Petrol vs diesel vs hybrid VS electric: Part 2

In this second part of a two-part series, CAR magazine looks at the benefits of electric and hybrid vehicles, with a Porsche in the mix.

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As we witnessed from our two pure internal combustion engines (see FW, 25 November), there's good reason to go hybrid nowadays. Dual-energy cars use less fuel, produce less carbon dioxide, are quieter in 'electric vehicle' (EV) mode and, thanks to the advances in technology, can rack up additional mileage off the battery that conventional internal combustion engines (ICES) cannot.

LEXUS HYBRID

On our test route, the Lexus IS 300h provided an intriguing mix of performance (when the batteries were fully charged) and fuel economy.

Its claimed sprint time from standstill to 100km/h of 8,7 seconds places it in the quick-enough category, and in the urban portion of the route its reliance on the electric-hybrid function kept average fuel consumption impressively low.