Best Hybrid/EV Buying Guide
December 25, 2020
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Buying a new vehicle can be an overwhelming experience. There are so many options, plus you may get concerned about your car’s carbon footprint. With hybrid and electric cars, you can save on fuel costs, conserve energy, and overall reduce your carbon emissions.
Since you are trying to avoid the typical gas-engine car, you probably have a lot of questions. Within this guide, you can find helpful information for your electric or hybrid car buying experience.
Are Hybrid Cars and Electric Cars Worth the Cost?
As our world’s technology continues to expand, car manufacturers are looking for more eco-friendly transportation modes. This is where electric cars and hybrid vehicles shine. Compared to vehicles with a petrol engine, an electrified car is much better for the environment, considering it produces significantly fewer emissions.
On the other hand, hybrid and electric cars cost more than petrol-powered cars overall. However, when it comes to fuel costs, cars with some electric power are more fuel-efficient and cost less overtime to power up. Whereas regular petrol cars can cost upwards of $1000 per month, hybrids and electric cars accumulate about $400 or $500 per month–almost half!
What Is the Difference Between a Hybrid Car and an Electric Car?
When you want to pick an efficient car, a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle are your best options. However, they are not the same.
Electric vehicles are 100 percent gas-free. This means that they rely on charging electric power to garner their energy. When the car runs out of fuel from the plug-in charge, electric cars use energy from the battery until you can find another charging station.
Hybrid cars are a bit different. First, when you are browsing, you may come across standard hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The standard requires no plug-in or charging, but rather involves petrol and uses it in the most efficient way possible. Plug-in hybrids, however, can use petrol and battery power to run. They can also use a plug-in charge, but it is optional. This is perfect so that car owners do not have to worry about always maintaining a full charge.
What Is the Difference Between a Mild Hybrid and a Full Hybrid?
When looking through hybrids, you may also come across mild hybrid vehicles and full hybrid vehicles. These are the same as standard hybrids and full hybrids. Both contain a petrol engine, but classic hybrid cars run with more efficiency. Full hybrids–also called PHEV– can use electric power for an extra energy boost. To refuel a PHEV, you can use petrol or a charging plug, whichever is most affordable for you.
Is It Better to Buy New or Used?
Almost anyone looking to buy a car has asked themselves this question. Is a new car worth the cost? Is a used car too risky even though it is affordable?
When looking for a hybrid car or an electric car, the differences between new and used are almost identical to those with a petrol engine.
When buying used, you can spend significantly less on the overall price–and possibly even on the price of fuel. You are also avoiding taking a depreciation hit that you would usually get with a newer car.
When buying newer cars, you pay more in the upfront price, but you have a better guarantee of quality. When you buy a used car, there is no way to predict the potential problems it holds. Plus, the previous owner may not be responsible for the repair costs. When you get a newer hybrid electric vehicle, the dealership or seller can offer a more secure satisfaction guarantee. They may also assume the repair costs within the first few months or years of your ownership.
What to Consider When Browsing
Battery
A price that you need to consider is for a replacement battery. Some batteries have a life span of between 100 and 150,000 miles. However, once they run out, they are not the most affordable things to replace. Most dealers have a warranty that completes a replacement within a certain period. That way, you do not have to worry too much.
Convenient Access to Charging
If you want hybrid or electric cars that sport an electric-only range, you need to consider the battery life. For longer trips, people tend to favor petrol-powered machines because there is better access to petrol fuel. There may not be as many charging plugs while on the open road.
Additionally, purchasing a charging port may be another price you have to pay along with the payment for the entire machine. If this does not seem affordable, you should look for public charging or a plug-in hybrid that relies on petrol.
The Overall Costs
Purchasing hybrid or electric cars is not the most affordable thing to pay for. Any transportation machine, for that matter, does not always have a pretty price. However, given the lower costs of fuel, the overall price may be better than you imagined. All you have to do is invest a little in the general machine and its charging plug to give it power.
Best Electric Cars in Perth, Australia
Before starting your hunt for electric vehicles and hybrid cars, you may want to have a general idea of which brands and which models are best.
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is one of the better-known hybrids. Let’s take a look at its features and overall quality.
Exterior and Seating
This model is a standard hybrid sedan with the capability of seating up to five people. The interior provides a lot of space and offers great visibility for drivers.
Engine
Combining electric motors and 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines, Priuses provide a total horsepower of 121. Due to their hybrid compositions, these cars transition seamlessly from pure electric power to petrol.
Mileage
Priuses usually get between 53 and 58 miles per gallon. However, this depends on the model you get. Additionally, it provides more miles in the city and fewer on the highway.
Reliability
The Prius is available in the all-wheel-drive format. Overall, it has an average rating for reliability due to its slower hybrid powertrain.
Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid
Exterior and Seating
The Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is a standard sedan containing five seats. One of the complaints about this car is that it is not very stable when traveling over bumpy roads. Additionally, all interior materials are good for the environment. However, this does sacrifice a bit of comfort.
Engine
The engine of the Hyundai Ioniq is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that combines with an electric motor. Altogether, it has 139 horsepower. Since it combines these two elements, the Ioniq is considered a plug-in hybrid, or a PHEV. This means that you can mix and match refueling trips to the petrol station or the charging plug.
Mileage
In the city, this plug-in hybrid can get up to 57 miles per gallon while getting up to 59 on the highway. The electric-only range for this PHEV can also get up to 170 mpg.
Reliability
All in all, with its electric-only range front-wheel drive, this Hyundai’s reliability edges a little past average.
