Plugin Hybrid Superb

[thewinelake]

Just wondering if anyone had heard much from the rumour mill about the spec of this and likely availability?

[Danny 57]

2019/2020 is what I have heard but no spec, though as it will be expensive expect it to be on the higher spec cars, just my thoughts. I am waiting for it as my next purchase.

[dg360]

We should run a book

My guess will be it will replace the 280.

1.5 TSI + Batteries and motors.

160-170BHP from the engine + 130-140 from the electric motors for a nice round 300BHP total.

Given the torque curve and despite the weight, 4.8s to 60.

Despite the crazy performance available - consumption around the same as the current 1.4TSI

[Superb170]

1 hour ago, dg360 said:

We should run a book

My guess will be it will replace the 280.

1.5 TSI + Batteries and motors.

160-170BHP from the engine + 130-140 from the electric motors for a nice round 300BHP total.

Given the torque curve and despite the weight, 4.8s to 60.

Despite the crazy performance available - consumption around the same as the current 1.4TSI

I'd be inclined to agree with you, I reckon you're not far off

[philsmith]

I was also looking at this as a possible replacement for my 280 when the lease expires in may 2019.

Was thinking it would be more like 220 performance but 300hp sounds nice.

I guess it would probably not be 4x4 though.

[Fatso]

Won't it be based on the Passat GTE running gear? That has a 1.4TSI plus electric motor with a total of 218BHP giving 0-62 in 7.6s and 140MPH according to Autocar's review.

[RickTT]

6 hours ago, dg360 said:

We should run a book

My guess will be it will replace the 280.

1.5 TSI + Batteries and motors.

160-170BHP from the engine + 130-140 from the electric motors for a nice round 300BHP total.

Given the torque curve and despite the weight, 4.8s to 60.

Despite the crazy performance available - consumption around the same as the current 1.4TSI

 

My guess would be 90 to 110 BHP from the electric motor with the 1.5TSI

 

Range of a max quoted 30 miles on pure EV.

Co2 around 45 ish...

Price - £34k basic, based on a SEL spec with a slight sporty look but not like a sportline.

[teebs]

5 hours ago, Fatso said:

Won't it be based on the Passat GTE running gear? That has a 1.4TSI plus electric motor with a total of 218BHP giving 0-62 in 7.6s and 140MPH according to Autocar's review.

 

This. They won't use new tech on a Skoda, they'll utilise older VAG technology 

 

[thewinelake]

I was hoping for something better than current Passat (which seems to get little love from

critics*), but it would seem sensible to share tech. Goodness knows about price if it's launched around Brexit time, though!

*Actually that's perhaps no longer the case...

Edited 21 November, 2017 by thewinelake

[Speedman]

I will be interested in this too but I don't take much notice of critics anymore - before I ordered the Superb I read a review in the Telegraph that criticised it for lack of interior space and boot size, really??

[eurotraveller]

Agree a 280 replacement (with more power / performance, obviously) would be very tempting, but is surely unlikely due to Skoda’s place in the VW Group pecking order.

Whether such a Superb happens or not, it’s hard to imagine my next purchase not having some electric power content. And the car I choose will certainly not have less performance than my present one.

The dreaded B word was mentioned, so I’ll pick up on it: Absolutely right, the run-up to March 2019 (more like a drunken stagger than a run) could crash sterling and render any budgeting for cars meaningless. Interesting times ahead, to put it as positively as I can muster.

[PSM]

If I finally pull the trigger on a new 280 in the next few weeks then I fully expect the next car I will buy after that will be fully electric. Just do not see the point of a hybrid. It is merely a stop gap measure until battery prices drop on the economy of scales. Since the cost of a pure EV vehicle (taking into account savings on fuel) is due to break even with ICE cars within 2 to 3 years and then become progressively cheaper from that point (maybe sooner if tax on fuel etc. goes up). The only thing a hybrid solves is the whole range anxiety thing, which will be quickly solved with the larger batteries and quicker charging times, but this is at the cost of having to maintain two power trains and carry the extra weight of both too.

[eurotraveller]

True, and also too right about the range anxiety thing. I would / will have that in spades, given I do 20k miles a year. I cannot imagine being comfortable without at least a small petrol engine that only charges the batteries - but doesn't drive the car - if need be.

[Ootohere]

Buying New EV's or Newly Launched EV's are for the brave, most early adopters are renting them for a few years.

[Q102]

My guess it would use the same running gear as the Passat, hope it is available in 2019/2020 as that's when my current Superb is due to be replaced.

[PSM]

If it is not out before 2020 then it will struggle I feel as the technology will be obsolete in a few years after when full EVs become that much cheaper. By next year pretty much all new EVs will have batteries that will be good for 200 miles so another 4 yes that is going to be much more. Tesla are already able to have recharge times below 10mins in their test rigs so again in 4yrs this is likely to be common on public chargers. That will remove any range anxiety meaning why would you want a low range hybrid? I suspect people could lose a lot of money on these hybrids if they buy around the 2020 mark.

You are right about early adopters of EVs since the tech is outdated almost as soon as it comes out. That is why we leased our leaf but I loved driving it and do miss it. That said, try to find one at the price parkers etc. state and you struggle. They are holding more value than expected although still losing a good chunk.

[philsmith]

200 miles? that's no good to me, I regularly do journeys of 500 miles plus in one day and I do not stop, and do not want to stop, except for refueling.

