Glos Guy, The battery on a PHEV doesn’t get fully depleted, it just looks that way. When the battery level gets to a point determined by the battery management system, the car switches to hybrid mode. The car then operates like a non plug in hybrid such as a Prius. It goes about its business putting charge in the battery whenever the car decelerates or brakes and taking charge from the battery to aid acceleration. The full combined power of the engine and electric motor is always available.
Thanks Wigwam. That makes sense. Maybe the motoring journalists are all as ignorant as me on this subject, but I wonder why they say things like “when the battery power runs out you are driving a very heavy car with an average engine” as, from what you are saying this never happens? If I end up cancelling my petrol X1 order (if it gets delayed or more options are deleted) I think I will revisit PHEV’s. Your Volvo must be due very soon now?
Edit – however, I am right in saying that when driven in Electric only mode you are only getting 80bhp (as in my example)?