How To Decide Between a Hybrid and an EV

If you care for the environment, you're most definitely thinking about going sustainable by reducing your carbon footprint. You can do that by curtailing your reliance on fossil fuels like petrol and diesel. That's where hybrid and electric vehicles (EV) come into play. But what are the differences between them? Which one will suit your lifestyle the most? Which one is ideal in terms of long-term costs? We're going to tell you all about that with this handy guide on how to decide between a hybrid and an EV.

Difference between hybrid and EV

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These two types of cars are built on fundamentally different concepts. Hybrid vehicles run on both battery power as well as combustible fuels. That means they have a backup petrol engine for when your battery runs out of juice. And this also means that not only do you have to charge the battery of such a vehicle if it's a plugin but also ensure that its tank is filled. If it´s a full or a mild hybrid, it´s battery is charged by running the combustion engine.

On the other hand, EVs run completely on battery power. Hence, they have far fewer components making up the drivetrain.

Which cars have the better range?

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Since hybrid vehicles also have to accommodate a petrol/diesel engine apart from the battery, they offer much smaller batteries than EVs. They can only support a 65km range on battery power, after which combustion engine takes over.

As for electric vehicles, they offer much longer ranges since battery power is the only thing they run on. A typical electric car can deliver a minimum range of 160kms, but modern EVs have started offering ranges as big as 650kms.

Which cars are better for the environment?

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This is a simple question to answer and also very difficult one. It's simple because electric vehicles are obviously better for the environment because they don't burn fossil fuels and release zero emissions into the atmosphere. In that regard, your car will be responsible for zero air pollution.

But the reason the question is difficult to answer is although an electric car creates zero emissions, that will have little impact on the environment compared to the emissions generated during the process of mass producing such vehicles. Large scale deforestation is sometimes needed to set up massive factories. Transportation through traditional methods also leads to mass emissions.

So the best route to take, that many companies are indeed taking these days, is to switch to completely sustainable production practices and work towards a greener future for our planet. But for the time being, driving an electric car will mean, as an individual, you will have a much lesser impact on the environment than a hybrid car.

What about access to charging?

This is something that surely hurts electric car owners. Sure, you can definitely charge your car at your home but when going on long trips, if there isn't a sizeable charging infrastructure available, you might be stranded with no battery power. A person with a hybrid car can drive without such fears.

After-sales costs

As we said, an EV is made from far fewer parts compared to a hybrid car. This obviously means you'll be saving a fortune on maintenance costs over the long term. Plus, fuel is obviously more expensive than electricity and that's one more area where an EV will offer long-term savings.

Now that you know everything about these two categories of cars, you will know how to decide between a hybrid and an EV by applying the above-mentioned possibilities to your lifestyle and your needs.