In the past, buying a car has meant choosing between petrol and diesel. However, there is now more choice than that. Today you can choose from a new generation of hybrid and electric engines meaning there’s a lot more to think about. From efficiency, the car’s performance to even how the emissions may affect car tax.
With so many options, this can cause confusion about the type of car that’s right for you. However, do not fear as we have compiled the pros and cons around petrol, hybrid and electric cars helping you make the decision to find your perfect car.
Electric cars
Electric cars function by plugging into a charge point and taking electricity from the grid. They store the electricity in rechargeable batteries that power an electric motor, which turns the wheels. Electric cars accelerate faster than vehicles with traditional fuel engines – so they feel lighter to drive.
Once you’ve bought an electric vehicle (EV) the day-to-day running costs are significantly lower than they are for a petrol or diesel model. It’s common for an EV to be charged overnight ready for a day’s use, so you will be using electricity at a lower unit rate than you would during the day. It’s estimated that to fully charge an EV at home will cost just a few pounds, which is significantly less than it will cost to fill a car to cover a similar mileage. This cost will vary depending on how, when and where you charge, just like filling a petrol car at different fuel stations.
Petrol cars
Petrol vehicles are the most popular cars on the market. They’ve been around the longest, and offer many benefits over hybrid and electric cars. The main advantage of petrol cars is that they are generally cheaper to purchase and maintain than electric cars and hybrid cars are. They also tend to handle better and are better overall when it comes to speed.
However, petrol is quite expensive, so fuelling a petrol car is often more expensive. The main disadvantage, however, of petrol cars is that they are not particularly energy efficient, and they aren’t very good for the environment either.
Hybrid cars
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are becoming more popular each day. If you’re looking for the low CO2 emissions found in electric cars but don’t want to be restricted on how many miles you can travel, hybrid technology offers the best of both worlds.
A hybrid vehicle uses a combination of electricity stored in batteries and petrol stored in a tank to propel the car forward. A hybrid vehicle can charge its own batteries using the petrol engine. In some cases, this is all the petrol engine is there for, to recharge the batteries, which power the electric motors. In other types of hybrid vehicles, the petrol motor drives the wheels directly, but an additional battery/motor combination adds some electric drive.
It’s not just about saving fuel, the more substantial plug-in hybrids can require wholesale lifestyle changes which some drivers might find deterring. They also tend to be much more expensive than your standard petrol or diesel equivalent which has hampered their popularity in mainstream markets.
But if you’re open to change, and the idea of dramatically reducing your fuel bills then there are plenty of reasons why going hybrid might be the best move for you.
We are always on hand to give you any advice you may require. Please feel free to email or phone us and we will be happy to answer any query you may have.
