A hybrid car uses a combination of an electric motor and a petrol or diesel engine. This gives you the best of both worlds, allowing for low-emission driving with the long-distance capability of a petrol or diesel car.

Hybrid cars might also be referred to as ‘hybrid electric vehicles’ or HEVs. You can read more about them in our guide to hybrid and electric cars.

Many FHEVs (full hybrid electric vehicles) are only available with automatic transmission. There may be some hybrid models that are manual, depending on the car brand and model.

Our team would be happy to discuss your options and help find the right hybrid for you.

Hybrids typically have better fuel economy than petrol or diesel cars. Also, due to their electric motor, hybrids offer some low-emission driving.

The downsides of hybrids depend on how you want to use them and whether you drive short or long distances. They use ‘regenerative braking’, which might mean you get a lower MPG than you would with a diesel car if you drive long distances.

Hybrids can be more expensive than petrol or diesel cars, but this is gradually changing as more used hybrids become available to buy and finance.

If you’d like to read more, we’ve written a guide to the differences between petrol and diesel cars so you can compare those to hybrids and understand which is right for you. We also explore the differences between new and used cars to help you understand.

Hybrid and electric cars use similar technologies. The key difference is that a hybrid car only offers short-distance driving on the electric motor, while an electric car can drive hundreds of miles solely with its electric motor.

Yes, hybrid cars will need to pay road tax. You can find more on the GOV.UK website.

A hybrid car could be worthwhile if you want to drive with low emissions and cover short to mid distances while saving on fuel. But for longer journeys, a diesel car might be more efficient. Keep in mind that hybrids can be pricier than petrol or diesel cars, so monthly payments on a finance deal could be higher compared to financing a similar petrol or diesel car.

Whether hybrids are cheaper to run depends on the car brand and model and how it is driven.

Hybrids usually give better fuel economy for short to mid-range trips. In these cases, a hybrid might be cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car because the electric motor can help save fuel. According to the RAC, hybrids use 30% less fuel per mile than petrol and diesel vehicles.

However, for long journeys, the electric battery will run out, and the hybrid will switch to its petrol or diesel engine. So, if you spend a lot of time on the road, driving long distances or on motorways and A-roads, a diesel might be more efficient.

Hybrids have an electric motor, but they also use a combustion engine. This means you might have to pay fees if you drive into an Ultra Low Emission Zone or Clean Air Zone. Learn more about this in our guide to ULEZ and its impact on you.

Many hybrid car makers claim that hybrid car batteries typically last between 70,000 and 100,000 miles, as stated by Honda. However, this can vary due to factors like battery maintenance, charging frequency, usage, and the specific make and model of the car.