Skoda Superb 2020 Plug-In Hybrid - But Is It Really?

Previous Skoda Superbs have typically been very good at what they do, now this is a Plug-In Hybrid, has it got any better in terms of having a bit of a personality?
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[@ElectricVehicleMan]

To anyone going on about PHEVs on the channel. If I could do this on BEVs only I would, however; 1, You could just not watch the PHEV reviews and watch what interests you. 2, There are very few BEVs right now relative to cars on sale (certainly ones that a channel this size gets offered) so there'd be very few actual car reviews. There's only so much you can talk about with EVs before you run out and need more content. 3, Building a relationship with car manufacturers takes time and this is a great way to start this process, thus massively increasing the chance of getting the BEV everyone wants to see when they actually come out. 4, Some people literally cannot own a BEV (yet) so should they be just left without any advice/reviews just because you don't like them as a concept? I'd rather persuade someone to jump in a PHEV than get a diesel as they know no better, wouldn't you? 5, I have always said on this channel that I love cars. All cars. This shouldn't really come as a surprise that given the offer of a £40k press car for a week (in this case) I would say 'yes please'. 6, A lot of people will come into contact with this channel from ICE/PHEV land and then hopefully will watch some of the other videos which will show them how easy it is to live with a BEV. It will also help the channel grow quicker which again will mean a manufacturer is more likely to give me a BEV to test.

[@nathanward5246]

Keep them coming it can work in very small circumstances, if doing these help you get you the manufactures evs when they come then keep it up

[@usaverageguy]

It is interesting to hear you say, that there is not much left to say about EVs alone. I am becoming bored with many of the EV channels I subscribe to. How many ways can you say EVs are quite, quick, and can save you money. "Fully Charged" has diversified into a green energy channel. Many have just become car review channels. But your channel has become more about your personality and humor, along with your EV experience. Which is why I look forward to your posts. I especially enjoy videos with your brother, your family, and your friends. Keep up the good work.

[@S.J7777]

Phevs work well for some people. Particularly in the 2nd hand market and isn't it all about lowering c02 and fossil fuels. Stopped watching kryten he is so anti phev.

[@RJPick1]

Couldn't agree with you more. Quite happy to watch a channel that reviews a car that I am unlikely to buy. Firstly it makes me feel mildly smug about driving a BEV and secondly there will be viewers who become better informed, it does appeal to or are capable of being swayed towards it.

[@watcher24601]

I thought the intro was spot on, and is how I also consider KZbin channels. I consider your channel to be the best EV channel out there for the balance of car reviews and real life ownership. I stopped watching Fully Charged when every EV was fantastic unless it was based on a petrol car not part of VAG. Plus the constant ranting. PHEVs do continue to have a role for some. BEVs are still only a no brainer when combined with home charging in most parts of the country.

[@tomdavison1152]

I was using my Superb in hybrid mode, then stopped for a break. When I restarted the car I didn't notice that it defaults to electric only on startup, so I ended up running out of electric power before I arrived at my destination. The good news is that this gave me the chance to see what the car could do in hybrid mode without any plug in power. I drove back from Finchley to Bedford using the M1 starting with a flat battery and got 58.8 mpg over the 53 miles. This is better than I ever achieved using my petrol Superb (1.4 ACT) so seriously impressed.

[@karlbroberg1652]

However the electric miles aren't free, I reckon they cost about the same as petrol miles as pence per mile ~15ppm unless you have an electric vehicle tariff and then its about how much you use in electricity for the rest of your house. Its certainly less than simple to calculate whether the hybrid is worth it, based on the higher purchase price I'd guess that its probably worse value for money than a petrol engine at the moment given high electricity prices, is it greener? maybe, depends how much CO2 was produced making the batteries and mining rare earth metals to produce them.

[@gramamg100]

I had the diesel L&K estate, fantastic car loved it, exchanged for an even bigger car peaugeot traveller. Great for my use but not a patch on the comfort and quality of the superb. Very tempted to move back to the full electric whenever it comes out. Good r view thanks.

[@MylesHSG]

I'd love a car like this. I'd be able to do my daily commute purely on electric power, but still have the flexibility of a petrol car.

[@cosmicpop]

This exactly my situation. We have a commute of about 5 miles, but with a long journey of 200 miles every few months (during non-pandemic times). This car is perfect for our family of 4. I anticipate it'll be electric-only during the short city commute.

[@JanHenrik541]

Me too. Day to day I really wish for a BEV but when we have vacation I would have to rent a car and/or book plane tickets for my family. With the PHEV I just fill up the car with my family and put the cargo in my trailer. But the infrastructure and available BEVs for my price range are improving in increments. After I bought my PHEV, the BEV situation have changed from impossible to doable, at least in summer weather. PHEVs are good transition technology and while BEVs are more efficient the energy stored in petrol more than makes up for inefficient engines when it comes to towing over longer distances.

[@stephenlane8366]

A bit of a late comment but I have only just spotted this video. I am a private buyer and have a Superb estate iV in SE-L spec which I have had for nearly a year. For me the PHEV element was key (I swapped from a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV) as I would still be concerned about availability (and costs) of public charging for a full EV on long journeys whereas I can drive any distance on petrol if required and still get a pretty good MPG figure for such a big car. Most of my journeys are in the 30 - 60 mile round trip range where I can use either all electric or all hybrid driving so running costs are pretty low and charging at home is much cheaper than public costs which don't seem much better in terms of pence/mile than an economical petrol car would deliver. As a driver's car, I agree the Superb is not the best but it is well-equipped and comfortable, a nice place to be, and handles quite well, especially in the firmer suspension setting, for a big car. Do I love it? Well, no but I recently thought of changing for a smaller, sportier Puma ST but decided that actually the Superb really is a superb all-round car and will be keeping it for some time yet. The only thing I would really like improved is the battery-only range where nearer 50 miles would be perfect for most of my needs but this would push the price up a lot as well as add weight..

[@kinialdo]

Excellent. A great car for people who don't like cars. Exactly why I'm about to buy one this month!

[@rcajavus8141]

Skoda learning from Kia and Hyundai - MAKE INTERIOR A CLASS BETTER THAN CAR YOU ARE SELLING - and that makes it a wanted car in its segment

[@cactus3796]

Wow could not come with better timing! I'm looking at the l&k edition. Great VIdeo!

