Hybrid v electric cars: What’s the cheapest and most sustainable choice? – EQ Mag Pro
The move to electric vehicles has been one of the key strands of the energy transition so far – and with good reason.
Data from Transport and Environment shows that cars and vans alone were responsible for producing 16 per cent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Domestic transport vehicles accounted for 72 per cen****t of the EU road transport emissions total.
It’s been clear for a while that something has to change. We cannot continue to drive petrol and diesel vehicles that will run our Earth into the ground.
What are plug-in hybrid cars?
Plug-in hybrid vehicles have been a mainstream option for over a decade. They combine petrol tanks with electric batteries, which are bigger than the ones in regular hybrids, and so need recharging from an external power source.
It’s fair to say that electric vehicles have overtaken them in popularity now. In the UK for example, battery and hybrid electric vehicles now make up more than half of all new cars sold, and fully electric car sales have soared by 70 per cent in the last year.
Despite this, there’s still a lot of misinformation and hearsay about the best eco-friendly options out there.
Many argue that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a brilliant stepping stone to entering the electric motoring world. But they can also come with a lot of misleading claims about their eco-credentials.
Pure electric vehicles have their own barriers too. Range anxiety, cost and limited charging infrastructure are just some of the hurdles giving people pause for thought.
So if you’re stuck between models, here’s what you need to know.
Is it time for hybrid vehicles to pull over?
Seen as a halfway point to electric driving, hybrids have a long-standing reputation as being eco-conscious vehicles. We all know they still produce tailpipe emissions but they also have an electric motor which should cover some shorter journeys.
Despite this, Greenpeace UK has gone so far as to call plug-in hybrid vehicles the “car industry’s wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Following these claims, official testing confirms that plug-in hybrid vehicles have much higher emission rates than manufacturers claim. The tests were run on some of Europe’s best-selling hybrid cars – including the BMW X5 and Volvo XC60 – and show that hybrids can actually emit up to 89 per cent more CO2 than initial reporting shows.
Hybrids can emit up to 89 per cent more CO2 than initial reporting shows.
This suggests that hybrid cars are actually much closer to their petrol and diesel counterparts in terms of emissions. It’s largely down to the fact that hybrid vehicles have very limited electric driving range. Even some of the newest models on the market can only travel up to 100km using the electric motor before a petrol or diesel engine kicks in.
Global discussions have ensued as to when plug-in hybrids should stop being sold. In July, the EU Parliament endorsed an EU ban on the sale of new plug-in hybrid vehicles from 2035. The UK has also brought forward its hybrid ban to this year, from 2040.
Why are electric cars more expensive than hybrids?
One of the biggest turn offs to buying a pure electric vehicle is undoubtedly the big price tag. Generally all-electric cars cost more than their petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid counterparts. As a comparison, the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid has a starting price of €28,389 whereas the all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 is priced much higher at €45,832.
This is largely due to them being produced in smaller numbers and incorporating more advanced technology. Alongside the general increase in cost of living, people are still recovering from financial losses following the pandemic. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that consumers are struggling to find the funds to switch to an all-electric vehicle.
If people can afford a pure electric vehicle, they’re often left with fears of range anxiety and a lack of supporting infrastructure. While governments are pledging millions to expand and improve on-the-go changing points, there’s still a long way to go. In terms of range anxiety, it’s definitely still a valid worry.
That said, there are a lot of all-electric models currently on the European market that will easily travel over 200km before needing to be recharged. Plus, with EV technology always advancing, the ranges on electric vehicles are only going to increase.
Source: euronews
