What Is a Mild Hybrid Car?
The list of available powertrains seems to grow every year. What benefit does a mild hybrid offer?
Written by Andrew Koole
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
You don’t need to go full EV to save your money and the environment with your next automotive purchase. Thanks to the growing number of
hybrid cars
, eco-friendly driving can be affordable at the gas station and the dealership.In fact, you might have a hybrid and not even know it. While you can’t miss the distinct needs and benefits of a full or
plug-in hybrids
, many of the new models coming out today use mild hybrid technology. What makes a hybrid mild?
The definition of a hybrid is in the name. While regular cars rely on fuel and
electric vehicles
run solely on battery power, a hybrid uses a combination of both. But what is a mild hybrid? It’s a car with a slightly more substantial battery than a regular car—usually a 48-volt system—that powers all the auxiliary functions of the vehicle, ie. the starter, USB ports, and interior lights.
Now hold a minute, you might be thinking. Doesn’t every car battery take care of these things? While that’s kind of true,
Kelley Blue Book
(KBB) says the extra voltage of a mild hybrid takes the pressure off the gas tank to keep it charged. Most mild hybrids also use no-idle technology that kills the engine whenever the car comes to a complete stop and restarts it automatically when the driver applies pressure to the gas pedal.
The effect the system has on
gas mileage
is significantly less than what a full hybrid offers, but over time, KBB says the savings can seriously add up.Examples of mild hybrids
Mild hybrids don’t always get marked as such by their manufacturers, so you might buy one without even knowing it. But there’s usually a hint in the trim label to hint at its eco-friendly status.
Take the eTorque system found in Jeeps and Rams, for example. If you own a Jeep Wrangler from 2019 to 2022 with a base V6 engine and automatic transmission, you’ve probably seen the “eTorque” label on your car indicating that you’re driving a mild hybrid.
Other car brands known for their mild hybrids are Honda, which introduced its Integrated Motor Assist system in the late ‘90s, as well as most new models from
luxury automakers
like Audi, Mercedes, and Volvo.Car insurance for mild hybrids
Full hybrids and electric cars are known to have higher than average premiums, but in some cases, they’re actually cheaper to insure than mild hybrid and internal combustion models.
Take the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara for example.
Car insurance
for the base model, which comes as a mild hybrid when supplied with an automatic transmission, averages out to $2,898 annually. Coverage for the plug-in hybrid 4xe model costs an average of $100 less each year. But no matter what powertrain you choose, you can save on coverage by shopping with Jerry. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and can even help you cancel your old policy.
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