[@taztaz79]

One thingi miss about this channel is the miles/gallon to litres/100km conversions.. its hard to do that in the head watching this. Since miles/gallon does not mean anything to me i miss out on a bit of the story.. distance in miles and speed in miles are easier to convert in the head for me.. 10 miles=16km..100miles=160km/16mil (swedish distance metric) ..When talking miles/gallon or kwh/mile could you convert it and add as text in the clip? I thinkthat will make your videos more desireable... If you have enough viewers outside UK/US that is.... Just a suggestion...:) Keep up the great work!

[@errcoche]

The PHEV suits me here in the US. Mine has a 25 mile range and that is fine for work and back and I would make sure to find a charger at the office if I were to get a new job further away. I have had it three weeks and just burned gas for the first time today - the last two miles home. I actually do need to make sure I give the engine a run now and then and don't end up with petrol that's a year old in the tank. I just put in the 240 volt charger that will charge it in about two and a half hours. I would guess that mine, 2017 Sonata, would have cost the same in dollars as the Skoda costs in pounds and I would never pay that for a car. I got it for US$16k ( before VAT but it's a lot less than in the UK ). The knock on company cars in the UK back in the day was higher petrol consumption and maybe being mercilessly hammered by reps ( more in the days of the Cortina when they were giving reps 1300s and 1600s ). I would be waiting for three years to pick one of these up used, maybe one a neighbor up the street was giving up. Drives me mad that they don't put hatches on cars this kind of shape in the US. It might raise interior noise a little bit but the utility of the vehicle doubles with a large rear opening. Still miss my early 90s Cavalier hatch. No doubt that I would drive a Skoda if I were still in the UK. I can find better things to spend my money on than a VW badge ( never mind BMW, Lexus, Mercedes ). That rear seat clock and "ashtray" is all wrong. If it had exposed USB ports, storage for charge cables and maybe even for the phones, that would make sense. Nobody who cares about the time is without a smart phone. The central screen system should boot but not display when your backside hits the seat so that it is ready in anticipation of being started.

[@nickshore8614]

Our 62 plate Superb estate has been a fantastic family car, so much space for long legged teenagers, and loads of boot space for holiday etc This PHEV looks a good replacement, especially as it is a non SUV shape.

[@peterstone6307]

The delay when you decide to accelerate whilst already moving is the gearbox going back gears. I think a small diesel version would be the best of both worlds. Great highway economy as well, not just city economy. Electric motor can make of for the normally dull off the mark performance diesel engines suffer from also.

[@DavidWilliams-nb5up]

EVM you’re spot on in my opinion... model 3 every time... equivalent cost, better performance, over air updates and of course the charging infrastructure... no contest.... there are many other BEV’s for the same or similar costs lol , full electric every time for me. Cheers

[@HaydenLau.]

Model 3 has a much smaller boot and charge time is still much longer than filling up with gas. This car provides flexibility for both long and short journeys.

[@mikeburke8021]

Good review, thank-you. I do think you might need to revise your last quarter of the video somehat, or at least the thinking behind it. A large proportion of the car buying public aren't in work or don't regularly do long journies. You're right that this is a great company car but a PHEV to me is the ideal tool for the vast number of short journies topped up by the occasional very long journey that an electric car struggles with. Which leads to my second point: a car that is a supremely practical tool is enough to create that 'love' feeling that you refer to and that eludes you in this case.

[@stepheng8779]

Good cars Skoda, pick of the VW group. Only issue with the Superb is now the Octavia has grown so much and has all the home comforts it's pretty much all the car you'll ever need, if you can live with the looks, which are inofensive.

[@chrisstoddard1144]

I think the electric drive efficiency you're seeing there supports an argument that the weight of the internal combustion powertrain isn't that big a burden. Living in the US, I owned a Chevrolet Volt for six years and could do my 40 mile daily round trip commute on electric only for 9 months of the year. Add 12 (US) gallons of petrol to cover heating and range assistance over the winter and that's where I was for any given year. As for the hassle of maintaining the internal combustion system, I changed the engine oil every 24 months. At the low number of engine hours per year, sparkplugs would come due in a couple of decades. In this part of the world, the non-Tesla charging infrastructure to support long trips isn't yet there. PHEV works perfectly for our purposes. Our current PHEV is a Honda Clarity which has an honest 47 mile range from a 17 kWh battery. The Clarity PHEV is unavailable outside of Japan and North America. We have a 30 kWh LEAF for the other car.

[@aakeister]

There is a big reason to go for PHEV over V]BEV and that is range anxiety. BEV purists remind me of Apple fan bous, can’t see anything else

[@e-redj]

Yes, you can get a TM3 for that money, but I think space wise you should compare it to a TMS, which is far more expensive. Not every car segment has an electric option, thus buying an EV is in many cases only a compromise, and it’s up to you, if you want to live with a compromise, and I’m not talking about range or any other of those stupid anti EV arguments. But maybe it’s just that I don’t think my car should be just a tool.

[@rcajavus8141]

TPMS is not monitored by valve senders in each wheel, it doesnt use that - it actually "calibrates" the abs module to monitor the wheels according to their diameter, pretty smart and means you can put any wheels and not bother with TPMS sensors in each wheel

[@nicdensley4104]

As a superb owner, I think this review is spot on.

[@richardharries5551]

I had a friend who used to drive to Switzerland every year to see his wife's family. My point being that he always used to drive with white cotton gloves on which would eliminate any fingerprints and even polish your favourite black glossy shiny surfaces. Would love to hear how your Northern friends would view your new accoutrements..haha

[@RJPick1]

Just over £40,000 I could either have this or a Tesla model 3....... or a high spec ID.3 series version which will be about the same size inside and has a range of about 250 miles, by all accounts, and cost under £4 to fully charge from empty on an overnight tariff. Surely that's the no brainer! OK, so if you are regularly doing over 200 miles a day or don't have the potential for home charging I can see the attraction of fossil fueled cars. Otherwise I simply can't.

