But then the Governments and their experts and the car manufacturers know that, but they are happy to go along with that & the kidology.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54170207

 

The Octavia plug-in hybrid with it's 1.4 litre petrol engine and electric motor and battery pack weighs 1,707kg which is a lot for 242bhp to move. Compare that to 1,370kg for the 242bhp VRS245 and it's going to feel slow whatever Skoda claim and unless you charge it every day might struggle to average 50mpg. It needs to have 15mm higher suspension height to cope with all that extra weight so can't handle like the VRS245 either if that matters to buyers. Price will probably be the nail in the coffin for it unless company purchases take off.

When people are considering a new car,  in their world its not a binary decision Octavia/Mondeo/Golf/whatever vs a VRS245.

It's the old chestnut of 'which emissions are they on about?'

 

PHEVs probably do a reasonably good job of not killing too many humans with breathing difficulties in big cities whilst they run on their battery power. No NOx, no Carbon Monoxide, only particulates from brakes, not exhausts. When not in those areas they can fall back on fuel that will take them longer distances.

This is a good thing, although many owners probably care less about their fellow urbanites and more about tax incentives.

 

That type of emission reduction is forever getting mixed up with CO2 emissions which might kill the human species in the fairly distant future, but won't kill anyone this week. Important, but not the same problem as air quality in cities.

 

The press seem almost incapable of recognising that what works well to solve the first, doesn't necessarily solve the second, and vice-versa. 

Edited 16 September, 20205 yr by Wino

I have one of these "wolves" I charge most of the time off solar my journey to/from work is 20 miles well within the range of the battery.

The only time the ICE comes in is when I boot it to get past a slow vehicle. What lots of people do not look at is that if you have a to charge off the grid you have no idea how polluting that power is.

I do on occasion have to do longer journeys and until the charging infrastructure is vastly improved I would not want a solely electric vehicle . I am hoping we get to the same setup as Norway with hydrogen fill stations with the possibility that  the car could power the house at night.

 

John