Based on that type of use, you'll save a chunk on petrol costs, and benefit your local environment by running mostly emission free. Then, only on the last two or three miles to home did the petrol unit need to kick in. Our daily commute is nine miles, and on the way to work that means electric only. That's because on the day-to-day you'll rarely see the petrol engine kick in. The average fuel economy cars like this can achieve in those conditions will be worse than if you buy the diesel. More realistically though, if you're driving 15-20,000 miles per year on a motorway, a Passat GTE (or any plug-in) isn't really going to be for you. So there are savings that start to stack up from the start. The road tax is cheap (so long as you keep the list price sub £40k), and if you're running one as a company car we've already explained the benefit of that. If you're in London, it's congestion charge exempt, while other cities allow cheap or free parking for plug-ins. So is a plug-in like the Passat going to suit you? That's entirely dependent on when, where and how much you use your car. And we know lithium-ion batteries hate the cold (as do we!). The most we managed to achieve was 16 miles – although temperatures during our week with the Passat averaged zero degrees Celsius. Volkswagen says realistic battery range is about 25 miles. Unfortunately, the official fuel cycle figures (which, we hasten to add, aren't VW's doing – it's just a rating process every car goes through in the EU) flatter plug-in hybrids. Expect to go 31 miles on the battery alone and you'll also be left frustrated. ![]() Buy a Passat and expect to average 156mpg and you'll be disappointed. The reality of these figures, however, needs taking with a pinch of salt. The average daily mileage in the UK is 19 miles, which is theoretically within the Passat GTE's electric-only range. Plug-ins are perfect for most people who have a typical, relatively short commute. ![]() Proponents says that plug-in hybrids offer the perfect stepping stone to full electric cars (EVs) as we wait for battery tech to improve so we can can travel further on a single charge, and at less cost. Then, when home, simply plug into a socket and recharge the battery. The ability to drive on the electric battery only on shorter trips, but the reassurance of having a petrol engine on board, to allow you to go further when you need to without running out of juice. The idea of a plug-in hybrid is to offer the best of both electric and fuel worlds. We've driven the Golf GTE in its pre-facelift form, but the Passat GTE estate, as reviewed here, is an interesting option because it's at the larger end of the car size spectrum, providing space that exceeds an Audi A4. Volkswagen is just one manufacturer to offer a growing range of plug-in hybrids – marketed under the GTE sub-brand. The best electric cars 2018: The best all-electric cars on the road.
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