The advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid car

The great advantage of hybrid cars lies in their consumption, much more economical than vehicles equipped with a petrol or diesel engine. At low speed, a hybrid car consumes only electricity. At higher speed, it also consumes petrol. While you are driving, the electric motor recharges, providing you with low CO2 emissions and limited fuel consumption. However, these are not the only advantages of hybrid cars:

Hybrid cars: advantages and disadvantages

More and more hybrid cars invade our streets. Deemed respectful of the environment, they have other interesting advantages, but also some disadvantages. Discovery.

How hybrid cars work ?

The first one hybrid car was produced in 1970 by the Toyota brand. The hybrid name comes from the fact that the car works with two different energy sources, and even more in some models. Classic hybrid cars are equipped with two engines that work simultaneously:

• A main heat engine, often with gasoline
• A secondary electric motor operating using a small capacity battery

The electric motor takes care of starting the car and propeling it at 50 km/h, while the heat engine works when the acceleration speed is higher.

What are the advantages of hybrid cars ?

If hybrid cars is popular with French consumers, the main reason is that it allows you to fuel savings. In particular thanks to the assistance of the electric motor. Indeed, in traffic jams or in low -speed areas (zone 30, pedestrian tracks, etc.), the car runs entirely thanks to its electric motorization. Thus, it only requests its heat engine at high speed.

In addition, it still presents more advantages:

• Compared to petrol or diesel cars, cars emit less greenhouse gas. A good point in order to preserve the environment
• In its electric phases, the hybrid vehicle moves all in silence
• At the wheel of a hybrid car, you can circulate freely throughout France, with respect for the ZFEs and the Crit’Air vignettes
• The battery does not need to be recharged. Completely autonomous, it has the capacity to automatically regenerate the braking and deceleration of the vehicle.

What are the disadvantages of hybrid cars ?

Despite the numerous advantages of driving a hybrid model, it however has some disadvantages. Starting with its high price. The additional cost is on average 5,000 euros compared to a thermal model, and it is necessary to drive approximately 35,000 kilometers per year to make it profitable.

The same is true for the cost of repairs because the parts are specific. On the other hand, they are made to last, so there will be no frequent repairs (or less). Other disadvantages are also to be raised:

• The hybrid car has less space in the passenger compartment when the battery is located under the trunk;
• With only five places, it is not suitable for large families
• It is designed for short distances travel, with frequent stops and starts. Essentially for its low fuel consumption. It is therefore not the ideal car to go on vacation, especially because it does not allow you to drive at more than 50 km/h electric
• The integrated battery increases the weight of the car, and moreover the consumption of fuel at high speed
• The ecological bonus of 1,000 euros for a hybrid car, has not been valid since 2018.

Finally, given the advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid car, it must be said that it is a city car completely designed for urban traffic.

Read also :

• MERCEDES-AMG GT COUPE 4 DOORS (2021): Slight restyling
• Jaguar Land Rover: the Defender will carbure with hydrogen
• New Nissan Qashqai (2021): production is launched !

The advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid car

The advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid car

Profitability, mechanical or even Car Insurance, Hybrid vehicles have various advantages and disadvantages… Thélem Assurances takes stock.

Hybrid or electric vehicle, what is the difference ?

First of all, it is important not to confuse hybrid and electric car, because these are different and this can be confusing. It often happens that we talk about a hybrid vehicle instead of an electric vehicle and vice versa. An electric vehicle is by definition, a vehicle operating 100% with electrical energy. A hybrid vehicle contains two engines, a functioning thanks to petrol, and the second is electric.

How a hybrid vehicle works ?

Before seeing the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid vehicles, it is necessary to see the functioning of the latter for a better understanding. First, a hybrid vehicle is equipped with a main heat engine and an electric secondary engine. For the majority of models, the operation is as follows: the petrol engine causes the wheels and the electric motor shoulders its acceleration. For low -speed trips, the car works in 100% electric mode. Thus, the vehicle does not consume fuel in a parking lot, in a traffic jam, in an area 30 or in town within 50 km/h.

