Hybrids: What are the benefits?

HYBRIDS: WHAT ARE THEY AND

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

IT’S likely you’ve noticed that many car manufacturers have been putting greater importance on hybrids in recent months. As tougher emissions regulations come into force requiring car makers to meet stringent targets, cars have had to become cleaner.

But what exactly is a hybrid, and why should you think about making the switch to one for your next car? Let’s take a look at some of the key things you need to know about hybrids...

WHAT EXACTLY IS A HYBRID?

Essentially, a hybrid is a combination of a traditional petrol or diesel engine and an electric motor with batteries. By mating the two together, it allows less strain to be put on the engine, which in turn means it can return better levels of efficiency. Certain models also bring a solely electric range, which allows the vehicle to move without using the engine – only the electric batteries and motor.

I’VE SEEN A LOT ABOUT ‘SELFCHARGING HYBRIDS’ - WHAT ARE THESE?

The term ‘self-charging hybrids’ is used by many manufacturers to describe cars which cannot be charged by plugging them into the mains. As such, these cars rely on the engine to provide energy for the batteries. The batteries are also topped up when slowing down through a process known as regenerative braking.

Cars like the Toyota Yaris and Honda CR-V Hybrid qualify as ‘selfcharging’. They can’t offer the same electric-only range as plug-in variants but do help to return better efficiency over conventional petrol or diesel.

SO HOW DOES A PLUG-IN HYBRID DIFFER?

Plug-in hybrids offer the ability to top-up the batteries by – as the name suggests – plugging them in. This can be done via a three-pin socket at home, or through a wallbox installed outside your home. They can also be charged at public charging points should you need to.

The added benefit of a plug-in hybrid, or PHEV, is that they offer a far greater electric range than a standard hybrid. Cars like the BMW X5 xDrive45e, for instance, can travel for up to 54 miles on electric power alone.

BUT WHAT’S THE BENEFIT OF SWITCHING TO ONE?

If you’re looking to lower fuel usage and pay less in tax, then a hybrid makes a great deal of sense. Many PHEVs, for instance, will return more than 100mpg when fully charged. When coupled with a fully electric range, it means that if you’re often travelling shorter distances then you’re unlikely to need the assistance of the petrol engine all that often.

You’ll be able to charge the batteries at home or via a public charger and then travel using electricity for shorter trips. Of course, over long distances you’ll have to revert to combustion power, but around town and for smaller journeys it’ll make a big difference.

WHAT ABOUT FOR BUSINESS CAR USERS?

It’s those people who require a company car who will see the biggest benefits. Because of the low emissions, many hybrids incur a lower rate of company car tax. The Skoda Octavia, for instance, would incur a 25% BIK percentage charge for the 1.0-litre TSI SE model. Make the switch to the plug-in hybrid, and the BIK rate drops to 6%. The savings are there to be made, that’s for sure.

JACK EVANS

JOHN Murray, the fourth Earl of Dunmore, didn’t even want the job. “Damn Virginia,” he raged when he was appointed Governor in 1771. “Did I ever seek it? Why is it forced on me?” He didn’t care for the colony’s climate or the social life and he soon didn’t care much for the colonists either.

After confronting the local Shawnee tribe in 1774 (a clash that became known as Lord Dunmore’s War), he increasingly came into conflict with the settlers.

He sealed his fate when, in 1775, he promised to free any slave who volunteered to fight for the Crown in the wake of the defeat of British troops at Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the American revolutionary war.

This did not go down well with even the more moderate settlers and in June 1776 the Earl fled at night, first to New York, and then to London and the House of Lords.

Legend has it that a year later he added the grand, implausible folly that was the Dunmore Pineapple to an existing summerhouse in his Elphinstone estate near Airth.

In truth, the exact construction date of the cupola is uncertain. But it is one of the most outre expressions of the 18thcentury idea that the fruit was a symbol of hospitality. In Virginia, sailors were said to place a pineapple on their gatepost to announce their return.

“Discovered” by Christopher Columbus who thought it looked like a pinecone (hence the name), the pineapple had increasingly become a popular architectural emblem, but as Clive Aslet notes in his 2005 book Landmarks of Britain, Dunmore is “the apotheosis of pineapple architecture”.

The identity of the architect is uncertain, although Sir William Chalmers, a founder member of the Royal Academy, is regarded as the likely candidate.

What is certain is that the Pineapple, rearing 45ft above the walled garden that it sits within, was built with real artistry and skill. Each individual pineapple leaf has its own drainage.

The result is both amusing and impressive. It remains a giddy, gleeful shock of a building when you first see it.

The Countess of Perth gifted the Pineapple to the National Trust for Scotland in 1974, and the Landmark Trust helped restore the former to its bizarre best. You can even book a stay there. It can provide self-catering accommodation for up to four people. Meanwhile, the walled garden is open to visitors.

Visit nts.org.uk for more details