Rechargeable hybrids

Our European editor Vitoldas Milius is convinced that time has come for the plug-in hybrids. The perfect intermediate between petrol and full electric. Here is what he thought about the new Skoda Superb iV

- Vitoldas Milius

So what’s the fuss all about? Well, we wanted to find out how plug-in hybrids perform in the real world. Hence we got ourselves a new generation Skoda Superb iV (which is the latest plug-in hybrid from Skoda) and tried to drive it purely on electricity and find out the range first. We drove it purely in city conditions and found out that it could do 74km before the internal combustion engine kicked in. For a country like Lithuania and especially its capital city Vilnius, an all-electric range of 74km seems just right. One can take kids to school, go to work, and even if you live on the outskirts of town, there is a high chance that you can manage to just about get home before the engine is needed. Once home the car can once again be plugged in for a recharge. This, in turn, ensures reduced need to spend money on fuel. The Superb, on the other hand, is a perfect tool for a comfortable everyday commute and also a long drive.