How do I charge my plug-in hybrid vehicle?

Do you want to invest in a car purifier but do you want to keep some autonomy? Unlike full hybrids, which charge on the fly and have a very low range, plugin les Hybrids or rechargeable hybrids are charged from an outlet or terminal.... A hybrid with a rechargeable battery has more autonomy in electric mode and can travel much more road in zero emissions mode, averaging 50 km on all-electric.

You should now have a charging solution and not sure which solution to choose? There are many possibilities, but the charging time depends on several criteria.

How much power can a hybrid vehicle charge?

To determine the power at which a hybrid vehicle can be charged, there are 3 things to consider: the maximum power the vehicle can handle, the charging point and the charging cable used.

La maximum charging power accepted by the hybrid vehicle

The charging capacity is determined according to the capacity of the plug-in hybrid vehicle. It is important to note that no plug-in hybrid model currently charges more than 7,4 kW. You can find the maximum power allowed for the car model:

Find out the charging power of your car

Charging point and charging cable used

A hybrid vehicle can be charged with two types of charging cables:

• E / F type cord for charging from a regular household socket or a reinforced GreenUp socket, allowing a maximum recharge of 2.2 kW
• Cord Type 2, for charging stations. The cord may limit the charging power of your vehicle. Indeed, a 16A single phase cord will limit your recharge to 3.7kW. For a 7.4kW recharge, if your vehicle allows it, you will need a 32A single-phase charging cord or a 16A three-phase cord.

Thus, the charging power depends not only on the charging point, but also on the cable used and the power consumed by the selected HV model.

How long does it take to charge a plug-in hybrid vehicle?

It all depends on used charging station и  the battery capacity of your electric vehicle. For a model with a power of 9 kW / h and a range of 40 to 50 km, charging from a household outlet (10 A) takes 4 hours. For the same model, charging on a reinforced socket (14A) takes a little less than 3 hours. For a 3,7 kW terminal, charging will take 2 hours and 30 minutes, and for a 7,4 kW terminal, charging time is 1 hour and 20 minutes. To calculate the required full charge time for your vehicle, you simply need to take the capacity of the hybrid vehicle and divide it by the capacity of your charging point.

Taking the Peugeot 3008 hybrid SUV as an example, the autonomy of which is 59 km (power 13,2 kWh), charging takes 6 hours from a standard outlet, as opposed to a full charge of 7,4 kW Wallbox with an adapted cable, which lasts 1 hour. 45 minutes. However, you should be aware that you rarely wait until the batteries are completely depleted to recharge.

Where can I charge my hybrid vehicle?

Charging your hybrid car at home

To charge your hybrid vehicle at home, you have the choice between a home outlet, a power outlet, or a charging station.

Charge your hybrid vehicle from a household outlet

You can connect your car directly to a household outlet using a Type E cable. Most manufacturers ship this cable with your car. More economical, it is on the other hand, the solution is the slowest (approximately 10 to 15 km of autonomous operation per hour), because the amperage is limited. It is also not recommended to use this type of plug for regular recharging of the vehicle as there is a risk of overloading.

Charge your hybrid vehicle from an enhanced power outlet

Reinforced sockets are rated for power from 2.2 to 3,2 kW, depending on the vehicle. The charging cord is the same as for a household outlet (type E). They allow you to charge the car a little faster (about 20 km of autonomous charging per hour) than when using a standard outlet. They are safer and must be equipped with a suitable residual current circuit breaker.

Charge your hybrid car on the Wallbox

You also have the option to have wallbox in your house. It is a box attached to the wall, connected to an electrical panel with a dedicated circuit. Charging faster and safer than using a household outlet power of 3,7 kW, 7,4 kW, 11 kW or even 22 kW wallbox displays much higher performance (approximately 50 km of battery life per hour for a 7,4 kW terminal) versus a standard outlet. Charging must be done via a type 2 connector. Purchasing an 11 kW or 22 kW terminal is not required to charge the hybrid as the maximum power taken by the car is usually 3.7 kW or 7,4 kW. On the other hand, considering this type of installation allows one to foresee a transition to a 100% electric vehicle, for which a terminal of this power will allow quick recharging.

Recharge your hybrid vehicle at public terminals

Public terminals, which can be found, for example, in certain car parks or near shopping centers, have a configuration similar to Wallboxes. They show similar characteristics (from 3,7 kW to 22 kW), with the charging time varying depending on the power supported by the vehicle. Please note: It is important to distinguish between standard charging stations and fast charging stations. Indeed, only 100% of electric vehicles are eligible for fast charging.

So, whichever option you choose to charge your hybrid vehicle, make sure it is compatible with your vehicle.