Pros and Cons of Hybrid Cars

Electric and hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more popular among drivers these days mostly because they represent newer and greener technology which is part of the clean future that will follow.

Due to the fact that the older vehicles with diesel engines (Euro 1, 2, 3 and even Euro 4 vehicles in some cities) are already banned or restricted in the urban areas of major cities across the planet such as Paris (France), Milan (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), Brussels (Belgium) and others, many people buying new vehicles choose to buy gasoline vehicles, hybrid or even electric vehicles, while the sales of diesel cars are in free fall, mainly in Europe and in the UK.

Hybrid Cars Definition

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is not an electric or plug-in vehicle because you don’t have to charge its battery.

Hybrid vehicles combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and manages to make a better fuel economy compared to other vehicles because it uses a smaller battery which is charged when you are slowing down the vehicle, and the recovered energy is then used to drive the vehicle only on electric power on a short distance.

A hybrid vehicle has reduced emissions because the car uses the internal combustion engine, but also the electric motor, and the idle emissions are also reduced because the internal combustion engine is shut down at idle and is restarted when needed (start-stop system).

Full hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) available today on the market: Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Toyota Yaris Hybrid, Kia Niro Hybrid, Ford Mondeo Hybrid, Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, Toyota Prius Hybrid, etc.

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a different type of hybrid car because it allows the user to recharge the battery connecting its plug to an external source of electric power.

Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles Eliminate the Range Anxiety Specific to EV Owners

We can say that a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a combination between a hybrid vehicle (HEV) and an electric vehicle (EV) because it shares the characteristics of both these vehicles and due to this fact, the car provides a better electric range compared to the regular hybrids (HEV).

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) also eliminate the “range anxiety” specific to all-electric vehicle drivers, because once the battery is depleted, the car starts using its internal combustion engine.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) available today on the market: Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV, BMW iDRive X5 plug-in hybrid, etc.

Mild Hybrids

Mild hybrids (MHEV) are vehicles that don’t work only on electric power because both the battery and the electric motor are too weak to propel the vehicle on the road, so the car uses only its internal combustion engine to run.

The only difference between a mild hybrid and a conventional vehicle is the oversize starter motor that allows the internal combustion engine to be shut down when the car is coasting, braking or is stopped.

The same electric motor is used to supply additional propulsion energy when accelerating the vehicle, which improves agility.

Some mild hybrids use the electric motor to recover and recapture energy through regenerative braking.

Because the battery and the electrical motor are smaller, the weight and the price of a mild hybrid vehicle is lower compared to full or plug-in hybrids.

Mild hybrid electric vehicles available on the market today or in the near future: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Mild Hybrid, 2019 Mazda 3 Mild Hybrid, 2019 Audi mild hybrids, Ford will launch Fiesta and Focus mild hybrids in 2020, etc.

Pros of Hybrid Cars

Being greener compared to conventional vehicles, hybrid cars have more advantages than disadvantages.

1. Are greener compared to conventional vehicles

Hybrid cars release fewer emissions because they alternate the use of internal combustion engine with electric motor (having zero emissions).

They use the electric motor when idling and when running at low speeds, and this means less emissions and a cleaner air in your city.

2. Improved fuel efficiency

Hybrid vehicles manage to achieve a very good fuel efficiency (a Toyota Prius Hybrid can reach an EPA estimated 54 miles per gallon in the city and about 50 miles per gallon on the highway), due to the fact that the internal combustion engine is used less often due to the presence of the battery and the electric motor.

Alternating the use of a gasoline engine with the use of electric power, almost doubles the range of the vehicle.

This means that you will stop at the fuel pump less often.

3. Use a smaller number of natural resources

Fossil fuels like oil are part of the natural resources available on our planet, and we all know that these resources are limited.

Using less gasoline than conventional vehicles, hybrid cars are not only protecting the natural resources, but are also reducing the level of air pollution produced by the transportation sector.

4. They need maintenance less often

A hybrid vehicle uses its internal combustion engine less often due to the presence of the electric motor.

The electric motor takes over whenever it can, and this means less wear and tear on the internal combustion engine, which will need maintenance less often compared to a conventional vehicle.

5. These vehicles are almost noiseless

We all know that gasoline engines produce less noise compared to a diesel engine, and a gasoline engine is noisier compared to an electric motor.

A hybrid vehicle alternates the use of a gasoline engine with an electric motor, and this means less noise produced on the road and in the cabin.

A very quiet and peaceful cabin will always mean improved comfort for the driver and the passengers in the hybrid vehicle.

6. A hybrid car may not need an emissions test to be registered

In some states such as Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada and Washington, a hybrid car doesn’t need an emissions test to be registered because is considered a green vehicle.

However, if you buy a hybrid car, check with your local DMV to see if the emissions test is required or any other tests to register the vehicle.

Cons of Hybrid Cars

There are also a few disadvantages related to hybrid cars.

1. The initial investment in a hybrid car is higher

Hybrid cars are usually, but not always more expensive that conventional vehicles with gasoline engines, and this is mainly due to the fact that in addition to the internal combustion engine, you get an electric motor and a battery, and all the systems related.

However, in a couple of years, you can get your money back due to the fact that you save so much on gas, and the maintenance service is made less often.

2. The battery is expensive

The battery can be very expensive to replace, and this operation usually needs to be done after ten years of usage, when the value of the vehicle is way lower.

However, car manufacturers like Toyota offer exceptional warranties on their cars, so if your battery dies before its 100,000 or 150,000 miles warranty, Toyota will replace it for free.

If you car is out of warranty and the battery died, you have two options:

• You replace the old battery with a new one, which can cost you a little more than $3,000 (battery plus installation);
• You buy a new vehicle.

3. Hybrid vehicles are less efficient on the highway

A hybrid car can reach an EPA estimated 54 miles per gallon in the city because the electric motor takes over pretty often (when idling, when braking and when the vehicle is stopped), which means that the internal combustion engine will work less.

However, on the highway, the electric motor will take over less often because the car will idle, brake and stop less often compared to city driving.

This is the reason why hybrids reach better mileage in the city.

4. A mild hybrid is not a true hybrid

When deciding to buy a new vehicle, if you want a hybrid, you need to understand that on the market the offer is pretty generous because it gives the opportunity to choose between full hybrids, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids.

However, if you want a hybrid vehicle with good mileage on the gallon and fewer emissions, choose a full hybrid or a plug-in hybrid.

If you choose a mild hybrid, you will only get a vehicle that uses only its internal combustion engine without an electric motor that could take over when needed.

Even if the car has an electric motor and a battery, they will be too weak to drive the vehicle, and this is the reason why the vehicle will always use only its gasoline engine.

Final conclusion

Before buying a new car, always make your research to find everything about your future vehicle.

If you search online you will find what others have encountered being a hybrid car owner, check the forums, check Youtube, check the related Facebook groups and learn everything about your next vehicle.

This way you will choose wisely a hybrid vehicle that suits you best, and from this deal, three different winners will arise: the driver (you will pay less on gasoline), the environment (a hybrid car produces fewer emissions), and mankind, because more green cars on the road means that the air will suddenly become way more breathable.