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SEAT has shown a plug-in electric hybrid version of its Leon, albeit in prototype form. Called the Leon Verde, it is a culmination of the four-year long Cenit Verde research project in Spain that was originally started to facilitate the market introduction of an electric vehicle in that country.

Based on the current SEAT Leon, this unique car is powered by a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine with 122hp, which is linked to a 102hp electric motor to give a total output of 170hp. It is capable of driving purely on electric power for about 30 miles, but has a total range of over 500 miles when combined with its petrol engine. What is more impressive is that NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) figures show that the car emits just 36g/km of CO₂ and has a combined fuel economy figure of a staggering 176.6mpg.

Inside, the high-tech theme is continued in the form of a 'Human-Machine Interface', which is integrated into a smartphone app. The app enables the driver to connect with the car's on-board computer via a wireless network and gives them the ability to manage different functions such as energy consumption and recharge management, as well as remotely being able to check the battery status.

Where the Leon Verde differs from conventional plug-in hybrids is in just how it can charge itself. Through collaborating with energy companies Cobra, Endesa, Iberdrola and Red Eléctrica Espana, a ground-breaking system that involves tariff negotiation and smart energy management was developed. The system can detect when overall energy consumption on the local grid is low, and incentivises by way of lower costs, charging during these times. If the car is left plugged in overnight it will only charge the car at times when it detects the overall demand on the grid has dropped.

This new method of interacting with the electricity grid not only reduces costs for the car's owner but more importantly reduces pressure on the grid. One additional feature is the Leon Verde's ability to supply electricity to the grid by means of a two-way Lear 20kW on-board charger. Given the car's relatively small capacity for holding energy this may be seen as token gesture for now, but in the future when battery capacities increase this feature may become more commonplace. There are no plans to put the Leon Verde into production just yet.