EV & HYBRID VEHICLES

Electric Vehicle & Hybrid Vehicles

Should I buy an electric car?

What are the pros of buying an electric car?

Low fuel consumption KW/per mile
Silent, no engine noise
Electric vehicles are exempt from road tax
Zero emissions
Fewer moving parts can equate to less need for maintenance

What are the cons of buying an electric car?

The way you drive your car really affects how far you can go before re-charging
You may struggle to find a charging point whilst out and about and if someone else is there before you, you may have to wait
EVs can be more expensive to insure, as there is not a lot of information about the costs of servicing and repairs
There can be an element of "mileage anxiety" when you worry about if you will have enough charge to make it to the net convenient charging point

Electric Vehicles

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs)

BEVs are fully electric vehicles that run on rechargeable batteries alone. You can charge them up using a domestic plug, although this does take longer, a wall mounted charger installed at home or a public charging point.

Types of Hybrid Vehicles

Full hybrid electric vehicles (FHEVs)

FHEVs have both a combustion engine and a battery. They can run solely on the combustion engine or solely the electric engine or a combination of the two. It’s worth noting that the battery can only be recharged by running the combustion engine so you wouldn’t be able to plug it in to charge.

Mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs)

MHEVs have both an electric and combustion engine however, unlike the FHEVs, the electric part of the engine canot power the car on it’s own. Instead, the electric battery will assist the engine, but not enough to power the car fully, basically a milder version of the full hybrid electric. The mild hybrid recharges its electric battery through regenerative braking.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)

One of the most commonly seen types of hybrid vehicle, the PHEV is usually what comes to mind when people use the term ‘hybrid car’. The plug-in hybrid type, as the name suggests, requires plugging into a power source to charge the electric battery. Unlike regular hybrids however, the plug-in varieties tend to have a higher battery capacities and can drive short distances on all-electric power.

Hybrid Maintenance

As a responsible car owner, it is important to know the facts about your vehicle and what is needed and important to keep it in good working order. The good news is, that in many ways, electric vehicles and hybrids are often easier to maintain as they have fewer moving parts and less fluid than a traditional vehicle. However, there are certain things that you need to bear in mind. As is the case with all vehicles, electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles need to be serviced on a regular basis. Much like a diesel or petrol car, you will be able to get your electric vehicle serviced at a main dealership or an independent garage. As electric vehicles have fewer moving parts, their service intervals are extended. This means you should be making fewer trips to the workshop.

Just like a regular car, your EV will need an MOT once a year after it turns three years old.

Types of Hybrid servicing packages

The standard mechanical checks on the brakes, steering, suspension and more are the same for all types of cars. However, hybrid vehicles have specific service requirements for the brakes, fluids, charging equipment and coolant.

Here’s what’s included in our Hybrid car servicing packages:

Interim Hybrid Service – 6-month vehicle service
This interim hybrid service is designed for the high-mileage hybrid vehicle owner i.e mini cab driver, these vehicles can easily cover over 30,000 miles in 6 months.
Every interim service includes a full brake check, oil & filter, steering and suspension checks (performed by removing the wheels) & tyre rotation, We recommend this interim service is performed every 6 months for drivers covering over 12,000 miles a year.

Full Hybrid Service – 12-month service
This is a comprehensive annual service for trouble free motoring. It exceeds most manufacturers' hybrid service schedules. Each full service includes oil & filter, air filter if required, cabin filter change, topping up all fluids (power steering fluid and coolant) tyre rotation.
We only use the best quality parts, and check and record wear and tear items using a colour code reporting system, to give you total peace of mind. We recommend every vehicle has a full service every year (unless having a major service).

Major Hybrid Service – 24-month vehicle service
This comprehensive service covers all the items in the Full Service, as well as some added extras including replacement brake fluid and cabin filters. We recommend every hybrid car receives a major service every 2 years.

Safe, reliable and speedy charging is critical, so during each service we check the condition and performance of your hybrid car, including: