Words: AutoTrader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
With many Kiwis looking to make the switch to a more economical and environmentally friendly vehicle. It is important to find the right option to fit yours and your family’s needs. So Hybrid vs. Fully Electric, what’s the difference? We break down all of the options to help you find the right fit.
Fully Electric
Fully electric means that the vehicle is powered solely from a battery in the car and requires no petrol/diesel. Instead, the vehicle will need to be plugged in at home or at a public charger in order to fuel up on electricity.
Running Cost: There is no cost for fuel involved and no more trips to the petrol station. But your electricity bill will increase somewhat and if you decide to charge at a public fast charger, there will also be a cost involved (although it is much less than traditional fuel). Ecotricity has a great calculator to work out the specific costs involved in owning an EV. A fully electric vehicle is generally the cheapest option in regards to running costs.
Pros: Fully electric vehicles have the lowest emissions and are generally the most cost effective in regards to running costs. The range of newer electric vehicles has increased dramatically as well. EVs produce no exhaust emissions and owning an EV can reduce your CO2 emissions for transport by around 80%. Also, Battery powered EV’s emit 60% fewer climate changing emissions over their lifetime than Petrol/Diesel vehicles (even when you factor in manufacturing and shipping).
Cons: EV’s generally have less driving range than petrol or hybrid cars and they can take some time to charge. The best option is usually to charge them overnight while you sleep, however for long journeys you may need to plan around stopping to charge your vehicle at a fast charger.
If you are ready to look for an EV, view the range on Auto Trader now.
Hybrid
Hybrid cars use an electric motor when driving lower speeds and automatically switch to a petrol motor when the speed is increased (the speed that this switches at differs between makes). A hybrid car doesn’t need to be plugged in, instead it uses the power from whenever you decelerate or use the brakes and store this energy in the battery for later. Because hybrids run on both petrol and battery, and can interchange automatically this reduces range anxiety that can happen with other electric vehicles.
Running Cost: A hybrid vehicle still requires petrol to run, so you still will need to factor this cost in, however the fuel requirements are far less than a traditional petrol vehicle because it relies on both the petrol and the battery to run. You don’t need to plug in a hybrid vehicle so there will be no extra electricity costs involved.
Pros: Hybrid vehicles do not need to be plugged in, so you don’t have to change your driving routine when switching from a standard petrol vehicle to a hybrid. You also never have to worry about the range of the battery or waiting for the vehicle to charge as it charges itself while driving.
Cons: You will still need to pay for petrol and make trips to the petrol station with a hybrid vehicle, you also don’t have the option to plug it in at any point so it is less flexible in that sense. Due to hybrids still requiring petrol as fuel, the emissions are higher than a fully electric vehicle.
If you are ready to look for a Hybrid, view the range on Auto Trader now.
Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV)
A Plug-In Hybrid is a hybrid vehicle that also has the option to be plugged in. This gives more electric battery range than a standard hybrid, but also still the security of a petrol motor that will kick in once the electric battery has been depleted.
Running Cost: Plug-in hybrids will incur both the cost of petrol and the cost of plugging in to charge either at home or at a fast charger. Although you will still have to fill up with petrol at some point, because of the plug-in charging option, your fuel cost could be as little as 1.00 litres of fuel per 100 kms of driving.
Pros: You get the best of both options, the car will use the electric battery, but also has the back up option of the petrol fuel as well.
Cons: With the PHEV requiring petrol, the emissions will be slightly higher than a fully electric vehicle and you will also incur the cost of that small amount of petrol that you will need.
If you are ready to look for a Plug-In Hybrid, view the range on Auto Trader now.