Toyota Corolla
Exterior and Seating
Another sedan on this list, the Toyota Corolla can seat up to five passengers. Its exterior provides a generally smooth ride, but the trunk has minimal space that may not be sufficient.
Engine
When looking through Corollas, there are two engine options to choose from. The first–a 1.8-liter base engine that produces 139 horsepower. The second is a 2.0-liter base engine that produces 169 horsepower.
Mileage
In the city, the Corolla has a driving range of 30 mpg and 38 mpg on the highway.
Reliability
Overall, the Corolla does not have the mileage range of other hybrid cars and electric cars, but it has a durable exterior with easy controls and great reliability reviews.
Toyota Rav4 Hybrid
Exterior and Seating
Although it only has five seats, the Toyota Rav4 is one of the better hybrid SUVs for its driving range and horsepower.
Engine
The Rav4 has two electric motors combined with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine. Altogether, this creates 219 horsepower.
Mileage
Due to its electric motor, the Rav4 is one of the most efficient hybrid vehicles available. When the engine kicks out, the battery can turn on. Overall, the Rav4 can get up to 41 mpg in urban areas and 38 mpg on straightaway roads like the highway.
Reliability
Given its range of mileage and fuel-saving efficiency, the Rav4 Hybrid is one of the more reliable electric motor cars.
Toyota Camry
Exterior and Seating
The Toyota Camry ranks as one of the best hybrid sedans. It can fit up to five people. As for spacing, the trunk is smaller than you would expect, but it has decent legroom in the front and back.
Engine
There are two engine options when you look at the Camry. The first is a standard four-cylinder, and the second is a V6.
Mileage
When it comes to the range of mileage, the Camry is underwhelming. In the city, it can reach up to 28 mpg and 38 mpg on the highway. However, if you go for the V6 engine model, then the mileage range decreases between 22 and 28 mpg.
Reliability
For its price, interior, and mileage, the Camry is one of the more reliable cars on the list, performing slightly above average.
Hyundai Kona Electric
Exterior and Seating
As a full-electric SUV, the Hyundai Kona seats five people in total. It has easy controls and plenty of safety features to make you feel comfortable while taking a drive. This is one of the most popular among electric cars.
Engine
The Kona is one of the few full-electric cars, so there is no petrol engine. Instead, it has a plug-in charging infrastructure to gather its power. It takes no fuel, which, as mentioned before, is great for the environment.
The electric motor is 150 kW with a horsepower of 201. To charge it, you need to plug the Kona into a 220- or 240-volt charging station.
Mileage
There is no way to determine the electric range for this new EV since many factors play a role. However, since electric motors use power from a lithium-ion battery pack, you can count on decent mileage compared to cars that run on petrol fuel. Of course, cars usually run better on a full charge.
Reliability
All in all, the Hyundai Kona is one of the fairly reliable cars. It ranks average on a scale of reliability when compared to other cars.
Chevrolet Bolt
Exterior and Seating
The Chevrolet Bolt has a unique sedan-style exterior that brings a modern edge to your driveway. It has an affordable price given its five-person capacity and fuel-saving efficiency. This is a more affordable vehicle for most people.
Engine
With a lithium-ion battery pack, the Chevy Bolt relies entirely on electric charging power to run. It takes about ten hours to reach full charge, and you must use a 240-volt charging plug.
Mileage
On a full charge, the electric-only range can reach up to 259 miles, which is really good in comparison to other cars of its class. When converting to mpg as used in standard petrol engines, the Bolt motor has a range between 108 and 127 mpg.
Reliability
For its price range, comfortable interior, and extremely efficient motor, the Bolt is one of the more reliable–and affordable–cars.
Tesla Model S
Exterior and Seating
The Tesla Model S is one of the most luxurious electric cars out there. It has a futuristic interior that seats up to five people and an average-looking sedan-style exterior. Telsa has some of the most well-known electric cars on the market! Last year, Telsa had one of the top-rated models for electric cars.
Engine
This model Tesla comes with a 100-kilowatt-hours battery along with two electric motors. It requires no amounts of petrol to run. As a result, it is extremely powerful and can reach 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
Mileage
After charging up to a completely full charge, this Tesla can travel 348 miles without needing another refuel of energy. When making the comparison to petrol-powered cars, this Tesla can get between 100 and 110 mpg.
Reliability
With its battery, lack of petrol, and accessibility to a public charging plug, this Tesla is a reliable machine, especially in comparison to other luxury cars.
What Is a Good Price for Hybrids and EVs?
There is no definitive way to determine the best costs for hybrid and electric cars. One thing you can count on, though, is that they cost about $2000 or $3000 more than normal, non-hybrid machines. This price typically gets counterbalance with fewer trips to petrol stations.
When looking at a newer hybrid, the price may start out around $26,000. If you opt for cheaper materials (and skip the leather interior), you can find more affordable costs. Overall, you can find that you might save more money with hybrid or electric cars. All you have to do is make a larger investment for more affordable fueling prices.
Another price you also have to consider is the charging plug for electric cars. If you can find hybrid or electric cars with access to public charging, then you can save some money on the costs. Again, this may be another investment you take to save more money in the long run.
The Final Word
Though they may have a higher price, hybrid or electric cars do a great job saving the environment and saving you money in the long run. They are not the most affordable machines in the transportation industry, but they can relieve you of unbearable petrol costs and inconvenient trips to refueling stations.
Overall, do not let costs deter you from purchasing hybrid or electric cars. They are great for the environment and are paving the way towards the future of transportation.
