Cheap plug-in hybrid vs cheap electric car: which makes the most sense? 

Fuel prices are on the rise, with diesel reaching record highs at almost £2 per litre at the end of September. I, like many other motorists, are therefore looking for ways to keep running costs as low as possible.

Switching to an electric car seems like the most obvious choice, but plug-in hybrids also promise to offer the best of both worlds between EVs and petrol cars. So which should you choose?

To find out, I’ve got the new plug-in hybrid BYD Dolphin G together with the all-electric Geely EX2, and I’ll be comparing them on running costs, value for money and practicality.

BYD Dolphin G vs Geely EX2: prices and deals

The BYD Dolphin G starts from £23,990, but the version I have here is the second-to-top spec Comfort. It costs £28,490, and for that you get a lot of standard equipment.

All cars have adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and keyless entry, but this version adds a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, Google-based infotainment software and a 360-degree camera.

The Geely EX2 is slightly cheaper. It starts from £20,990, but this top-spec Ultra model will set you back £25,490. It has the larger of two battery options, giving you 214 miles of range compared to 156 miles in the basic car, and it also has heated seats, heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera. There’s no panoramic roof, though.

While the EX2 seems much cheaper on paper, the discounts available through Carwow tip things in the BYD’s favour. At the time of writing, you can save almost £3,000 on a BYD Dolphin G Comfort through Carwow. Savings of up to £800 are available on the EX2, bringing the price difference down from £3,000 to around £800.

BYD Dolphin G vs Geely EX2: fuel and charging costs

Calculating the running costs on these cars is tricky, because everyone’s situation is different. As an example, I’ve based these figures on a driver covering 8,000 miles per year.

In the case of the plug-in hybrid, I’ve assumed the best-case scenario which is that you’re keeping the battery charged to maximise the EV range. The BYD Dolphin G managed 55 miles of real-world range when I tested it, which is plenty for most people’s daily commutes.

I’ve therefore assumed that you’re covering 70% of your mileage in electric mode and 30% using the engine. The Dolphin G managed 69mpg using just petrol power when I tested it.

For the Geely EX2, we managed to get 4.7 miles per kWh from it in real-world testing. Working out the cost of charging will depend heavily on whether you have a home charger, because EV energy tariffs offer much lower rates than public chargers.

Here’s a breakdown of the average costs of fuel and charging at the time of writing:

Fuel/charging type	Cost
Petrol	£1.75 per litre
Home EV charging	£0.07 per kWh
Public AC (slow) chargers	£0.54 per kWh
Public DC (rapid) chargers	£0.77 per kWh

Even if you have a home wallbox, the chances are you won’t do 100% of your charging on the cheapest tariff. In my experience you’ll need to use destination chargers on long trips, as well as the odd top-up at a DC rapid charger to get you home.

So I’ve assumed you’re doing 70% of your charging at home at the cheapest rate, 20% at AC chargers and 10% using DC chargers. I’ve also included calculations for those of you who, like me, don’t have access to a home charger. In this case, I’ve assumed you’re using AC chargers 70% of the time and rapid chargers for the other 30%.

In the case of the PHEV, I’ve worked out the numbers based on using either a home wallbox or public AC station for all of your EV charging. I’ve also included a figure based on never charging it and getting 69mpg.

Here are the total costs:

Scenario	Total cost (8,000 miles)
PHEV charged at home (fuel+charging)	£409
PHEV charged at public AC chargers (fuel+charging)	£1,286
PHEV not charged at all	£922
Electric car charged at home	£398
Electric car with no home charger	£1,036

If you can charge at home, the Geely EX2 makes the most financial sense, but there’s not a huge amount in it. If you have no access to home charging, it’s actually cheaper to not plug your Dolphin G in at all and just run it on the petrol engine.

The numbers we have here for the PHEV are based on you charging it religiously and eking out every last mile of EV range. In reality, you’re likely to fall somewhere between this scenario and the one where you don’t plug it in at all. In the case of home charging, that puts you in the ballpark of £660.

BYD Dolphin G vs Geely EX2: which is the better car?

Both of these cars have their pros and cons. The Geely EX2 is more practical than the BYD Dolphin G, despite being physically smaller.

With the driver’s seat set to my driving position (for reference, I’m over six feet tall) I had a lot more legroom in the back of the Geely. The EX2’s boot may not be as big as the BYD’s – 375 litres compared to 425 litres – but you get an additional 70 litres under the bonnet, a space which is taken up by the engine in the Dolphin G.

The BYD does have a better infotainment system though. It’s bright, clear and easy to use, whereas the Geely’s is overly complicated. The Dolphin G’s driver aids are also far less intrusive.

Out on the road is where the BYD wins some more points, because it’s the nicer car to drive. The steering is precise and well-weighted, as opposed to the Geely which is overly light and vague, and it’s a bit more refined on the motorway as well.

It’s a close one, but the BYD Dolphin G is a slightly better car overall. It may not be as roomy as the Geely, but it’s still practical enough and there are fewer annoying quirks to contend with day-to-day.

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