HYBRID CARS 
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
Hybrid cars have become increasing popular over the pass decade, however; there are still persons sitting on the fence when it comes to the technology behind it. Lets look into what exactly is an hybrid car and why one should be on your list when thinking about vehicle ownership.
So you are about to buy your first car and you have the choice between an hybrid or a regular petrol , which should you choose?. First we need to look at what exactly is an hybrid vehicle and how does it work?.
Traditionally, vehicles used an internal combustion engine to drive the wheels directly, with increasing demand for more efficient and environmentally friendly means of transportation, manufacturers have develop the Hybrid Power Train. whereas a traditional vehicle use only a combustion engine an Hybrid vehicles on the other hand uses a combination of a petrol engine and an electric motor working in tandem to power the vehicle hence the term hybrid.
There two main Hybrid design, the mild hybrid and the full hybrid design.
Mild Hybrid design.
This design is more common on vehicles made prior to 2018, however it can be found on much newer vehicles. In this setup; the petrol engine powers the wheel while the electric motor acts as a support mechanism to increase torque and engine performance. as a result provide better fuel economy and a smoother driving experience. these cars are more common in Jamaican and the wider Caribbean.
Full Hybrid design
In this design the engine never power the wheels and is use solely to charge the battery which runs the electric motors. This design is fairly new and can be found on the award winning Nissan e-power setup and the Honda eHeV design.
Hybrid cars carry a battery pack setup. this is usually located at the rear of the vehicle sometimes taking the space where your spare tyre would normally sit. These battery usually have a lifespan of 10 years but many owners have reported to get many more years of service out of them before they need to be replaced. Mild hybrid cars can run perfectly fine if the hybrid system fails however that’s not the case with full hybrid systems which relies directly on electric motor for propulsion.
Hybrid systems are a relatively new technology and just like anything which is new to the market they may develop unforeseen issues, issues which your local mechanic may not be able to diagnose so easily or even at all. This could prove to be expensive if you have to take it to the dealer to get it fix.
Cons
- Battery lifespan -Hybrid battery packs typically have a 10 year lifespan.
- Cost
- No spare Tyre – (fix-a-flat kit)
Pros
- Fuel economy
- Less maintenance
- Quiet
- Environmentally friendly
- Lower taxes (some countries)
Lets be honest, fuel economy is a big deal it will be your main day to day concern over the course of owning a vehicle. Its probably single handedly the most important factor to consider in vehicle ownership. Taking out thousand to dollars to buy gas every week just to go to and from work can be stressing and may have you wishing you were still taking the bus.
Hybrid vehicles on average gets 25 to 33 % more miles per gal of fuel this can result in significant savings with the ever increasing gas prices. lets look at the numbers for 2021 Toyota corolla with the petrol variant getting a rating of 38MPG whereas the Hybrid model is coming in at 53MPG.
hybrid technology comes with a few drawbacks but that shouldnt deter you from puting one on your list of cars to buy.
with that said, hope this was helpful. until next time….. Drive well!!