SPORTY SPLICE

MUTED APPLAUSE FOR VAUXHALL ASTRA TOURER PHEV

- COLIN GOODWIN

PLUG-IN hybrids have always seemed like a sensible option.

An electric range adequate for most daily commutes, school runs and shopping trips yet equipped with a petrol engine for a holiday on the other side of the country.

The caveat is you really need to be able to charge at home because plugging a PHEV into a public charging point is bad form and likely to enrage anyone who was wanting that point to charge their pure EV.

Many critics of PHEVS say they're a poor compromise because you're carting about the complexity and weight of two powerplants.

They have a point, but it seems that many car buyers see the benefits outweigh the negatives because last month sales of PHEVS increased 31.5% over the same month last year.

Private retail sales of pure EVS or BEVS dropped by 2%.

Recently we tested the new Peugeot E-308 SW, sister car to Vauxhall's Astra Electric ST estate.

In a rare moment of self control I managed to serve you up a road test of this electric estate car without a full-blown rant on the misery I had on a long journey trying to charge it at public chargers. Ruined my day.