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Should we buy a self charging hybrid or not?
We are a retired couple in our early 70s. We need a car although our actual weekly mileage is tiny, only 20 to 30 miles a week maybe. We are driving an Audi A3 hybrid and one full charge a week means we never need to see a petrol station - perhaps only when we go on longer journeys. The car is on a lease which ends at the end of 2025 and we are giving some thought to it replacement .We have looked at a Lexus LBX but don't know whether we do enough miles to actually charge the battery and a Toyota C-HR. We have also considered a BMW 1 series but no hybrid there. Also the lowest annual lease mileage we can find is 5000 per annum even though we probably do 2500 to 3000 only.
Asked on 28 January 2025 by Trevor Smith
Answered by
David Ross
Assuming you have the facility to charge at home, getting another plug-in hybrid would allow you to do most of your journeys on electric power. A regular hybrid does need to be driven relatively often to avoid any potential issues with the 12V battery becoming discharged. We would suggest looking at the Lexus NX, Volvo XC60 Recharge, Peugeot 308 or BMW 3 Series, all of which are available as a plug-in hybrid, or you may wish to look at another Audi A3. As for your low annual mileage, it may be worth contacting leasing companies directly to see if they will offer you a deal based on less than 5,000 miles per annum.
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