2026 ranking · Plug-in hybrids (PHEV)

The cheapest plug-in hybrids to run in 2026

The cheapest to run is the Volkswagen Golf: 127 € a month at 15,000 km a year. We've compared the 119 models of this type still sold new, with fuel, insurance, road tax, ITV, maintenance and tyres.

Cheapest to run

127 €

a month

242 € a month on average across 119 models.

The 20 cheapest to run each month

Monthly running cost at 15,000 km a year for 5 years, bought new, with third-party, fire and theft insurance. Depreciation is shown separately.

Highlights

What the data says

What a plug-in hybrid uses depends on how often you charge it. Here we assume you charge it sometimes, like the average measured by the European Commission: that way it uses about 3,5 times the petrol of its official figure. If you always charge it, it'll use much less; if you never do, the same as its non-plug-in version.

Of the 119 models still sold new, the one that costs least is the Volkswagen Golf (1.5 Plug-in hybrid 204 CV): 127 € a month, 1.527 € a year. Number 20 on the list, the BMW Serie 2 Active Tourer, costs 163 € a month: 36 € more than the first. The average across all 119 is 242 € a month, 3 € more than the average for all cars on sale (239 €).

For the Volkswagen Golf, the biggest cost is energy: 40 € a month, followed by insurance (32 €) and maintenance (30 €).

None of the top 20 is a city car or supermini. If you're after a small or compact SUV, the one that costs least is the Leapmotor C10: 128 € a month, at number 2.

The best-seller on the list is the Seat León: 16.354 registrations in Spain in 2025, adding up all its versions. With the version shown here it costs 134 € a month and comes in at number 4.

How we calculate it

The same assumptions as each car's page

Only models still sold new are included: those registered in 2025 according to the European Environment Agency's register.
Each model is included with its best-selling version of this engine type that is still on sale.
15,000 km a year for 5 years, bought new. Real consumption: the type-approval figure plus the real-world gap measured by the European Commission.
Fuel: the average of filling stations in Spain on 15/10/2026. Electricity: 0,15 €/kWh, charging at home (rapid chargers cost several times more).
Road tax at the legal minimum rates and ITV at the average fee across regions. Insurance, maintenance and tyres: our own estimates, the same across Spain.
Full methodology →

Sources

Fuel prices (Ministry for the Ecological Transition) Average of 10.944 filling stations in Spain, 15/10/2026
Type-approval consumption: European Environment Agency CO₂ register for cars

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Before you decide

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Which is the cheapest plug-in hybrid to run?+

The Volkswagen Golf (1.5 Plug-in hybrid 204 CV): 127 € a month at 15,000 km a year, including insurance, road tax, ITV, maintenance and tyres. Not counting depreciation.

How much does it cost to run a plug-in hybrid?+

On average, 242 € a month across the 119 models still sold new: the lowest, 127 €, and the highest, 810 €. The average for all cars on sale is 239 € a month.

What if I'll hardly ever be able to charge it?+

Then it'll use the same as its non-plug-in version. In that case, look at non-plug-in hybrids too: the one that costs least is the Mazda Mazda2 (1.5 Hybrid 92 CV), at 175 € a month.

What's included in the monthly cost?+

Fuel or electricity at real consumption, third-party, fire and theft insurance, road tax, ITV, maintenance and tyres, at 15,000 km a year for 5 years and bought new. Depreciation is separate: you'll find it on each car's page.

Why isn't my car listed?+

Only models still sold new are included (those registered in 2025), each with its best-selling version with this engine type. If yours is older, look it up in the search: we have cars from 2000 onwards.