Toyota Prius Plug-In

FIRST UK DRIVE PHEV makes a convincing case for itself.

- Richard Ingram

PLUG-in hybrid vehicles have come a long way in the past two or three years, but the fact remains that you’ll need regular access to a charge point to get close to manufacturers’ fuel economy claims.

In fact, many will actually return fewer miles per gallon than normal petrol or diesel rivals if you fail to plug them in at the end of every journey. In theory, the Prius Plug-in is no different. It has only a 30-mile EV range, so you’ll need a short commute to run the car solely on battery power.