[@stever656]

I watch your channel all the time lifelong car van lorry driver and finally went full ev last month amazing and love my ev suits my needs entirely but as you say regularly not for everyone good to see phevs etc for those who are not sure

[@kalervonuolenpaa2452]

Excellent video, thank you. I am right now looking for a new company car and a replacement for my...Skoda Superb :D So I do think you are spot on with what market this car is really aimed at :)

[@jackfadell]

Really good review. Thanks for revealing that after 25mi of hydrid electric support, the mpg drops right back down to regular fuel car's 40 mpg. Not something the manufacturers tell you. Climbing fuel prices were making me look for a PHEV, but it seems like owning one is not going to benefit me much after all. I may as well go for the Enyaq instead.

[@wobby1516]

Reminds me of the old Triumph Mayflower with the hard crease lines

[@mayflowerlash11]

OMG, I have a Mayflower, in dire need of restoration, and its razor edges. I wish I had the time, energy and funds to restore the old Mayflower. It was slow but majestic.

[@maxwarren2000]

Makes a lot of sense if your needs are like mine. 6'2, 2x large extended rear facing car seats, need loads of boot space, 90% of journeys under 20miles. How many electric cars meet this requirement atm and are within reach of the average second hand car buyer ? I currently own a mk4 mondeo and it's just big enough. And what sort of risk will a fully electric second hand car have 8 years down the road ?

[@S.J7777]

Exactly have a 2nd outlander phev i can promise you its way cleaner than my old diesel all electric for local journeys and no compromises when on long trips

[@maxwarren2000]

Also a 3 year old GTE passat can be had for under 20k so a superb will likely be available to me and make some financial sense when I come to change cars. Just got to watch that "luxury" car tax. Less electric bloody SUV's and some properly useful family cars please, seriously I could more easily fit a rear facing car seat in an Octavia than a kodiak with out compromising my driving position. Fashion, meh

[@siraff4461]

"I'm dragging around a petrol engine unnecessarily". Rather than half a tonne of batteries then? Honestly this makes the most sense right now. Most people buying these will use it ev only most of the week - some most of the year - and when a long trip comes up it is a non issue rather than the usual ev mess about. If you're doing 60 miles a day (or over 100 if you can charge at work) then it doesn't make sense but neither does your lifestyle and changing that will do a lot more than picking a different car. As things are PHEV's are the right car for the masses. What's better for the environment with a typical feww mile commute and the odd long trip - 5 of these only running the engine a few times a year or one model 3 and four ices? Thats the difference the smaller battery size allows. Unless you're doing daily long journeys and happen to have superchargers or equivalent on that route a large battery ev is a waste of resources. Lets not get into the Tesla prices are great thing either because while they look great on paper they are built like the pretend Lego sets you get in £1 shops. It isn't hard to make an ev accelerate quickly but it is more difficult to build a car properly which is where the cost comes from.

[@ewadge]

Tesla build quality is certainly not top of the class but you are hugely exaggerating with regards to how bad it is. For every unsatisfied review I could point you to a hundred reviews of people satisfied with the build quality. I’m not letting Tesla off the hook and they need to improve but there is a reason why the Model 3 has become a best seller. EVM himself seems very happy with his purchase. Even with the build quality issue potential I’d have a model 3 over the superb any day of the week and I am no fan boy.

[@siraff4461]

@@ewadge Hugely exagerrating? They have had constant issues with every model they have released, almost always come in the bottom few of any unbiased reliability survey and even the ones which don't fall apart usually have some prety atrocious quality issues like the panels which never seem to line up. You may well take one over this and if you fit into the 100-150 mile per day group it may be a better choice. As far as build, quality and back up go it's not even in the same universe.

[@ewadge]

@@siraff4461 on reliability surveys they do not come anywhere in the bottom. Those spaces are reserved for Land Rovers and BMW. They do come in the bottom for construction quality. Also typically the issues are panel gaps and light cluster water ingress. Those areas are indeed very poor compared to the competitors. But these shouldn’t be confused with reliability. Tesla interiors, although not luxurious are also well put together at least. Look, I’m not saying that Tesla does not need to make big improvements in fit and finish cause they really do. But the drive train has proven to be extremely reliable.

[@ewadge]

What Tesla is really lagging behind is after sales service and availability of parts. From all I have read, that is sometimes really poor.

[@patreekotime4578]

@@siraff4461 In my entire life I never heard a single person ever discuss panel gaps ever until Tesla fudsters decided it was the most offensive thing in the world. And yet looking around I see plenty of cars on the road with discoloring and peeling paint, doors that wont shut properly, and all kinds of other far worse issues. If the WORST thing you can think to say about Tesla is they have panel gap issues, then that is basically admitting they have the best cars in the world.

[@darrenburrows-taurus]

Nice to watch a review where the host actually tackles and talks about the real world fuel economy of PHEVs on longer journeys so well done for that in this video! 👏 I tend to do lots of short around town trips most of the time but have to take longer journeys blasting up, down and across the UK from time to time (anywhere from 100 to 500 mile round trips). I'm going round in circles trying to work out which engine would be better for me - I want to go electric but cant find a fully electric motor big enough for me to replace my Nissan Navara pickup - so I'm looking at the Superb Estate or the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV. Is there a rule of thumb tipping point for PHEV vs petrol vs diesel based on drive types? ULEZ has now been extended to the whole of Greater London so it's going to cost me nearly £400 a month extra just to leave my driveway every day so I need to upgrade the motor ASAP. Would massively appreciate any suggestions or tips from anyone as I don't want to be spending £500-600 a month leasing a vehicle to find I've made the wrong choice 😩 Cheers

[@ZhenyaTyoma]

excellent review, thank you very much it is easier to make chose now after this

[@elmo319]

Flat bottom steering wheel for a sporty effect? The reason is to make it easier getting in and out so your knees have more space

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Saves me typing it: www.quora.com/Why-are-new-steering-wheels-flat-bottomed

[@simonreeves2017]

I completely agree with you on the use of gloss black plastic in car interiors - totally impractical, hopefully this is a fashion that will pass soon. I personally am not a fan of PHEV as a concept, perhaps OK if you can afford a new car every 3 or 4 years, but the complexity will make these expensive to maintain once they are over 5 years old. BEV is the future, and will only get better as EV technology improves.

