How to Charge a Hybrid Car

Switching to a hybrid vehicle, like the Honda Accord Hybrid, for example, to save gas on your New London commute can be a wise choice. But, if you’re thinking about making the switch, you’re probably curious about charging a hybrid car battery. Do you need to charge a hybrid car in the first place? Some hybrid vehicles self-charge, but it’s still important to know how to charge a hybrid car battery.

The service center at Westbrook Honda goes into the details of hybrid batteries, including how to charge a plug-in hybrid battery. After taking a look at our guide, visit our dealership to learn more about our hybrid vehicles and schedule a test drive!

Do You Need to Charge a Hybrid Car?

Not all hybrid cars have to be plugged in to refill their battery levels. Many traditional hybrid vehicles combine a gas engine and an electric battery, with the gas engine acting as a charger for the battery. That means that your Honda hybrid vehicle will self-charge as you drive it around Branford. Your hybrid uses gas power first, charging the battery as you drive, and then your hybrid will automatically switch over to battery power when gas fuel runs low.

There’s another kind of hybrid: a plug-in hybrid. What’s the difference between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid? If you drive a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), then you’ll have to plug this vehicle into an outlet or charging station to top off the battery. That’s because PHEVs have larger electric batteries, and the gas engine can’t charge the battery as it drives.

How to Charge a Hybrid Car Battery

How does charging a hybrid car battery work, then? There are three different methods of charging, each taking a different length of time to complete a charge.

How to Charge a Hybrid Car Battery

• Level 1 Home AC Charging (120V): The cord that comes with the car is plugged into a wall outlet. You can get a full charge in about 24 hours using this method.
• Level 2 Home AC Charging (240V): This uses a charging unit that needs to be professionally installed. Full charge in about four to five hours.
• Fast Public DC Charging: This requires a public charging station, like the ones that can be found near Middletown. They offer up to 80% charge in about 30 minutes.

How Do You Charge a Plug-in Hybrid?

As we mentioned earlier, plug-in hybrid vehicles don’t self-charge and need to be plugged in. So, how do you charge a plug-in hybrid? You charge it the same way we mentioned above. The above charging options can be used on traditional hybrid and PHEVs. To charge your PHEV, all you have to do is plug it into your home charging station or find a public charging station.

Test-Drive a Hybrid Car in Westbrook!

Do you need to charge a hybrid car? The only hybrid that requires a plug-in or charging station to recharge the battery is a plug-in hybrid. Otherwise, hybrid vehicles can self-charge without needing to be plugged in. Contact us to learn more about our popular Honda hybrid vehicles like the Honda CR-V Hybrid, and let us know if you’d like to take a test drive of any model in our hybrid inventory!