Electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles—despite both aiming to reduce emissions and increase efficiency—differ significantly in terms of their reliance on powertrains. While EVs solely use the power derived from their battery-and-motor system for propulsion, hybrid vehicles combine the power of gasoline engines and a battery-and-motor setup to maximize mileage. As EVs do not come with an engine, they do not require oil changes—something that hybrid engines still require.
The best electric cars and hybrid vehicles come with their own distinct advantages and features. To select between the two options, buyers must consider a range of parameters before finalizing their decision.
1. Powertrain and performance
Essentially, choosing between hybrid and electric cars comes down to how much one still wants to rely on an internal combustion engine. In electric cars, power is added to the lithium-ion battery pack through charging. The battery stores the power as direct current (DC), and the engine converts this into alternating current (AC) to propel the vehicle. When a driver switches on the AC, an inverter converts the reserved energy into usable power before sending it to the induction motor to spin the vehicle’s wheels.
Hybrid vehicles use this working mechanism of EVs in tandem with gasoline-powered engines. At any time, either of the power sources can be increased or decreased, meaning that the gas engine may be working on its own when its electric counterpart is not charged. Alternatively, the electric motor may be working when the gasoline engine is dormant or when the vehicle is low on fuel. Usually, both power sources work in combination. Hybrids use regenerative braking to charge the car’s battery pack. In certain instances, the gas engine helps charge the battery.
The working mechanism of electric vehicles is fine-tuned to ensure that almost no energy is lost at any transition and near-zero power lags. This smooth and immediate power delivery results in electric vehicles easily returning better and more responsive performance than gas-powered and hybrid vehicles. People needing rapid acceleration and power immediacy can opt for electric vehicles over hybrid ones.
2. Energy efficiency
The power source of electric vehicles achieves significantly higher energy conversion efficiency. For this reason, electric vehicles offer greater energy efficiency than hybrid vehicles. On the other hand, hybrid engines offer better efficiency than purely gasoline-powered engines because of the electric motor included in their architecture. The significant difference between the mileage of a hybrid vehicle and its fully electric counterpart is one of the main reasons why most automobile experts recommend the latter as a better investment choice for the long term.
3. Cost of purchase and maintenance
Electric motors are incredibly costly and complicated to design and assemble. The components used in these motors are in high demand globally, so they tend to be pricier than regular combustion engines, which are easier and cheaper to design and assemble. This is the reason why electric vehicles are more expensive than hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles rely on electric motors, but not up to the extent that purely electric vehicles do. For this reason, they are relatively cost-efficient to buy.
While electric cars are costlier, they will also help owners save more money in the long run by eliminating gasoline expenses and the money spent on oil change visits. Hybrid vehicles have a more complicated engine combination. For this reason, these vehicles tend to be more expensive to maintain. EVs cost less to charge when compared to refueling hybrid cars. Electric automobiles also tend to depreciate faster due to the combination of alternative fuel sources and advanced technological features.
All in all, this means that electric vehicles may be more expensive to purchase. Still, they are incredibly cost-efficient to operate and maintain in the long run compared to hybrid alternatives.
4. Environmental impact
Hybrid vehicles represent the middle ground between purely gas-powered cars and fully electric automobiles. Nevertheless, as hybrid vehicles feature a gas engine, they still come with a certain amount of emissions. On the other hand, electric cars have no direct tailpipe emissions. The only emissions an electric vehicle is responsible for are the ones released during the production stages of the automobile.
This means that if an electric car is used for several years, its overall positive environmental impact will be higher than that of its hybrid alternatives, although both help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.
5. Tax benefits
To push more automobile enthusiasts to opt for EVs over conventional ICE (internal combustion engine) cars, the government offers tax incentives. Depending on a given EV’s qualifications, one can get up to $7,500 in federal tax credits and up to $4,000 depending on the state where one lives. People can check multiple IRS sources to know how different electric vehicles qualify for such benefits.
6. Insurance expenses
The national average car insurance premium stands at $1,529. But, it is important to note that this figure will vary widely based on one’s driving record, type of car, inflation rate, and similar other factors. According to recent records, the average insurance cost of fully electric vehicles tends to be in the range of $2,280. The same parameter is $1,637 for hybrid vehicles.
Based on such factors and many more standards, one can decide between hybrid cars and EVs. People who need to purchase cheaper and slower-depreciating vehicles can opt for hybrids, while those who wish to have a smaller carbon footprint can opt for electric cars.