[@PabloTBrave]

Bloody grey exterior and black gloss interior, car manufacturers love it these days but it doesn't donut for me at all . I like the look of the vehicle though. The infotainment system should part or pre boot when you unlock the vehicle so when you start the ignition it only has to turn the screen on and be ready for you . I can see the PHEV versus BEV arguments continuing for a least the next 10 years

[@spawntohell]

I was mumbling about to see if is any full electric superb or when it will be one avalable... Found your video. Point taken mate, not a lot of sense...and yes dull but does everything as a comfortable workhorse ....( I can confirm this owning one (not hybrid) for 2 years...

[@taztaz79]

This is funny. I had to check when the video was made. Middleconsole and climate panel, doorsides and top of instrument cluster looks exactly the same as my 6-7 year old Volkswagen.....

[@jeffreyfearn5662]

I have a MK 2 Superb & say it has a personality, will also say if it was fully electric then yes I would have a fully electric one. Currently have the Superb for the long journeys & the E-Golf for the everyday run about. I'd say an EV with a range of 300 miles would be optimal, I know my Superb can easily do 700 miles out of the tank.

[@timogronroos4642]

Problem with PHEVs for me, is you really need to love pluggin it in. With BEV you need to charge it once or twice a week. Driving Toyota Hybrid at the moment and skipping PHEV and going next to BEV. And if you know how to drive a Toyota Hybrid Drive, You can get very low consumption in a "basic" form of hybrid too

[@Drhiggythered]

would make a good taxi or private hire cab.

[@iro-huncarguy8367]

Not the phev. The 2.0tdi my dad has does better mpg when the battery is full. Make sure to get the 6 speed manual though. Also, great 2nd hand car to get. Depreciates faster then a passat but it's the same car.

[@TheWinstn60]

As it’s a PHEV I’ll only watch for about 15mins 😂

[@easyprobate8748]

Underated comment

[@philmbridges]

As its over £40k you are charged £450 in car tax!

[@chazsach6594]

Good point.

[@davidskeeterskeeter1835]

Yup,,it’s just what we need to know,,👏👏🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@electricwhirl5175]

I have read research study for total cost of ownership in 5 years - cheapest was EV, then hybrid, then ICE (diesel), petrol, and the plug-in was most expensive, mostly due to the starting price being the same as EV, but the running costs higher

[@stepheng8779]

I can provide you with first hand figures which proves that the research you read is cobblers. For starters the price is no where near the same as full EV and if used properly fuel bills fall sharply. Who provided the research BP, Esso?

[@electricwhirl5175]

@@stepheng8779 unfortunately I couldn't find the research study again, as there is a lot of information in internet nowadays. But it probably was based on Belgium or Netherlands and company cars. Also this article might give some clue to the "used properly" www.electrive.com/2020/09/28/phev-real-world-consumption-2-4-times-higher-than-approved/ But in fact the PHEV costs quite expensive, e.g., the Ford Tourneo PHEV costs ~45k vs 30k diesel, ~same size van - Peugeot e-expert EV costs ~45k; diesel -30k. Kia Niro - Hybrid -28k; PHEV-38k; EV-39k. You have to use it a lot and very properly to make it worth it. Also PHEV has all the maintenance costs of ICE, extra weight due to battery / ICE engine etc. I was looking for a while for PHEV's for family needs, but realised that the costs for PHEV the same as EV. In my opinion PHEV are made just to comply the regulasion standarts, less TAXes etc. In practive they does not give a lot of advantages over a lot cheaper ICE.

[@stepheng8779]

@@electricwhirl5175 don't know where you're getting your prices from but they're wrong. £30k full price for a Niro plug-in but you'll never pay that. I picked mine up just over 2 years ago for around £24k with 2000 sales rep miles on the clock. Get 35 pure electric miles, the vast majority of its daily use, charge it at home in a couple of hours, solar roof panels, cost virtually nothing. Got the back up of a petrol engine for a longer journey cos where I live the public charging infrastructure is crap. As for maintenance, there is none, it's a Kia it never goes wrong, if it does my 7 year warranty will cover it. Use it properly, use the batteries to their FULL capacity, always arrive home empty, I've seen some of those reviews and testers they don't have a clue what they're talking about.

[@electricwhirl5175]

@@stepheng8779 I can't comment on UK prices, I live in Belgium, I'm telling you the list prices from webpage. I was at the dealership at the Kia Niro - for the Hybrid they could give -10% from the price, for the Niro EV - 0%. They have so high demand, so they said that the waiting time anyway will be more than year. And the 2000 miles on clock - so the car is not new, but a used one :P also the PHEV has to make maintenance, even KIA, every 2 years or some mileage - with oil, engine filter etc. changes, which cost a lot more than for EV.

[@yogajedi3337]

@@electricwhirl5175 The KIA CEED Phev in my region is only 25K Euro while a model-3 is 50K Euro and service cost is only 100 Euro more than the BEV. Do calculations on your own driving habits.

[@djordjekovacevic3483]

Hi there, nice video you have made. I would like to point some things I find not appropriate that you have mentioned in the opening comment. If you are to be seen and watched - make sure you are not focusing on UK market only. The reason for saying this is you are saying that PHEVs are not as BEVs, and your friend has made a poor mileage on trip to York. So did he drive the car as hybrid needs to be driven and recharge the batteries instead of breaking, for an instance? We could go for a long debating about the previously mentioned, but that is not the point. For an instance, I am not going to by BEV and will list my reasons now, maybe they will shine a light from different perspective. Lets say you live in Germany, Austria, France, or what ever country in Europe - means a lot of highways, as unlikely UK we here have a highways going through the city with the lowest limit being 50, usually 62, and highways of 85 (+ a bit of tolerance) of course besides no limit in Germany. And our holiday trips at least once a month are over 350 miles round-trip, in one day. So if I am about to go for a picnic and have to drive 1,5 hours on highway (as BEV batteries would not hold longer) then charge for an 30-60 min, that kills my desire of driving the BEV. And that is exactly where the PHEV comes in play. I am able to drive it daily on electric battery and have autonomy fora long trips. The reason for posting this is to share that you might get a lot of more reviews if you include the overall objective opinion, not the UK perspective only. And in addition to the above, I am not saying BEVs are bad, just that they limit the autonomy a lot. And I think that the Hydrogen cars will take over in next 5 years due to cheaper batteries, longer ride and faster charging. SO the diesels & petrols will be out by 2030 totally, just between hydrogen and BEVs to choose will be left over. Thanks for a good video other then that.

