Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren have all posted hybrid-powered supersportsvogne with astronomical horsepower on the market. Since 2009, the planet’s fastest racing cars in Formula 1 had electric assistance, and for the past few years more Le Mans racers made use of similar systems.

So the new company cars with plug-in hybridteknik may well be the case? Well, both and, is the conclusion, after we have tested the two new ones from BMW and Volkswagen, 330e and the Passat GTE, which through an electrical outlet can let the car up to a certain electrical range.

And release the battery, running just ahead of a combination of eldrift and the internal combustion engine.

In the first place it is not at all to see that there had to be something unusual about them – well, apart from that, we are on the right side of the BMW to find a cover for charging, which most of all reminds of a door in an advent calendar, while the trade wind immediately stands up a little more.

It has a blue stripe that runs along the bumper, and the car is equipped with 18-inch rims, which behind hide blue brake calipers. Here is the connector for charging saved far more elegant in the front, where an invisible flap just forward and to the side, when that should be left.

BMW is the most expensive to 548.600 kr., while VW calls 499.900 kr. We test both as sedan, as the only folkevognen can be supplied as a station wagon. We are looking at the more appropriate tax levels for erhvervsleasing, lands we 498.000 kr. at BMW and 430.000 kr. in the Passat.

In view of the fact that the automatic is standard in the cars, it is quite reasonable prices, both when comparing with diesel – and benzinmodeller.

(Photo: Christian Schacht)
Both cars have well-functioning automatic transmission, in the BMW a classic 8-stage, while the VW runs with the DSG. (Photo: Christian Schacht)

As the sporting brand, as BMW now even, we have, of course, the most powerful motorization here, namely, a two-liter gasoline engine with turbo and 184 hp, as we know from the regular 320i, an electric motor with it, which is equivalent to 88 hp, and a real overall system performance on the whole 252 hp. BMW 330e has an official range of the electric motor 40 km.

Here, Volkswagen has chosen a different and less sporty configuration, namely with the known 1,4 tsi gasoline engine that has 156 hp and an electric motor with 115 hp, total of a system performance with 204 hp and an electric range of 50 km.

BMW has the most forces, while VW is the most environmentally friendly, and how do they work also in practice. The BMW is so fast, both in acceleration and overtaking as on the top.

The classic disciplines of reads: 0-100 km/h. of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 225 km/h.

in turn we run not much more than 22-24 miles on a charge. Here is the winner of the VW territory, for it is easily 30 miles on a charge, and you can also reach up to 35 km, which makes it significantly easier to exploit the car’s ability as a pure electric car and, not least, to run as long as possible on gas mileage over a longer period of time.

the Instrumentation in the 3-series is functioning, but the age begins to tap the design of the cockpit, there is a lack of the touch screen. (Photo: Christian Schacht)

An important point in hybrid cars in general is that their weakness is driving over longer distances on motorways, where you don’t have the benefit of the battery.

Hence the running virtually no longer on the gas mileage on a longer trip than in a regular petrol car. And therefore it will be more rational to choose a classic model with a diesel engine, if you most running longer stretch, while the plug-in hybriderne is an obvious alternative to a powerful benzinmodel.

Digital instrumentation costs extra in the Passat, but adds just the added allure of a high-tech suit for the GTE. (Photo: Christian Schacht)

As in all the other hybrid vehicles is that the automatic transmission; in BMW the well-known 8-step ones, and in the VW a version with dobbeltkobling. Both work almost perfectly.

of Course, we have also tested how long time it takes to let the cars up. None of them can lynlades, so at one of the most common charging points from the Clever, it takes approx. 2.5 hours to get fully flares at the battery again and just barely twice as long, if it takes place in a regular outlet at home.

A drawback is that both weighs approx. 150 pounds more than their common motorized cousins, so they are not so dynamic in turns, while comfort is, in turn, is paramount.

IN the BMW, we find the three driving modes, which are also known from the ordinary versions: ‘Sport’, ‘Comfort’ and ‘Ecopro’, where the former tightens up the car and gives a sportier sound. The VW Passat has almost the same options, where the WEIGHTS button transforms the car to a more sporty car.

Unfortunately, you have to live with that plug-in hybrids are still not quite perfectly calibrated, when one slows down, for here the fighting technique of having to collect energy to the battery, while at the same time bremsefornemmelsen must be harmonious.

It results in a slightly unbalanced drive.

The two brands are also agreed that the cars from the factory are set up as pure electric vehicles.

as one gets using the battery, switches automatically to the standard hybriddrift, which alternately run on clean power and on petrol in combination.

Folkevognen have a little more smooching for the nerds, blah. to be able to charge the battery from empty while driving. As a result, the small gasoline engine constantly, but it is an expensive way to charge.

It is obvious that the Passat is conceived as a plug-in already in the design phase. Therefore, it has the best location of the plug. (Photo: Christian Schacht)

Both can save the amount of power in the battery to, for example, to reach a town and want to run on power.

the Batteries are located under the luggage compartment, which means that the capacity for luggage is reduced. In BMW, we have only 370 litres to do well with, while VW has 402 litres – both of which are significantly less than normal. Here it may be decisive that the Passat is available as a station wagon, if you have more space. It makes the BMW is not, and VW is generally a larger car.

We have tested two excellent plug-in hybrids, but we would not hesitate to appoint the Passat GTE, the most comprehensive of the two, especially because its electric range is just what longer, and thus it is easier to drive great gas mileage.

Are you more interested in the sporting flair, the BMW is the right choice.