Composite Drive
With the future of motoring being electrified, there are many who are still reluctant to let go of their internal combustion engines. The answer to this is the stepping stone of hybrid powertrains. These are cars that still have a fossil fuel-powered powerplant but also make use of electric motors to supplement the drive. By their very nature, all hybrid cars are self-charging but you get a few options.
Related: What are the best hybrid cars in 2021?
Within this segment, there are a number of options for those that wish to pursue hybrid drivetrains with manufacturers often choosing a system to pioneer.
Parallel Drive Hybrid
The parallel hybrid drivetrain is the most well-known of the systems. Most notably found in the segment pioneer, the Toyota Prius, this system employs a battery-driven electric motor incorporated into the drivetrain. The electric motor drives the vehicle below 20km/h, once the vehicle exceeds the set speed the internal combustion engine kicks and takes over duty, simultaneously propelling the vehicle and charging the battery. The system also collects braking energy and converts it into usable power to recharge the battery.
The benefits of this simple system become very evident if you find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic every day, with the car engine barely starting while inching forward on battery power alone.
Vehicles in this category are the aforementioned Toyota Prius, Corolla, Corolla Cross, RAV4, Honda Fit, Lexus UX, and ES
PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid)
The plug-in hybrid is very similar to the aforementioned system but unlike that system, the electrical portion is somewhat standalone. The batteries are larger and these vehicles have a charge port like an EV. You can charge these batteries and run the vehicle on battery power exclusively at higher speeds and once you run out of battery charge the internal combustion engine takes over and charges the battery pack.
You are also able to run on the internal combustion engine exclusively to charge the battery and have the option to switch between the two at random or set it to do it automatically.
Vehciles in this format : BMW X5, Volvo XC90 T8, Mercedes Benz EQ, Land Rover Discovery and Evoque.
Range Extender Hybrid
With this type of system, the vehicle is technically fully electric and has a small internal combustion engine that runs a generator that will charge the battery once the charge is depleted. The fossil fuel engine does not propel the vehicle at all.
Range extenders can only be found in very few cars such as the BMW i3 and Toyota Mirai.