[@bordersw1239]

I can’t afford an EV at the moment, I’m tossing up between a PHEV or a hybrid. The PHEV doesn’t make sense unfortunately. Massive increase in weight, cost and a much larger cost after warranty if the battery goes wrong. Toyota are quoting £1200 replacement cost for the hybrid and £8K for a PHEV. I think the i3 range extender should have been rolled out for larger cars.

[@84SGB]

Nice review, are you able to get your hand on a Skoda Enyaq iV80 and give that a review?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Members get it now. Everyone else on friday.

[@84SGB]

@@ElectricVehicleMan looking forward to your candid opinion!

[@Tom55data]

As of today all model 3's come with power boot. And NO piano black central console (yippeee) And better range and chrome delete as standard. I think cheaper some countries, in UK, it is cheaper than when I got mine in February

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

He clearly listened.

[@stepheng8779]

@@ElectricVehicleMan 🤣😂

[@casperhansen826]

The main problem with all PHEVs is that they are heavier than normal ICE cars or HEVs so they have a lower mpg when using the engine. The battery is too small to drive back and forth almost any significant distances but the main problem is that people tend to not plug it in at home or work so it goes from an environmental friendly car to environmental unfriendly car.

[@HaydenLau.]

If your commute is under 30 miles and you charge every day, it's basically a huge BEV for cheap.

[@casperhansen826]

@@HaydenLau. Two unlikely conditions, you proved my point. Most car buyers will not go through the hassle to install a new plug or an EV-SE to charge they new PHEV at home in their garage and it takes too long to charge elsewhere and they cannot charge it at work and they can drive just by filling it up. Yes, a few people will do it but my point is people in general don't do it.

[@HaydenLau.]

@@casperhansen826 Why is it an unlikely condition? It suits me perfectly at least, and many others that I know of. Maybe you don't live in a city, but 7 million people do in mine. For us, our commutes are probably under twenty miles round trip. And for this PHEV at least, you can charge with a three-pin plug (UK) in five hours or so. You wouldn't need to install specialist gear.

[@casperhansen826]

@@HaydenLau. most people buy them because they have some incentives, they don't care about the charging, especially the company cars are mostly like that.

[@HaydenLau.]

@@casperhansen826 My family and I are buying one of these with our own money because it suits us very well. Going to city center or the supermarket and back is a 20 mile round trip so we would normally never have to use petrol, and we have the option to go on long journeys with the petrol engine in terms of range and also in terms of charging/filling up time. Of course these journeys will be less economical but we don't go on these very often. The longest range EV is the £100,000 Mercedes EQS and it only does 485 miles while the Superb does 600 miles on a full tank.

[@nathanward5246]

No problem with you doing these cars at all. It shows how much phevs are compared to an all electric car adding on servicing costs and fuel costs if you do more than 30 miles a day you may as well get a model 3

[@andymccabe6712]

Well, yes! (maybe..) - but if you don't.... The whole POINT of different cars is that they suit different situations....!!

[@neddyl1225]

Have you seen the new Skoda concept BEV? It's called the Vision iV and looks great. Whether it will see the light of day is another matter. Then there's the Enyaq iV which has a more traditional Skoda look.

[@stepheng8779]

Yeah the Enyaq looks ok from the front, head towards the rear it falls apart. Looks like they forgot about design and just bolted a great lump on the back.

[@tomdavison1152]

Interesting that in all the reviews I've seen, no-one seems to know what the flap is for in the storage space under the armrest. It's so you can carry an Ipad or tablet. And as for why don't you get a full EV, rather than PHEV, it's because I want a Superb, and they don't make a full EV version.

[@deborahberry7206]

Great review......but did they forget to include the umbrellas in the doors? that's my favourite feature! Skodas are incredibly practical, looking forward to you reviewing new Skoda EV's.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

It has them in the front doors.

[@HaydenLau.]

@@ElectricVehicleMan In both?

[@nickieredshaw7835]

Thanks for the video.nice car we looked the octavia and superb very nice cars

[@hairzilla]

I have always thought that the term PHEV sounded like a nickname a northerner uses for his missus - “ey Phev! ave ya taped Corrie? I’m just sorting out mi lard butties”

[@whocares264]

Hybrid tax avoidance.....drag around a petrol engine and gearbox for a few miles then drag around the electric motor and battery so hybrids compared with full ev... hybrids are less reliable need more servicing use more fuel less efficient and are a similar price to a proper ev......

[@David-bl1bt]

On the other hand, by way of a balanced view....it will be just as economical as an EV for the vast majority of daily journeys that the majoriy of people do ( average daily use less than 25 miles). For long journeys....no worries about looking for a charging station, no anxiety about whether the charger will actually be working or not or whether it will be occupied, no having to wait for goodness knows how long until your turn comes to use the charger, no smartphone required, no multiple apps to download and faff with to (hopefully) get the charger functioning, no waiting 40 minutes whilst your car charges to only 80% of its range, no multiple prepayments taken from your credit/debit card due to abysmal charger design/operation (then having to wait over a week to get it refunded), no safety anxiety... having to use chargers in remote unlit locations, sitting alone in a car tethered by a cable (no escape if accosted), no getting soaked in the rain, hail or snow whilst faffing with charger (the vast majority of chargers have no cover or lighting and are unmanned. A very daunting concern for lone females), no range of charger anxiety whatsoever! Want to do a long, relaxed, uneventfull zero anxiety with your family? No problem...load-up, fill-up and off you go. No preplanning to do for charger locations, no plan b or plan c to plan for the likely event of "charger" issues. Low on fuel?...simply stop at a petrol station...under cover out of the elements, manned, less than 5 mins to refuel,grab a coffee and yer on your way. No fuss, no bother. Arrive at your destination unstressed. Like camping or caravanning? Simply hook up and away you go. Few EV's can tow, and if you have one that can, be prepared for even more hassle. Eg. Finding somewhere safe to park your trailer/caravan then unhooking it before being able to charge....then tediously rehooking it up again ( more wasted time lost from your journey). Oh, your EV range will take a severe hammering whilst towing too. The "extra weight"you are dragging around with the additional batteries is probably on a par with, or even less than the weight of a higher tange EV. The only downside I can see is the cost of a long journey. Yes, it will (at the moment) usually be less in an EV, however the cost of charging is beginning to escalate and will soon be at a rate that puts the cost per mile at a parity with petrol powered cars (it almost is now if Ionity chargers are used). The additional cost of fuel on a long journey is well worth it for the elimination of the stress and anxiety endured with an EV. Then there is the financial penalty of the purchase price of an EV to consider, currently £40k+ if you want one with a reasonable range (c250-280 miles) even more if you want one approaching (sort of) an ICE vehicle range. You can buy a considerable amount of fossil fuel for the price difference. The Skoda superb hybrid is an extremely competent, versatile car worthy of its name and well worthy of consideration. Hence the reason it has won top awards year-on-year. Oh.... for reasons of transparancy, I declare that I am an EV owner. My ownership experiences are detailed above.

