You’ve read all the fluff about the brave new world of electric cars. However, even the stylish, beautifully-proportioned Tesla (tested elsewhere on this site) falls foul of the lack of plug-in infrastructure in the UK.

What we need is a plug-in vehicle that removes that worrying feeling you are just about to run out battery life in the middle of nowhere. So, until there are plug-in points on every street corner, the Outlander PHEV is the perfect solution.

PHEV is the first plug-in vehicle that has the reassuring back up of a hybrid petrol-electric system – so you will never have the stress of searching for a plug-in point miles from home.

It’s brilliantly simple – like most great ideas – and that’s why it’s now the UK’s No. 1 plug in. The PHEV does everything and is also a sports utility vehicle, a booming car sector in Britain.

Add four-wheel drive ability and you start to understand why this five-seater is proving so popular. We also like the way it looks at Car Couture and with a lot of miles to cover this week, I’m looking forward to seeing how the PHEV copes in the real world of Bank Holiday traffic.