electric engine plays the dominant role and the internal combustion engine is mainly a generator for power if the batteries run low while you are using it.  The intention is that you plug the vehicle in regularly to the mains power when the vehicle is stationary. If you don’t plug it in then the car will run mainly on fossil fuel.  When running on batteries the vehicle does not produce local pollution.

In the UK it has been revealed that tens of thousands of plug-in hybrids bought with the help of generous government grants may be burning as much fuel as combustion-engine cars.

Data compiled for the BBC suggests that such vehicles in corporate fleets averaged just 40 miles per gallon, when they could have done 130.

It appears that the Government-subsidised plug-in cars may never have been charged and many drivers may never have unwrapped their charging cables.

The plug-in grant was introduced in 2011, gifting buyers up to £4,500 off new cars.

The incentive helped the UK become the biggest market for plug-in hybrids in Europe.

The program has now been scrapped by the UK government.