RENAULT CAPTUR E-TECH PHEV

Renault’s first foray into plug-in hybrids has arrived with the Captur. Jonathan Musk drives.

- Jonathan Musk

Since April 2020, plug-in hybrids have enjoyed a reduction in Benefit-in-Kind tax rates now ranging from 10-12% for vehicles with a range up to 39 electric miles emitting between 1-50g/km CO2. For fleet customers in particular, this makes them an attractive proposition: enjoy cheap tax, the benefits of electric driving and no concerns over today’s electric charging infrastructure. Naturally, a PHEV’s ability to bridge both electric and petrol worlds has proven divisive, with reports suggesting PHEV owners don’t bother plugging in making them more polluting. On the flip side, the same reports show that PHEVs are still inherently more efficient than non-electrified petrols and diesels thanks to retaining an electrified efficiency even once the main battery has been depleted.

Nevertheless, manufacturers are keen to lower their fleet CO2 average else face massive fines and recognise that while governments incentivise PHEVs, there’s appetite for them.