Abstract Hybrid nanofluids (HNFs) have outstanding energy transfer capabilities that are comparable to mono-nanofluids. Materials had appliances in obvious fields such as heat generation, micropower generation, and solar collectors. The objective of this study is to investigate the new aspects of convective heat transfer in an electrically conducting Carreau HNF situated between two parallel discs. In addition to the presumed stretchability and rotation of the discs, physical phenomena like nonlinear radiation, viscous dissipation, Joule dissipation, and heat generation and absorption are considered. The Cu and TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed in engine oil to understand the intricate phenomenon of hybridization. The Tiwari and Das nanofluid model is employed to model the governing partial differential equations (PDEs) and then simplified using boundary layer approximation. The suitable transformations of similarity variables are defined and implemented to change the set of formulated PDEs into ordinary differential equations. The reduced system is solved semi-analytically by the homotopy analysis method. The influences of involving physical parameters on the velocity and temperature are plotted with the help of graphical figures. This study brings forth a significant contribution by uncovering novel flow features that have previously remained unexplored. By addressing a well-defined problem, our research provides valuable insights into the enhancement of thermal transport, with direct implications for diverse engineering devices such as solar collectors, heat exchangers, and microelectronics.