Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) have become increasingly common as manufacturers strive to meet corporate CO2 emissions targets, so much so that there is now a wide choice of them available on the used market – in a broad variety of bodystyles and price points.
Some of the most popular include the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-class executive saloons, the plug-in versions of the Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV4 SUVs, plus sporty choices such as the Skoda Octavia vRS iV or the Volkswagen Golf GTE.
When bought as a new car, PHEVs have traditionally been mainly the preserve of company car drivers, but plug-in hybrid models are starting to look like increasingly good value to a wider audience of used car buyers who are interested in experiencing the world of electrified motoring without shelling out for a brand new vehicle. But should you take the plunge and purchase a used plug-in hybrid?
Should I Buy a Used Plug-in Hybrid?
- What is a PHEV Car?
- Advantages of Buying a Used Plug-in Hybrid
- Disadvantages of Buying a Used Plug-in Hybrid
- Plug-in Hybrid Pricing
- Running Costs for Plug-in Hybrids
- What's Happened to the Market for Plug-in Hybrids?
- Is There a Grant for Buying a Used Plug-in Hybrid?
What is a PHEV Car?
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is one where a conventional combustion engine is combined with an electric motor and a large battery pack, which is chargeable from an external source. It means you can do shorter journeys using battery power only and enjoy the more carbon-friendly zero-emission travel that implies. And if you need to travel further than the car's electric range, you still have a petrol engine or a diesel engine. The electric-only range of earlier plug-in hybrids is around 10-25 miles, but newer cars such as the latest Volkswagen Golf and Passat PHEV models can – officially at least – achieve 80 miles or more without needing to be plugged in.
So far so simple, although a hybrid like this is more than likely going to be more complicated, heavy and expensive than a petrol or diesel car because the powertrain effectively has two motors and big battery. There are various ingenious ways of combining those two power sources, depending on the specific make and model, but all PHEVs have an automatic gearbox of some sort and most function as a regular (or self-charging) hybrid if you don’t charge the battery pack. Each PHEV has its own advantages and disadvantages, and different plug-in hybrids can each feel very different to drive, so it is worth testing a selection of models to see which you prefer.
Advantages of Buying a Used Plug-in Hybrid
The main benefit of buying a PHEV over a conventional used car is that you can drive it on electric power alone, with the low running costs and improved local air quality benefits that brings. How far you can drive in electric mode will depend on the car in question and in cold weather could be as little as 10 to 15 miles before the internal combustion engine kicks in, as batteries operate less efficiently at lower temperatures. At the other end of the spectrum, the best used plug-in hybrids driven in favourable conditions might manage more than 50 miles on battery power alone.
Of course, another benefit is that when the battery power does run low and electric-only driving isn't possible, there is an internal combustion engine ready and waiting to help you complete your journey. This means that the total range of a PHEV could far exceed that of an electric car. And when that range runs out, refilling the fuel tank is likely to be quicker than charging a battery.
In addition, many plug-in hybrids can recharge their battery on the move, allowing you to choose as a driver when you run in EV mode (for example, you might want to charge the battery up on the motorway, then switch to pure-electric mode if your journey is ending in an urban area).
VED (road tax) rates for plug-in hybrids that emit less than 100g/km of CO2 (just about all of them) and were registered before April 2017 are pegged at just £20 per year, although for those registered after that date the standard rate of £195 per year applies.
It's important to note that a plug-in hybrid is not the same as a regular or self-charging hybrid. The latter doesn't give you the option of plugging in to recharge the battery. Several cars are available as both, with examples including the Toyota Prius and Toyota RAV4. Some – such as the Hyundai Ioniq – are also available as a a pure electric vehicle too, so make sure you're choosing the plug-in hybrid version from the line-up.
Disadvantages of Buying a Used Plug-in Hybrid
When considering a PHEV, be aware that the fuel consumption figures (including the electric-only range) quoted by manufacturers, whether in the previous NEDC test cycle or the current WLTP cycle, do not reflect what you’ll achieve in the real world. This is because these are based on a weighted average of running two sets of tests procedure in a lab – one with the battery fully charged and one when it’s completely discharged. Some PHEVs have an official average fuel economy rating of more than 900mpg as a result – a figure that's near-impossible to replicate on real roads. An updated test designed to give more realistic figures was introduced for all new PHEVs in January 2025.
