plug in hybrid electric vehicle definition

However, this technology is slowly trickling down to the mass segments – Honda recently launched the City Hybrid, and the Toyota Hyryder and the Maruti Grand Vitara midsize SUVs will come with a strong hybrid powertrain, along with a mild hybrid unit. The Toyota Camry is an example, while almost the entire Lexus range consists of full hybrid models. Today, there aren’t many strong or full hybrid models that you can buy in India and the options available belong to the premium or luxury segment. The first strong hybrid to come to India was the Honda Civic Hybrid in 2008. The shuffling between the engine and electric motor is decided by the set-up itself, and it helps in leveraging excellent fuel efficiency figures. The electric motor can power the car in certain scenarios like low-speed city driving, but when the driver demands more pace, the engine comes to life. Strong hybrid vehicles consist of a combustion engine and an electric motor that work together as well as independent of each other. However, since the battery does not aid in driving the vehicle, it is not really a hybrid and only a marketing gimmick. Some manufacturers use the term 'Micro Hybrid' for a car's start/stop feature. The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class gets mild-hybrid tech as standard across the range, while Volvo and Audi are also offering cars with mild-hybrid technology in India. In fact, some luxury brands are, too, rolling out mild hybrid models in India.

The carmaker has since added this feature to many more of its models, like the Ertiga, XL6, the new Brezza, and the upcoming Grand Vitara (and its Toyota sibling, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder). In India, Maruti Suzuki introduced mild hybrids in 2015 when it launched the Ciaz diesel with SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki).

Plug in hybrid electric vehicle definition