A 10 minute charge would be ok but this would have to go 500 miles at least before another charge was needed

I would get a hybrid but I think it will be along time before I will be adopting full electric power.

[RGKTSi]

5 hours ago, PSM said:

If I finally pull the trigger on a new 280 in the next few weeks then I fully expect the next car I will buy after that will be fully electric. Just do not see the point of a hybrid. It is merely a stop gap measure until battery prices drop on the economy of scales. Since the cost of a pure EV vehicle (taking into account savings on fuel) is due to break even with ICE cars within 2 to 3 years and then become progressively cheaper from that point (maybe sooner if tax on fuel etc. goes up). The only thing a hybrid solves is the whole range anxiety thing, which will be quickly solved with the larger batteries and quicker charging times, but this is at the cost of having to maintain two power trains and carry the extra weight of both too.

I totally agree with this.  I have a 280 and had it since the middle of March 17.  I absolutely love it.  I don't see the EV Superb being as high as 300bhp, sorry to be a party pooper.  Will be more like a 1.5TSi engine with electrification but not as much as 300bhp.

And as @PSM has mentioned, just a stop gap, no real benefit and the next stage is a full electric car with better range and charges quicker.  Although I shall miss the noise the 280 makes I would equally welcome an electric car if that is the way forward, and it doesn't seem there are any other choices on the horizon at the moment.

But where to build the additional Hinkly power stations!  Interesting times ahead.

[PSM]

1 hour ago, philsmith said:

200 miles? that's no good to me, I regularly do journeys of 500 miles plus in one day and I do not stop, and do not want to stop, except for refueling.

A 10 minute charge would be ok but this would have to go 500 miles at least before another charge was needed

I would get a hybrid but I think it will be along time before I will be adopting full electric power.

Tesla already do batteries with ranges over 300miles. Battery weight has dropped nearly 50% for the same power so can easily see 500miles being on the horizon. Also you must stop for fuel at least with a 500 mile journey which would be the same as a charge. Also 500miles without stopping sounds a little far fetched as that is over 7 hours continuous driving. Surely you need a toilet stop etc in that time? 

[RickTT]

A 200 plus mile REX with a rapid charge is a good option if you ask me... stick a small 1litre 3 cylinder engine in it with say 90bhp and the rest EV.... worst case as least you can drive on the ICE if you run out of battery...

 

 

[philsmith]

A 280 petrol will need refueling about every 400 miles or about five hours, easy enough in the Superb to do this. Comfort stops only in emergencies or otherwise tied in with refueling.

Once you start fully loading  an all electric car and it's winter and everything is turned on and you get into the congested German traffic and mile after mile of stop start driving I doubt even the best (and very expensive) Tesla would do any where near 200 miles.

.....and don't get me started on recharging stations and the electric power needed in the future for this , which we quite simply do not have!

the government would need to start building several nuclear power stations right now if they want to go all electric in 2030.

 

But don't get me wrong, I would love an all electric car if it were capable.

Edited 22 November, 2017 by philsmith

[RGKTSi]

14 minutes ago, philsmith said:

A 280 petrol will need refueling about every 400 miles or about five hours, easy enough in the Superb to do this. Comfort stops only in emergencies or otherwise tied in with refueling.

Once you start fully loading  an all electric car and it's winter and everything is turned on and you get into the congested German traffic and mile after mile of stop start driving I doubt even the best (and very expensive) Tesla would do any where near 200 miles.

.....and don't get me started on recharging stations and the electric power needed in the future for this , which we quite simply do not have!

the government would need to start building several nuclear power stations right now if they want to go all electric in 2030.

 

But don't get me wrong, I would love an all electric car if it were capable.

Agreed fully.  My thoughts entirely.

[PSM]

2 hours ago, philsmith said:

 

.....and don't get me started on recharging stations and the electric power needed in the future for this , which we quite simply do not have!

the government would need to start building several nuclear power stations right now if they want to go all electric in 2030.

 

But don't get me wrong, I would love an all electric car if it were capable.

This is a big misnomer. From a recent article:

In one scenario, where 100% of cars go electric but smart charging and shared autonomous vehicles help manage the impact on the grid, peak demand could be limited to around 6 gigawatts (GW) in 2050. This is equivalent to 10% of the current 60GW peak demand on a cold winter’s day.

Now extreme scenarios put this up to 18GW which is a big hike but do not take into account that most EVs will be charged at night when the power usage is very low in the UK and power stations tend to be put into lower outputs.

This is not to say that work does not have to be done to improve our electrical infrastructure but it is not a bad as a lot of people think.

[philsmith]

Quote

most EVs will be charged at night

If you have over 30 million EVs charging at night all at the same time I cannot see how you would any longer call this offpeak!

[PSM]

1 hour ago, philsmith said:

If you have over 30 million EVs charging at night all at the same time I cannot see how you would any longer call this offpeak!

It would not be offpeak anymore but the point is there is spare capacity in the system at that period at the moment. So what may happen is that the electric requirement remains the same for the full 24 hours instead of the current peak and trough. Since most systems prefer to run in a consistent manner then this would be a benefit since the power stations could be set to run at their most efficient and be left like that. It also means we do not need to build all these extra power stations that people believe we have to for EVs to work, which was the point I was making.