Best self-charging hybrid cars you don't have to plug in 2025

Sometimes you just want to keep things simple, and if you like the idea of saving money on your fuel bills, but don't want to plug your car in to charge, then the next best thing is a hybrid. Unlike plug-in hybrids (PHEV) or electric cars, hybrid cars – sometimes called 'self-charging' hybrids – don't need plugging in to keep their batteries topped up.

The trade-off is that hybrid cars can't go as far as their plug-in siblings on electric power alone, but they can still cover short distances without using petrol power, or if you regularly drive in town at slow speeds, you can still spend a significant amount of time on electric power.

Our expert team of road testers have spent countless hours assessing every hybrid car on the market, testing them over thousands of miles both on public roads, and back-to-back against their key rivals at our private test track. We focus on the areas which matter most to hybrid car buyers, measuring everything from practicality to performance, and from reliability to running costs.

The result of that comprehensive road testing is the list you see here of the best hybrid cars. Plus, we've also named the hybrid car which we think you should avoid. And if you're interested in learning more about driving or living with a hybrid car, then we've answered some of the most commonly asked questions at the bottom of this page.

Don't forget that if you're interested in learning more about any of the cars featured here, you can click the links through to our in-depth new car reviews, or see how much you can save with our New Car Deals service.

Please note that the prices you see here will in some cases reflect the non-hybrid version of the car – we've noted the prices for hybrid versions as of the time of writing alongside each model where that's the case.

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