2nd Report: Plug-in hybrids? Not for the lazy
Ask any car person what the best all-round, easy-to-live-with, eco-minded vehicle is on the market, and they’ll likely name a model with plug-in hybrid technology. That’s because plug-in hybrids offer the proverbial best of both worlds, with bursts of zero-emission EV performance, alongside a conventional combustion engine for when you need to travel longer distances.
Indeed, I’ve been of the same opinion for a long time now. I’ve told many friends and family members that plug-in hybrids are probably the best frugal option and the most sustainable choice when it comes to myriad lifestyles. However, my recent acquisition of the Peugeot 508 SW plug-in hybrid has made me rethink things a little.
Driving a full-electric vehicle forces you to drastically reconsider your daily routine – pretty much immediately. You must constantly keep an eye on the battery depletion, be wary of where local charging stations are and ensure you definitely plug-in and charge at the end of the day.
With a plug-in hybrid however, you don’t necessarily have to think about any of that – in fact, you can just crack on as if you’re driving a regular car. Your fuel efficiency figures will suffer consequently, but that’s your prerogative. And that’s a big part of the appeal, but also, part of the issue.
I had every intention of being eco-conscious and squeezing every bit of efficiency out of the 508 when it first got delivered. But, I very quickly found myself becoming lazy. The safety net of having an on-board petrol engine meant that I didn’t have to conform to fuel efficiency best practices.
It seems the biggest motivator for me in terms of not conforming has been my lack of routine – and I would urge anyone who is thinking about buying a plug-in hybrid to consider what their routine is and how it could possibly affect their own motivation to be green. And trust me when I say, it’s likely the small, seemingly inconsequential things that will make a difference.
For example, I work from home – that means my weekly trips out of the house are fairly sporadic, time-sensitive and diverse. In other words, I’m always in a rush, and charging the car when arriving at the shops – or back home – is the last thing on my mind. On the weekends, I have trips out with my four-year-old and one-year-old to contend with. That means that every time we arrive somewhere it’s all hands on deck to run around the car, take the pram out of the boot and ensure the kids aren’t running on the road. I really don’t have the time or mental dexterity to get the charging cable out of the boot and plug in – even when pulling up my own driveway. It’s lazy, I know.
So, is it worth buying a plug-in hybrid? Well, that depends on what your daily routine looks like. Are you childless? Do you work an office job that provides reliable EV charging at location? If so, then I’d argue you’ve got a much better chance of making the most out of a plug-in car’s eco prowess. And when driven correctly, they can, indeed, be ludicrously effective at being efficient.
If you’re anything like me though, I’d seriously assess the likelihood of laziness kicking in. If you’re not committed to the cause, your fuel costs will suffer, so you might be best just going for a regular ol’ hybrid.
| Model | Peugeot 508 SW GT Hybrid 225 e-EAT8 |
| P11D price | £47,585 |
| As tested | £47,640 |
| Official consumption | 193.6-274.8mpg |
| Our average consumption | 51mpg |
| Mileage | 9,453 |
1st Report: They see me rollin’
My four-year-old and I always play the same ‘spot the car’ game when returning to the supermarket car park. And being a black belt in Where’s Wally?, he never misses the mark.
However, since having the Peugeot 508 SW, he’s not once, but twice mistaken it for a sporty BMW 3 Series Touring – and I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I have too. But this is no accident. Peugeot has specifically designed the 508 to turn heads – hoping that it will imbue motorists with a new-found love for family wagons. And in a world now dominated by family SUVs, driving an estate – especially one as eye-catching as the 508 – feels strangely exclusive, new, and fresh.
Our model is finished in a stonking “Selenium Grey”, which together with the car’s sleek, chiselled front-end – which houses the brand’s reworked lion emblem – has been constantly turning heads whenever I park up. No disrespect to Peugeot, but I’m really not used to getting that kind of reaction behind the wheel of one of their family cars.
That dichotomy between family and fun continues to its interior. While both Citroen and Peugeot have been toying with cockpit-like interiors for a while now, the 508’s interior feels particularly well-executed. Climbing into the driver’s seat can be a little jarring at first, because you really are hemmed in by both the figure-hugging sport seats and the tall centre console. The tiny steering wheel further adds to this sporty feel. Again, this is a French family estate – what’s going on?
This cabin design doesn’t come off as claustrophobic though. Instead, it serves as a nice reminder that every time your bum touches the driver’s seat, you’re not just driving an average, everyday people mover.
But enough drooling over its looks, what’s this 508 SW plug-in petrol hybrid all about? Being a plug-in, there’s a small on-board battery that will allow for around 30 miles of all-electric driving. This electric power can be replenished by plugging in and charging, or by putting the car into e-SAVE mode, which will drip-feed charge back into the battery while driving – effectively allowing the car to be ‘self-charging’.
Admittedly, I haven’t really been doing my part to get the most out of the 508’s plug-in hybrid set-up. I’ve been lackadaisical when it comes to activating its e-SAVE mode. As a result, small bursts back and forth to the shops – which are the sort of trips plug-ins are supposed to excel at – have resulted in some fairly lacklustre economy figures, ranging from 30 to 35mpg. I did, however, venture onto the motorway with about 15 miles of electric range in the battery, and after an hour of driving, I returned with a much more impressive 91mpg figure.
This fuel economy fluctuation isn’t anything unusual though. All plug-ins require a bit of nurturing in order to effectively squeeze out all of their potential efficiency. I usually instinctively slip into eco-conscious mode when behind the wheel of an electrified vehicle – as if the hybrid gods are watching me at all times.
But to be honest, I’ve just been having too much fun in the 508 to think about efficiency. That’s not to say it’s particularly sporty to drive. It’s okay, but its family car underpinnings can be felt the second you take it into a corner at speed. Instead, it’s the 508’s splendid first impression that’s really grabbed me. It feels like a car you’ll never get bored of. Is this wow factor just skin-deep though? Well, let’s see how we get on…
| Model | Peugeot 508 SW GT Hybrid 225 e-EAT8 |
| P11D price | £47,585 |
| As tested | £47,640 |
| Official consumption | 193.6-274.8mpg |
| Our average consumption | 46mpg |
| Mileage | 7,801 |
Standard equipment: Adaptive cruise control, active lane keeping assistance, 360-degree HD colour camera system, DAB radio, Peugeot i-Connect Advanced, automatic dual zone climate control, configurable 12.3in head-up digital instrument panel, 10in HD capacitive touchscreen, compact sports steering wheel, half-leather-effect and Alcantara seat trim, automatic headlights with auto-adaptive function (matrix LED)
Why we’re running it: To see how the head-turning Peugeot 508 handles busy family life.
