Many people are moving towards cleaner, energy-efficient cars. One of the key reasons is to save money on fuel but there are plenty of reasons why hybrids are rapidly becoming the go-to choice for buyers. We’ve compiled a list of advantages of owning a hybrid vehicle, that go beyond fuel-efficiency.
Less Pollution
A combination of an electric motor and petrol engine reduces exhaust emissions in hybrids. For instance, the Honda CR-V Hybrid SUV emits just about 120g/km of carbon dioxide. Those numbers are very low for a car that big in size.
Fewer Fuel Stops
While cruising at a reasonable speed, a Hybrid vehicle uses its electric engine half the time, instead of the petrol engine. On board the Honda CR-V hybrid, a speed of 40mph gives 53.3mpg. That should be good enough to power through over 600 miles.
Easy to switch from electric to petrol and vice versa
A full electric vehicle can be tricky sometimes if you’ve not charged it properly. The same goes for a petrol engine, in case you don’t maintain the gas tank. A hybrid, however, allows you to switch to either motor depending on how much fuel or charge is available on the vehicle. For instance, when the battery is low, a hybrid will switch to petrol itself, while also charging the battery.
Higher resale value
Hybrid vehicles are often manufactured by popular brands like Audi, BMW, Honda, Chevrolet, etc. This helps in maintaining a higher resale value. Additionally, hybrids come equipped with top safety features and benefits that can increase their resale value. If maintained well, hybrids can reap benefits in the long run.
You have total control
Hybrids put you in charge, allowing you to decide how you want to slow down. You can harvest more energy for the batteries depending on how hard you decelerate.
Zero-emissions driving
Some hybrids let you drive in pure electric mode, provided the battery has enough charge. This is a really important feature for eco-conscious drivers. Not only do you save money on fuel but it also causes less harm to the environment.
Regenerative braking
When driving a hybrid, the energy produced during braking is captured and fed to the battery. This feature is known as regenerative braking. It allows you to increase the charge while driving and also extends the life of your brakes.
Hybrids are more versatile
Hybrids have multiple drive modes. The Honda CR-V Hybrid has EV Drive, which uses the electric motor, Engine Drive where only the petrol engine is running, and Hybrid Drive, which exploits a combination of the two, to deliver fuel-efficient driving.
Hybrids are intelligent and adaptive
The idea behind a hybrid is that it smartly manages power to automatically switch between drive modes to suit different conditions. This takes the pressure off you and lets you concentrate on the drive.
With plenty of benefits that go beyond just fuel efficiency, Hybrids are becoming popular by the day. They offer comfort, styling and handling similar to cars with fuel engines while also providing additional benefits.