Popular plug-in hybrid cars are on average 61% less fuel-efficient than manufacturers claim, new Which? tests reveal, and motorists could be paying on average £400 more a year in fuel costs.
Plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs) could prove a tempting alternative if you can’t yet make the leap to an electric car, particularly as many claim to offer incredible three-figure mpg returns and get around the range anxiety of an all-electric model.
However, in our own independent lab fuel economy tests, we found that average fuel economy (over the 22 models we examined) was 61% less than official manufacturer claims. Based on driving 9,000 miles each year, that could add £400 a year to your annual fuel bills.