You should also consider whether a PHEV fits your driving habits and lifestyle. To make the most of a plug-in hybrid’s electric range, most of your journeys should be relatively short, and you need to ensure you have regular access to a charger – ideally at home or at work if it’s for a regular commute. If your commute is a long one, or you take on long journeys on a regular basis, a PHEV might not make financial sense.
And although many plug-in hybrid cars are relatively powerful outright, they generally don’t have as much power in electric-only mode as a fully-electric car and the combustion engine may kick in above a certain speed. This means the driving experience in some PHEVs can take some getting used to.
One final issue is that you might end up spending more time than you’d think at public charging stations compared with full EVs. This is because many plug-in hybrids have a maximum charging rate that’s far slower than the latest electric cars. So even though a PHEV has a smaller battery, it may take longer to charge. Bear in mind, though, that this is changing with some of the latest higher-end PHEVs.
Plug-in Hybrid Pricing
Look at prices of PHEVs versus their internal combustion-engined equivalents, and you’ll see that they tend to be higher. That’s hardly surprising. For a start, with a PHEV you’re getting a whole extra drivetrain, plus they were and are often offered with high levels of standard equipment.
What might surprise you is that, as of late 2025, used PHEVs sometimes cost more than an equivalent pure-electric version of the same car – even though the EV cost more when new. That’s because used EV prices have plummeted in recent years and many people are actively seeking out the ‘best of both worlds’ setup that a plug-in hybrid can offer.
It’s the dynamics of supply and demand at work, and in the longer term prices of used PHEVs may soften. Sales are on the up (more on that it a bit), so supplies of used examples should increase – especially since, in April 2025, the government confirmed that new plug-in hybrid cars can continue to be sold until 2035.
Running Costs for Plug-in Hybrids
Running costs for plug-in hybrids can vary dramatically depending on your driving and charging habits. The best-case scenario is that you have a home charger, an energy tariff that allows you to make the most of off-peak electricity rates and most of your journeys are less than 50 miles. In those circumstances you could end up spending a lot less per mile than you would with a petrol or diesel car.
If you can’t charge your car cheaply at home or work, however, and you do a lot of long journeys, you may end up spending more. Relying on pricier public chargers isn't a good idea and if you don’t keep a PHEV's charged up you simply have a petrol or diesel car that’s lugging around a heavy battery pack and therefore isn’t as fuel-efficient as it could be.
A plug-in hybrid has two power sources to maintain, too, although most electric motors are simple, durable items. As far as the battery packs, evidence suggests that they are proving to be durable and it’s rare, particularly with newer PHEVs, to hear cases of owners needing to replace dead cells, let alone whole battery units. Buyers should also be reassured that most manufacturers offer a longer warranty on the battery than they might on other components – an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty is the norm, but this does differ from manufacturer to manufacturer so it’s important to check.
What's Happened to the Market for Plug-in Hybrids?
In order to understand the market for used PHEVs, it is important to know what has happened with sales of new ones – after all, this is ultimately what determines supply. On that front, to begin with PHEV sales were spurred by generous Government grants, benefit-in-kind company car tax treatment and write-down allowances, which meant that models such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV SUV, Volkswagen Golf GTE hatchback and BMW 330e saloon barely touched the showroom floor on their way to customers. For company car drivers in particular, PHEVs were almost irresistible.
Then in November 2018 the Government slashed the benefits for buying a new PHEV, including the removal of any kind of grant, which in turn caused sales to drop sharply in 2019. Since then, however (apart from a minor slump in 2021), sales have been on the rise. As of September 2025, Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) figures show that year-on-year sales of new PHEV cars have risen by almost a third, while market share has increased from 8.2% to 10.5%.
Is There a Grant for Buying a Used Plug-in Hybrid?
As outlined above, the relationship between plug-in hybrids and Government grants has been complicated. However, as a used buy all you need to know is that there are no grants available for purchasing a plug-in hybrid.