ELECTRIC AND HYBRID CARS
Best in class:
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Okay, so it's not the most exciting electric car out there and it has a cabin that, while well made, looks about as dramatic and dynamic as a 10-year-old DVD player. But the point here is that the Outlander PHEV is the best electric car because it actually works under Irish conditions. Fully charge the batteries and it will run silently and smoothly for about 50km. Once the 2.0-litre petrol engine wakes up, you can then carry on for at least another 500km, maybe more before you have to find a petrol station. It can be recharged to 80 per cent in just 30mins from a roadside charger and will cost you buttons in motor tax or company car BIK. It's also entirely pleasant to drive, rugged, can cope with our dreadful roads and weather and, in spite of losing out on the standard Outlander's third-row seats, has a big, practical boot. Best of all, it's a mere €2,000 more expensive than the diesel version, making it the best-value electric car by miles. Mitsubishi even has plans for a version with more dynamic styling inside and out.
Best one: 2.0 PHEV Intense+ 4WD Auto for €41,950.
Also consider:
BMW i3
The i3 is one of the most groundbreaking of the new generation of electric cars. Light in weight, thanks to a carbon-fibre and aluminium chassis and body, it makes the most of its 170hp electric motor and battery stack, and feels uncommonly brisk right up to high motorway speeds. The interior, accessed through the clap-hands doors, is also really quite beautiful – airy and bright with a lovely minimalist style. The only problem is that, for all the high tech, it's still very restricted on range. You'll be lucky to get 160km out of a charge and even the REX version, with its tiny two-cylinder range-extender petrol engine, can't get you much beyond 200km with its puny eight-litre fuel tank. For city dwellers, though, this is the coolest electric car to buy.
Renault Zoe
There are complications to Zoe ownership, not least of which is that fact that the batteries cost extra and have to be leased at about €80 a month (although there are cheaper plans for low-mileage motorists). The upside is that it's the most affordable electric car up front, with a sticker price of €17,490. It also looks good, sort of futuristic but recognisable, and has a cleanly-designed cabin. It's brisk to drive but the ride is quite harsh at times and, as always, the one-charge range is quite short. Renault reckons you can squeeze about 200km out of it, but we've yet to manage that.
Worth waiting for:
Volkswagen Golf GTE
Using the same power train as the existing Audi A3 e-tron, the GTE could be the car to truly bring electric motoring to the masses, although it won't be cheap. The GTE uses a plug-in hybrid set-up, with a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine providing the combustion power while a 50km range rechargeable electric stack does the battery bit. Combined it has 204hp and a very quick 0-100km/h time of under 5secs, yet emits just 35g/km of CO2.
Launches Spring 2015.