[@wstevenson4913]

EV man, suggestion for you get into the car 30 seconds earlier. No need to thank me for this insight :)

[@AlexBell1991]

Hi EVM, Would you think a PHEV would be suitable for me? I currently drive roughly 50 miles a day (25 miles to work and back). About 20 miles of that is on motorway and the rest is town driving as I live in a town centre. Charging not an issue as I can easily charge at home via a "granny charger" and will get a "box" once I moved to a nicer house. I'd plan on using pure EV while I am in town and then flick to Hybrid mode once I am on the motorway. Do you think this would be suitable or would I be better off getting a diesel?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Why not a full EV?

[@AlexBell1991]

@@ElectricVehicleMan I think charging anxiety is the issue for me. Where I live in South Yorkshire. There isn't a lot of charging stations if I need to top up.

[@twoseat]

Interesting that they used "black effect letters" on the back. How much do you think they saved over using actual black letters? ;)

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Fifty shades of black, they were slightly grey!

[@keithireland6627]

Superb review thanks.

[@davidy7004]

I think we're due a "whiteboard" video on how to interpret PHEV economy figures... and the thumbnail might say "It's complicated" So for instance at 18:25 in this video, the car is reporting "5.2 miles per kWh in full electric mode". But my strong suspicion is that's a bit misleading, almost as much as the 150-odd mpg which is the other side of the same coin. As an example, suppose the final part of your journey was 1 mile up a gradual hill, 1 mile down a gradual hill on the other side, 1 mile flat, and suppose the battery was already flat at the start of that section. The car would use petrol energy to climb up the hill, but presumably would go into "full electric mode" to go down the hill, probably with some regen which could also be used to power the very last mile. But I bet that downhill mile would count towards the "miles/kWh full electric mode" figure, even though that energy essentially came from petrol? However if it was a full EV, then the miles/kWh consumption figure would of course include the power required to climb the hill as well. So I don't think you can compare that miles/kWh figure for a PHEV to a pure EV? Likewise of course, the 150-odd mpg for petrol consumption includes miles which were powered by the initial charge on the battery, so you can't really compare PHEV economy to a pure petrol car (or even a "self-charging hybrid") for much the same reason.

[@keithware5314]

I have a PHEV Ioniq and just driven 360 miles without charging en route and got 80 mpg better than the 50mpg suggested.

[@whocares264]

Is that 80 mpg plus electricity

[@keithware5314]

@@whocares264 Yes I did not include the 8.9 kWh charge at the start of the trip at 7.9p per kW. Obviously not as cheap an ev but that is my next move.

[@whocares264]

@@keithware5314 thanks for the reply...have a good new year ...fingers crossed

[@keithware5314]

@@whocares264 Thanks very much, let's hope 2021 is much better. Enjoy your driving when they let you.

[@conradmilson6654]

When the battery runs out surely you can recharge using the engine? So whats the problem.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Why would you use an engine to charge a battery so you could then use that charge to not use the engine!

[@maltesephil]

they were in such a rush to get the car out they forgot the top coat of paint

[@bamz2144]

I'm currently driving a skoda superb sel executive , with a fantastic spec . It genuinely is the best car I have owned and I come from a audi a6 black edition . I've never seen as many gadgets and little useful things as I ever have on the superb. Fantastic review 👍👍👍 Keep the good work up mate .

[@andrewdyson4255]

Enjoyed the video once again. I initially wanted a self charging hybrid then a phev but watching your videos and common sense approach to the EV subject, I have been convinced to go full electric. The difficulty now is which one, I’m probably going to change in the next 6 months and the dilemma now is caused by all the new models appearing on the market. I no longer have range anxiety as I reckon I can easily survive with something that’ll do 210 real world miles and there are lots of interesting new ones appearing on the scene. So my decision now is totally one I hadn’t previously considered. Will it fit the bloody dog in. So there you have it, do a review on can you fit a greyhound in the next ones you test

[@MrShingart]

Your review is spot on! A full electric version would be great, but i dont really see the point in all these Plug-in hybrids.

[@johnmcallister8372]

So, long journey, after the battery is flat...do you lose all the performance for battery aided acceleration?

[@djolek85]

you can't lose that as while the engine revs it aqlso produces the electricity, which is neing used by electro motor and adds into the perormance bit. There is a video on YT comparing the acceleration of this and 2.0 petrol - difference in milisecond...

[@AL-ib3lu]

I think the Enyaq is going to be the Skoda everyone wants

[@gordonhamilton727]

Peoples expectations are off the charts now.....no wow factor now, like asking an eleven year old kid what they think of the picture on a 55" ultra high definition tv. Key hole surgery, hip replacement, laser eye surgery.....we just take everything for granted now.

[@Beyondact]

Other than it being massively out of my pricerange it would be perfect for me. I could do my daily work commute on battery alone and be allowed to park in the E spots for free where petrol spots costs a packet. I could also do those longer trips without any planning cause of the diesel engine, public network for chargers here is awesome if you stick to main roads but outside that you are boned.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

It’s a petrol engine, so not great for long journeys.

