Do Hybrid Cars Need to Be Plugged In?

Traditional hybrids, such as the popular Toyota Prius, do not need to be plugged in to recharge their battery. In fact, they can’t be plugged in. That’s because their relatively small batteries are sufficiently recharged by regenerative braking when slowing down, though the gas engine may also pitch in to help if the charge gets low.
Related: How Long Do Hybrid Batteries Last?
What enables this regenerative braking is the fact that the electric motor (or motors) that help accelerate the car can be switched over to become a generator that recharges the battery when you decelerate (either by just lifting your foot off the accelerator pedal or hitting the brake pedal). If the battery charge gets low, the gas engine — which is what usually propels the car — may also turn the generator to recharge the battery. In a hybrid, the electric motor typically only comes into play to assist the gas engine under acceleration, thereby saving fuel, though the electric motor may be able to propel the car by itself under light throttle for a short distance.
Note, however, that there are also plug-in hybrids that — as the name implies — can be plugged in to recharge their battery; a PHEV’s battery can also be recharged by the gas engine, though with a loss in fuel economy. The batteries in PHEVs are usually much larger than those in hybrids — often about 10 times as large. The cars can also run on battery power alone for quite some distance, typically about 20-40 miles.
Thus, one advantage of a regular hybrid car is that you get quite a fuel economy gain compared to a comparable gas vehicle — particularly in city driving — without needing a place to plug it in, which is great if you have to park on the street. The advantage of a PHEV is that you can usually drive several miles on just electric power, after which the gas engine kicks in and the car functions much like a regular hybrid. Additionally, while PHEVs are usually more expensive (largely due to their larger battery), a few are eligible for a federal tax credit of $3,750 or $7,500. The tax credit doesn’t apply to hybrids, however, as it’s only available to plug-in vehicles.
More From Cars.com:
- Thinking About Buying a Hybrid? Here Are Some Pros and Cons
- What Is a Mild-Hybrid Vehicle?
- How Do Hybrid Cars Work?
- Here’s Which Hybrids Qualify for Federal Tax Rebates
- What’s the Difference Between a Hybrid and a Plug-In Hybrid?
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