We all want to do a little more to protect the environment and reduce our carbon footprint. Switching to a hybrid car is, according to experts, one of the ways to achieve this. Hybrids can reduce environmental impact because they are not solely dependent on fossil fuels (petrol or diesel), but is that reason enough to make the move? And what should be taken into account before investing in a hybrid vehicle?
In this guide, we’ll look at the pros and cons of buying a hybrid, which will help you decide if the time is right for you to switch to more environmentally friendly driving.
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Advantages of a hybrid car
Better fuel economy
Hybrid cars are equipped with an electric motor and a conventional engine (gasoline or diesel), which implies greater autonomy for each tank of gas. Often hybrid vehicles only run with the electric motor, especially in town, and therefore you do not use gasoline. Take the example of the Toyota Prius, one of the first hybrid vehicles, but also the most popular on the market. The average fuel consumption of the Prius is around 3.4 liters per 100 km, while a traditional car will consume between 5 and 6 liters per 100 km. It is therefore not necessary to refuel as often, which will reduce your expenses.
Fewer emissions
The government’s position is clear when it comes to harmful emissions in our cities. This is why new regulations have been put in place in Paris, Lille, Lyon and Grenoble to prevent older models, which pollute more, from being on the roads at certain times of the day. These environmental zones require motorists to display a sticker on their windshield to indicate to the police the quantity of pollutants emitted. If you own a hybrid car, you will have no problem complying with the legalization in force because the emissions will be greatly reduced compared to gasoline cars.
Advantages of purchases offered by manufacturers
Some manufacturers, such as Peugeot and Renault, regularly offer offers on hybrid models, such as €1,000 reduction on the purchase of a new car. Indeed, the government has put in place a series of measures allowing them to be exempted from taxes and to receive advantages for the sale of vehicles creating less emissions in order to achieve the objective set by the European Union. At the end of 2018, Renault and Peugeot encouraged the government to go even further with the benefits of hybrid vehicles, which means that 2019 could be a good year to find an interesting offer.
Perfect for city driving
If you spend a lot of time on the road in town, a hybrid is an ideal choice – and that’s why many taxis have chosen this option! Hybrids use a concept called regenerative braking, which allows the decelerating force of the brakes to charge the electric motor. In fact, your car is constantly charging while driving around town and you hardly have to use the conventional engine. In addition to being environmentally friendly, using only the electric motor will save you money because you will have to refuel less often.
Excellent performance
Few people know it, but the performance of hybrids is one of their strengths. Thanks to the combination of the petrol engine and the electric motor, these cars offer excellent torque and acceleration, with immediate full power when you are at a standstill. In fact, the BMW i8, one of the fastest hybrid models in production, goes so fast that it can overtake many sports cars with a traditional engine. This adds an additional advantage to facilitate driving in town.
Disadvantages of a hybrid car
High initial cost
Although the price of hybrid cars has been falling since their launch, they are still far more expensive than their gasoline equivalent. That’s down to the on-board tech, like the batteries, but also the advanced head-up display and the automatic transmission. Even used hybrids cost more than other cars, which could push them out of some motorists’ budgets.
Limited electric range
Hybrid cars are only really economical in electric mode, otherwise they consume just as much as an ordinary car. And the problem is that the battery can drain quickly depending on driving style and you might find yourself using the petrol engine more often – then you lose the economic benefits of having to go to the gas station more regularly.
Poor performance on fast roads
Fast roads are not the privileged playground of hybrids and they do not achieve the same performance there as their gasoline equivalent. Indeed, as we mentioned, the electric motor generates power through regenerative braking. So it can stay charged when you’re driving around town, but not on country roads where you have to use the brakes much less often. If you spend most of your time driving on the highway, we recommend investing in a diesel car which will give you the best economy in terms of fuel consumption.
Unverified residual value
All-electric cars are expected to gradually replace hybrids, so it’s hard to judge what a hybrid model will be worth in the future. If it turns out that they become obsolete compared to the all-electric versions, then they could experience a huge depreciation and their owners will not get their money’s worth when reselling or exchanging them. Some newer models will probably retain their value compared to cars relying on regenerative braking because they offer greater flexibility.
Long recharge time
Thinking about buying a hybrid car? Although these plug-in vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, their owners must take into account the time required to recharge the electric motor when the car is plugged in. Plug-in electric cars are considered the next generation of hybrid and they allow the car to be charged manually, in addition to current regenerative braking. But recharging an electric motor takes a lot of time and it’s not really conceivable to do it while you’re shopping. These vehicles usually need to be charged overnight to keep the batteries full and so you need an accessible and secure place near you to park the car while it charges.
Summary
The advantages and disadvantages of hybrid cars are numerous and switching to this type of vehicle really depends on your needs. This might be a good choice in the following cases:
- You mainly drive in the city
- You live or work in a city with emissions restrictions
- You want an environmentally friendly car
No matter what type of car you drive, Holts wide range of car care products will have you looking after it. To learn more, visit our homepage today.