[@S.J7777]

My Outlander Phev does my 12 mile commute all electric infact ive used 300 litres of petrol for 9000 miled in 1st year

[@siraff4461]

How far out of your price range is it or are you just assuming that? Work out what you stand to save in fuel (don't forget to add the electricity back in but it's not much), tax, wear and tear items and then have a look at pcp's which is basically deferring a chunk of the cars value until the end of the term. That way you can either hand the car back or take out a loan to finish paying it but it keeps payments really low. On Skoda's website it comes in at £537/month but thats before savings on fuel and tax. Depending on your driving pattern and mileage that could be a large chunk of that payment. Even better get one at a few months old, save a few thousand on list price and cut your payments by a nice amount. There are some Passat GTE's (the older models with the smaller battery) for sub £15k but you will need to keep them under about 20 miles to stay in ev only mode.

[@Beyondact]

@@ElectricVehicleMan I have a petrol as it is so that is fine, just odd they don't do it as a diesel.

[@Beyondact]

@@siraff4461 I'm not in the UK and it'd need to be 40% off to be within what I can afford cause taxes and power cost is just mental here. Also cars are still a fairly cheap item so taking a loan to buy it seems silly to me, a cheaper car that might cost a little more to run is for me a better choice than paying on a loan. Maybe when its used if it, that's the market I'm looking at anyways for the next car. Just not getting much on google about how well those PHEVs are for the used market. Not many out there and there for not much data it seems.

[@ROUTEPLANNERPAUL]

Well explained on mpg

[@stephandolby]

I think if BEV owners turned up at public chargers only to find PHEV owners using them, it might start a class war.

[@tonychallinor6721]

Love the reviews! What is it with you and shiny dash surfaces? You keep pointing this out - remember the MG ZS EV? Well, I bought the MG and guess what, I keep dash wipes in the door and a quick wipe every couple of days and no problem! Why don't you complain about shiny paint outside - is it because the marks can be washed off...... See where I'm going with this????

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

You’ve just said it yourself. You keep wipes in the car and use them every couple of days! You don’t see that as something that’s so easily solved? 🤔 Get some black gloss kitchen worktops in your house and see how easy they are to live with.

[@williamfence566]

Great review as usual. Unfortunately Skoda's trump card was always value for money and here it's a very good product, although passionless, but at £40k enters the " I'd rather have the percieved badge snobbery to show my friends" territory. Doesn't fit in any category really for all the wrong reasons.

[@David-qs5ii]

I think it’s in the “my friends will actually be impressed with this” category. I have a 2017 Superb Sportline diesel. It is better than the 2005 Audi A6 it replaced, has not been to the dealer apart from routine service and first MOT, averages 53 mpg and regularly achieves 60mpg due to the M27 roadworks. At 53000 miles it has no rattles unlike my wife’s 2018 Audi TTS which has a dashboard rattle at 20000 miles. The Skoda brought 5 of us with luggage from Fort William to the south coast in under 11 hours, with 120 miles of fuel left whilst on a holiday. It is truly a “SUPERB” family car.

[@SpeedDemon365]

Good review, but I have to just say, your voice has a hint of 'Paul Daniels' in it and thats not a criticism..

[@tomscott9938]

PHEVs are the way that most motorists will step into full EV. I have a PHEV and I would now choose a BEV for my next car. Before the PHEV I would never have considered it. Don't knock the PHEV; it's doing missionary work for the cause.

[@jeffreyfearn5662]

I would like a 100% EV Superb, I know my Mk2 Superb can do more mpg than the hybrid. May try to get my Superb converted to an EV.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Not day to day driving you can't. - kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2m0haKGbNSAqNE

[@computerbob06]

A choice between the Superb and the Model 3? Maybe some people will go for the car that's built better!?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

And maybe some won’t.

[@siraff4461]

Built better, more space, more practical, no long range hassle, real dealer back up and isn't wasting a load of batteries which could be used in someone elses commute. There are a load of other reasons this is a far superior car overall but Tesla has a Tesla badge and can accelerate fast which are the two most important things for a practical family car. Apparently.

[@whocares264]

if you want reliability economy refinement and pace go with the tesla

[@siraff4461]

@@whocares264 Half of that is even true.

[@whocares264]

@@siraff4461 which half is untrue

[@DaniWayne369]

So is hybrid better for a taxi then ?

[@no-oneman.4140]

Unfair to compare a Superb to a Model 3, as clever as the Tesla is you can hardly call it luxurious. Worth mentioning that if the Superb PHEV costs more than £40k it'll incur the dreaded luxury tax so any savings you're making get wiped out.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

I would class the Model 3 as being in the Premium car sector.

[@no-oneman.4140]

@@ElectricVehicleMan - for speed yes, not for anything else.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

So what determines a premium car?

[@no-oneman.4140]

@@ElectricVehicleMan - Quality, Quality, Quality. It's a well known fact that when buying an EV you're paying for tech , they then use scratchy plastics to balance the books. The Tesla charging network has to be paid for somehow. I'm an EV fan, just looking forward to the day when you can get one with quality materials, built to a high standard at a reasonable price.

[@patreekotime4578]

@@no-oneman.4140 Sure seem to be a ton of rich people driving Teslas who are perfectly happy with their quality level. But then, as a person whos mostly driven budget cars from the 90s, anything with a touch screen and automatic anything looks like a fancy spaceship to me.

[@ipb1966]

Re - power boot - Tesla did hear.

[@whocares264]

model Y

[@edwyncorteen1527]

@@whocares264 and new Model 3

[@whocares264]

@@edwyncorteen1527 ah you have seen bjorn 's latest video as well...he is the best

[@wstevenson4913]

You've got the sun, you've got the sand, you've go the diarrhea, we'll be landing in Malaga shortly

[@seamusobrien9850]

Hi Ian, great and balanced review. I want a PIEV because it works for my circumstances. I have solar and because I live in Oz many more electrons than I need on a daily basis (12kw on av). Trip to work about 15 k's, which makes up most of my driving plus a bit of plodding around a regional city for the normal journeys of life. My daughter is currently at Uni in a country town about 420' ks from me and my hobby is music. So about 10-12 times a year I travel long distances 420-1200 ks one way for daughter time, gigs and festivals. Pure EV in Oz not yet a comfortable thing for someone as time poor as me. I love driving, a PIEV makes sense for the next 3-5 years. Still Tesla is very attractive conceptually, just find the design a bit, well, american. Your feedback welcome. Cheers.

[@johnrees8322]

Realistically, how many modern cars have any personality?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Enough.

[@nawazwaseem2219]

Which modern cars have personalities?

