Mention
hybrid at a birthday party and you can be sure there will be an
'expert' that has got something to say. Unfortunately most things people
know about hybrid technology is based on hear-say and many believe in
the myths that are being told over and over - whether it be about the
reliability, performance, how it works or the resale value. So we've put the 5 most common myths together and busted them, one by
one.
Believe it
or not, but the hybrid battery isn't likely to need replacement
during the lifetime of your car. They've been manufactured to last
the typical life of the vehicle and there are many examples of hybrid
vehicles that have done over 300,000km without needing a battery
change.
Maintaining a hybrid also doesn't cost more then a
conventional car with most manufacturers – perhaps even less due to
decreased wear and tear on the engine and braking system. That's why
some manufacturers back them with an 8 year warranty.
A hybrid
slow and sluggish? Think again! Where a petrol or diesel engine needs to make revs
in order to create power, this is immediately available in a hybrid
vehicle because of the electric engine. Off the line this means you
get instant throttle response, resulting in quick acceleration. When
the petrol engine kicks in the power just keeps going, so you'll get
the best of both worlds. The technology offers the driving and
acceleration performance of some vehicles with much larger engine
displacements. Plus you'll get the added advantage of an improved fuel efficiency with the electric engine.
You don't
need to charge a hybrid vehicle. There, we said it. A hybrid car can
be driven for short distances on electric power only. This is
particularly useful in stop-start traffic, where you can enjoy the
silence of not having an engine running and are not polluting or
pushing out emissions. It will also work when driving at slow speed
through the neighbourhood (on an early Sunday morning) for example.
However, a hybrid can't run if there is no petrol in the tank. So how does the battery charge? The
battery charges through regenerative braking (recapturing much of the car's kinetic energy and converting it into
electricity that can be used to recharge the car's batteries), and through the internal
engine when driving.
Most people think of a Toyota Prius when you mention hybrid. The Prius was well and truly the pioneer in this space and found a solid buyer base after the market understood the technology and benefits. There are now a variety of hybrid models available, and in the last few years, Hybrids have evolved from stand alone models (like the Prius) to being offered in more mainstream models. For example, Toyota now also have a petrol only and a petrol/hybrid version of the Camry,
Corolla
and RAV4, with a hybrid version of the Hilux and Landcruiser earmarked for the near future. Mitsubishi retail the Outlander PHEV (which you can
plug in to charge), you can find the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid (now discontinued) as a
Pre-Owned option, just like the Holden Volt and several other makes and models.
Now that
hybrid vehicles have become mainstream, they tend to keep their value
much better than over a decade ago. Of course, this still depends on
how it was maintained and driven. Compared to a petrol or diesel
car, they definitely don't lose more value over the years or as
kilometres go up. There is a good reason why hybrids are the vehicle of choice for taxi and ride-share drivers. Next to their reliability and fuel efficiency, they hold their value very well. We can conclude that hybrid technology is not a fad
and is here to stay, with many future developments and further hybrid variants coming.
And if you don't believe us, here is what Guy Sebastian has to say:
So now we've debunked the five most common hybrid myths. They're reliable, fast and furious thanks to having two engines - not just one, you don't have to charge them all the time, you can chose from a wide range of vehicles and when you want a new one, the resale value of your old hybrid isn't any lower than a conventional vehicle.
One thing that's definitely not a myth is the lower fuel consumption of hybrid vehicles. As the price of petrol keeps fluctuating dramatically all the time, it's certainly advantageous to be less dependent on fuel prices and you can do many more kilometres before having to head out to the pump!
So if you've dismissed hybrids as a fad, perhaps it time to reconsider as not only are they a great proposition and good for the environment, they are becoming more and more popular and available across more manufacturers.
Motorama have one of the largest selections of quality pre-owned cars for sale in Brisbane, including hybrids. We will have the right car for you at our dealer locations in Moorooka, Springwood and Hillcrest.
Read the latest reviews of all hybrid vehicles available at Motorama on our blog and stay up-to-date.