What is a hybrid car ?
“Hybrid” is a generic term for vehicles powered by both electricity and petrol. In a sense, they are conventional internal-combustion cars merged with electric cars.
From a technical standpoint, there are three types of hybrid cars:
- MHEVs (Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles) powered by Mild Hybrid and Mild Hybrid Advanced 48V technology at Renault. The combustion engine, which is permanently activated, is coupled to an electric assistance system that provides occasional support, particularly when starting off and accelerating. This consists of an electric motor and a battery that can be recharged while driving using regenerative braking.
- HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) using E-Tech full hybrid technology at Renault and Hybrid technology at Dacia. The battery up to 3 times the capacity of a mild hybrid system and the more powerful electric motor means that the car can be driven 100% electrically over several kilometres.
- PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) using E-Tech plug-in hybrid technology at Renault is fitted with a high-capacity battery and a plug for recharging at an electric charging point. The car can be driven 100% electrically for up to 100 km.
What are the advantages of a hybrid car?
The main advantage of a hybrid car is that it consumes less fuel than a car with a petrol engine of comparable power. This frugality, as well as starting and driving (depending on battery capacity) in 100% electric mode, means low CO2 emissions from the exhaust.
A hybrid car equipped with a mild hybrid engine consumes up to 5% less fuel thanks to electric assistance. An E-Tech hybrid like Renault Clio E-Tech hybrid 145 and Renault Austral E-Tech hybrid 200 car offers a much better reduction, with up to 40% less petrol consumption in town thanks to driving in 100% electric mode up to 80% of the time in town.
More virtuous for the environment, a hybrid car preserves the driving pleasure of a petrol car to which it adds that of an electric car with silent, vibration-free starts.
Renault’s mild hybrid line-up:
- Renault Captur mild hybrid 160 EDC
- Renault Arkana mild hybrid 160 EDC
- Renault Austral mild hybrid 130 Advanced and Renault Austral Mild hybrid 160 EDC
Renault’s full hybrid line-up:
- Renault Clio E-Tech full hybrid 145
- Renault Captur E-Tech full hybrid 145
- Renault Arkana E-Tech full hybrid 145
- Renault Austral E-Tech full hybrid 200
- Renault Espace E-Tech full hybrid 200
- Renault Rafale E-Tech full hybrid 200
What are the advantages of a plug-in hybrid car?
The advantage of a plug-in hybrid (or "PHEV" for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) is that it offers a long electric range and can be recharged at will. The more often the car can be recharged at a charging point, the greater the range of use in which it behaves like a fully-fledged electric car.
A plug-in hybrid, the Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 bhp has a range of up to 100 kilometres in 100% electric mode (WLTP cycle currently being certified).
Mechanically, of course, this reduces the vehicle's fossil fuel consumption, and means that the positive points of internal combustion (range on long journeys) can be combined with those of plug-in electrics (a greener engine that costs less to run) in a single vehicle.
Renault’s rechargeable or plug-in hybrid vehicles:
- Renault Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 hp
Electric range: what's the difference between a hybrid car and a plug-in hybrid?
The more regenerative braking is used, the more a hybrid car increases its electric range. Mild hybrid cars only benefit from electric starting. They only benefit from electric starting, and use this range to help the combustion engine move the car forward. It cannot be quantified in kilometres or as a percentage.
A 100% electric range is therefore only possible with a hybrid or plug-in hybrid car. A Clio E-Tech full hybrid, for example, can be driven 80% of the time on 100% electric power in town, with no fuel consumption or emissions*.
A plug-in hybrid (rechargeable hybrid) car can be driven completely on 100% electric power all the more frequently if it is recharged at a charging point.
With its Plug-in hybrid engine, Renault Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 bhp has a range of up to 100 km (WLTP cycle*) in 100% electric mode. A range that encourages regular plug-in recharging.
If the battery charge level allows, 100% electric driving is activated by default in Comfort and Eco modes and maintained according to the driver's demands. It can also be 'forced' by selecting 'Electric' mode via the EV MODE button on the central armrest. This choice of energy is maintained for power requirements of up to 160 bhp and a maximum speed of 135 km/h.
Recharging: what's the difference between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid?
All hybrid vehicles recharge their batteries by regenerative braking (the kinetic energy of braking and deceleration is converted into electricity). The intensity of regenerative braking can be adjusted on E-Tech full hybrid and E-Tech Plug-in hybrid vehicles using the PRND control gearbox or via the steering wheel-mounted paddles.
A Plug-in hybrid car can also recharge its battery from a power socket or an electric terminal using a charging socket, which is not found on conventional hybrid cars.
At the accepted maximum charging power of 7.4 kW (32 A), a full recharge of the Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 bhp battery takes :
- 2h10 for 0 to 80
- 2h55 for 0 to 100
Fuel consumption: what's the difference between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid?
A Clio E-Tech full hybrid 145 consumes an average of 4.3 litres/100 kilometres WLTP*, which is up to 40% less than a conventional petrol car of the same power.
Renault Rafale E-Tech hybrid 200 bhp has a fuel consumption of 4.7 litres/100 km on the WLTP cycle. This frugality, combined with the 55-litre fuel tank, means that the car has a total range of over 1,100 kilometres, ideal for long journeys.
The fuel consumption of a plug-in hybrid car is directly linked to the vehicle's electrical recharging. Drivers who plug in every day can drive 100% electrically on daily journeys of less than 50 kilometres, even if they include stretches of road and motorway.
The combined WLTP fuel consumption of the Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 bhp is set at 0.7 litres/100 km, and remains at 5.8 litres/100 km when the battery is empty, thanks to the efficiency of the combustion engine and the high capacity of the battery (WLTP certification pending).
Price: what's the difference between hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars?
Although plug-in hybrids are comparatively more expensive to buy than their internal combustion counterparts, this fact needs to be put into perspective, as lower fuel consumption drastically reduces their running costs.
For the time being, Renault's non-rechargeable hybrids are less expensive than rechargeable hybrids, which can be explained by the difference in range and on-board technology. A Clio E-Tech hybrid therefore offers a first step towards electrification, at a price roughly equivalent to that of a combustion-powered car.
To each his own: with hybrids and rechargeable hybrids, more and more motorists can turn to new forms of mobility adapted to their eco-driving style, their needs and all their uses. Besides high performance and efficiency, Renault’s hybrid cars come with several other advantages like lower maintenance costs (due to reduced brake wear, for instance).
* No CO2 emissions or regulated atmospheric pollutants when driving, excluding wear parts.
** WLTP: Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedures. The standardised WLTP cycle is made up of 57% urban journeys, 25% urban journeys and 25% urban journeys.
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