[@whocares264]

i love cars but no car has a personality

[@eloirodrigue650]

I think Mercedes is right about the solution for the next 5 -8years; for those who can only afford 1 car, hybrid- diesel is still the optimum way to go. It's a pitty, other manufactures don't follow that way; at least by the consumer point of view

[@CED99]

4.3 miles/kWh - Is it just me or is that getting more m/kWh than the Honda e?

[@whocares264]

Yes the honda is inefficient....

[@davidwilson4468]

I drove the 150 bhp diesel version last year over 1,500 miles in 4 days at very high speed and managed 51 mpg overall. The 2.0 petrol version over similar journeys returned 40 mpg. The PHEV version is roughly £6,000 more than the diesel or petrol version so would make no sense to me expect, for short journeys, which I rarely drive. However, as a company car I get a big tax break for a PHEV, even though I would never bother to charge it, while my company would have a bigger fuel bill and the extra leasing costs. I just don’t see why the government give tax breaks to PHEVs for company car drivers

[@xperyskop2475]

Electric cars /plugins are not for you. But you only one person that I know of that drives over 300 miles a day

[@davidwilson4468]

@@xperyskop2475 300 miles in a day is not unusual for a company car driver but the point I was making is that the government is giving tax breaks for company car drivers like me for whom PHEVs are not suitable compared with an ICE

[@David-bl1bt]

Another government hair-brained scheme that makes no sense at all, but I guess taxi drivers will be thrilled when these lease phevs come into the market!

[@siraff4461]

I think the bigger problem is they hand out company cars to people so they can pop to meetings or the office and back rather than working from home. Quite a lot of people commute over 50 miles each way and some over 100 miles each way. To sit in an office which is less well equipped than their living room. If you think a government scheme trying to get cleaner cars on the road (though that may not be the net result through poor planning) is bad then you really should look at why someone isn't getting the benefit from that plug-in system. Too many miles or no incentive to plug in aren't the governments fault but if they are not addressed sooner or later legislation will come in to make it happen so things like unnecessary journeys will be taxed or at work charging will be mandatory or other such things. I don't know what your personal situation is but if its not important journeys knocking on the door of 400 miles a day is taking the mick whatever you're driving.

[@QALibrary]

they built this car for taxi drivers and company cars and the thing this... will anyone plug these in... will these just become self-charging EV

[@OraEtLabora0]

3:03 think you said you used to be detailer. you know then every crease is annoying threat, one can burn through...

[@computerbob06]

Oh........ Sorry............! Where's the rain gone!

[@MrZaragon62]

Bought 190 bhp diesel superb with my own money 18 months ago and honestly I wouldn't swap it. My wife is a badge snob and mercedes owner and she said she loves driving the car but can't get over the badge!

[@lagardenrooms1070]

What colour is this called?

[@tomquinn9765]

Wait, so you're telling me you DON'T like gloss black interiors? ;)

[@CED99]

Is it an Skoda A4? or on the A4 platform?

[@johnmckay1423]

Kind of. It's bigger than the A6 though... And bigger in the back than the A8 unless you spec the extended wheelbase version. I got ours (petrol version) in 2016. It made a lot of sense then. Now I'd probably stretch to an e-Niro - or wait for the Enyaq. With the change in company car tax, we've gone for a Model 3 and it's much cheaper (monthly costs including petrol)! You can only buy cars that are on sale at the time you need them... It's been a brilliant car for transporting 2 6ft teenagers and their clobber. Space is a more important luxury than toys or a premium badge with that set of requirements. Driven gently on short journeys (which is most of them, hence not the diesel and avoiding the diesel gate criminality) I've averaged over 40mpg long term. On a long journey, with the cruise control set to 70, I get over 50mpg. To get good value, you need to choose the version carefully, otherwise you can spend a lot.

[@John-209]

Is the Skoda the one with the chicken emblem or should I say the flying chicken? We unfortunately are not honored with the presence of a Skoda vehicle here

[@ovano30]

The Chicken emblem won UK best cars of 2020 prices and still not liked here 😉

[@RomanRoman-xi3dv]

I will tell you which phev can be economical for long jurneys. I have prius phev. On the highway, 140km/h it runs on under 5 liters /100km. You must convert it to imperial, but will find out that is a quite low consumption for this speed. Offcourse over 140kmh it gets over 5. On 170 its 6,5 liters.

[@simonstokes1574]

I agree with the fuel consumption figures you quote. I have a plug in prius and average 135mpg but i use maybe 50% electric so the true figure is round 75 mpg. This is fantastic fuel consumption and nearly on par with ev running costs. Prius phv is expensive to buy as all evs and phvs are. The charging infrastructure in uk is improving all the time and may look at a full ev next tlme

[@RomanRoman-xi3dv]

@@simonstokes1574 i did measure my consump. My claim about 140 under 5l i pure ICE running. No ev. Overall. I have this car for 3 years. 60.000km..overall consumption for whole 60k is 2,2liters. I think this is great. It is expensive but is comfy car. There is NO ice car, at this price, with 120hp, automatic gearbox...that has lower running costs then this one. Lower maintaince cost of service...tyres...comsumption.

[@micheltebraake7915]

Nice car.

[@isoconfused8744]

Did your Leaf have a personality?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

No. I bought that to save money, not to enjoy driving.

[@isoconfused8744]

@@ElectricVehicleMan would that not apply to the Superb, it was never going to be a drivers car.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

@@isoconfused8744 Yes. Which is why I said it won’t matter if you view a car as a tool.

[@David-bl1bt]

Having a 7kW wall box charger is of no benefit for this car, the on-board charger has a maximum charging rate of 3.6 kw.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Which is then in place for when someone goes full EV, it’s safer than a plug socket and charges a third faster.

[@mayflowerlash11]

Now that pure electric cars are becoming mainstream, hybrids are becoming inefficient. Why? Because if you use the petrol engine then you are dragging around dead weight in the electric motor and batteries. If you use it as an electric car then you are dragging around the dead weight of the petrol engine and its associated parts. Two car households would be better of having one long distance efficient petrol car and one pure electric car for the shorter journeys around town.

[@HaydenLau.]

You could use both at once

[@mayflowerlash11]

@@HaydenLau. That would be sub optimal. Because one is clearly better than the other. Using both results in a lower efficiency or outcome.