Three-quarters of UK’s popular plug-in hybrid cars unable to use rapid chargers
Source: The Guardian ·
Only 26% of PHEVs sold across top 20 models can use chargers with power of 50kW or more, analysis findsThree-quarters of the 20 top-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the UK cannot use rapid chargers, research has found, amid concerns that many are essentially “petrol cars pulling round a heavy battery”.The cars, which can run on electric batteries as well as combustion engines,…
From the source
Three-quarters of the 20 top-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the UK cannot use rapid chargers, research has found, amid concerns that many are essentially “petrol cars pulling round a heavy battery”. The cars, which can run on electric batteries as well as combustion engines, have been promoted by carmakers as a way to cover long distances in a single drive – unlike fully electric cars – while still reducing emissions. But only 26% of the vehicles sold across the top 20 models, which include the Jaecoo 7, the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson, are able to use rapid chargers with powers of 50kW or more, according to analysis by the industry body, ChargeUK. These chargers can quickly top up a car battery – for example at a motorway service station – adding a significant amount of range in 20 to 30 minutes. Cars that cannot use them are limited to much slower charging speeds, meaning drivers wanting to recharge mid-trip may face a wait of several hours. Hybrid owners may…