To operate, the electric motor requires a battery, often placed in a part of the trunk, under the rear seat or under the floor. The latter is independent because it recharges during the braking and deceleration phases thanks to the kinetic energy of the vehicle. The electric motor therefore works as a generator: when you don’t need its resources, it produces electricity that will be stored for the future. Which means that it is not necessary to recharge the battery on a sector outlet. For the driver, everything is therefore identical to a conventional car since the electronic system also automatically manages the assistance phases of the electric motor and regeneration.

What are the advantages of a hybrid vehicle ?

The great advantage of hybrid cars lies in their consumption, much more economical than vehicles equipped with a petrol or diesel engine. At low speed, a hybrid car consumes only electricity. At higher speed, it also consumes petrol. While you are driving, the electric motor recharges, providing you with low CO2 emissions and limited fuel consumption. However, these are not the only advantages of hybrid cars:

No need to recharge the battery

Unlike some popular ideas, a hybrid vehicle does not need to be connected to a sector outlet to recharge its battery. Thus, this does not upset the driver’s habits since everything is identical to a classic petrol or diesel car. The battery is autonomous, it automatically manages the engine assistance phases, and energy regeneration.

Respect for Crit’Air vignettes

With a hybrid vehicle, you have no worries about the Crit’Air vignettes. The latter benefit from the best category, in other words, you can circulate everywhere in France, even during pollution peaks.

Hybrid vehicle: low fuel consumption

Thanks to its two engines, the hybrid vehicle consumes less than a conventional heat engine vehicle. This difference is notorious during accelerations where the electric motor shoulders the petrol engine. You will also be more economical in town, where stops, starts, and low -speed circulation are omnipresent, because all its phases only use the electric motor. If the vast majority of your journeys are in town, then the hybrid will allow you to consume significantly less.

The hybrid is more ecological

Thanks to the electric motor which allows a reduced fuel consumption, driving a hybrid vehicle is therefore also emitting less CO2.

10% reduction on your auto insurance in Thélem Assurances

In Thélem Assurances, we are sensitive to the environmental issue. So, for the purchase of a hybrid or electric vehicle, we offer you pricing advantages on electric or hybrid vehicle insurance.

Hybrid vehicle: higher user comfort

One of the advantages of the hybrid vehicle is its comfort of use. At low speed in town, or in deceleration, you will benefit from total silence in the vehicle since the heat engine does not run. So you produce less noise pollution in your neighborhood, and can enjoy a great calm on board. Also note that all the hybrids on the market do not have a clutch pedal and rid the driver of the geargage for a more fluid driving.

Hybrids, fairly reliable cars ?

The question that could be asked about this emerging system is in reliability. However, some cars already display more than 300,000km on the clock, without having used a change of battery. When the car gets age, it is logically that there is a drop in performance. Nevertheless, the latter is not so substantial. The battery storage capacity drops, but we still observe consumption savings. Hybrid vehicles are cars that have neither a starter, no gearbox, nor distribution belt, which are elements that are expensive to repair. So you get rid of these parts to maintain.

What are the disadvantages of a hybrid vehicle ?

Now the advantages taken into account, we must also become aware of certain drawbacks that the hybrid vehicle presents. Here is a list of these:

A higher purchase cost

The major drawback remains its higher average price. To make this additional cost profitable, you will have to travel on average 35,000 km per year, it is therefore not interesting to choose a hybrid vehicle if you take the steering wheel occasionally.

A loss of on -board space

Even if this phenomenon tends to disappear on the latest hybrid models, the vast majority of vehicles on the market sacrifice part of the trunk to store the battery. On some models, we find these batteries under the rear or very low bench in the floor.

A higher weight

With the weight of the battery, hybrid vehicles are on average heavier than their petrol counterparts, this has little impact in daily use but it is an element to take into account if you prefer to handle cars light.

More risk of accidents with pedestrians

The silence of the engine is a double -cutting advantage. In town, you will have to be even more vigilant than you are already. Pedestrians are likely not to hear you and to go unopinely.

Little interest in campaign

The hybrid engine is especially interesting at low speed, so in urban areas. If you live in the countryside, that you drive a lot on major axes such as highways and nationals, the hybrid engine will then have little interest since you will especially draw from the heat engine. The cost of a hybrid vehicle will not be profitable.

You now know the main advantages and disadvantages to be taken into account when buying a hybrid vehicle. Once the latter bought, think of Thélem Assurances for your car insurance, and benefit from 15% reduction For a hybrid or electric vehicle.