The world is moving to EVs. EVs will take over the roads. EVs are the next big thing. EVs are the future, true. But what about the present? As of today, Indians are super excited about electric vehicles because of the fact that they are super cheap to run. They’re much better for the environment and they make next to no noise. While Indians are ready for EVs, India is not. Therefore, hybrids are coming into the picture and people are loving them too. But which one is better? Today, let’s take a look at a detailed comparison of Hybrids vs EVs!
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A bit about EVs
An electric vehicle solely functions on a battery and motor setup. The battery generates electricity that powers the motor, which in turn spins the wheels. The setup is quite simple, to be honest, and is absolutely sustainable. With the engine gone, the car functions on ZERO FUEL. Sounds sweet, right? It is. What makes EVs even better is the power delivery. In regular petrol and diesel engines, the power and torque delivery is quite linear. Whereas in EVs, you have 100% torque available right from the start. For many first-time EV drivers, the experience is very much like sitting in a ‘spaceship’ because it launches so quickly.
So EVs, are cheap to run, good for our environment, more fun to drive, and super sustainable. We’ll discuss the cons later in this comparison of Hybrids vs EVs.
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A bit about hybrids
A hybrid vehicle is much more complicated. It has an engine that runs on fuel, and it also has a battery. Here, the engine actually works to charge the battery, which in turn helps the engine in running the car. To make things simple, think of a generator. Whenever there’s a power cut, we quickly fill the generator with fuel and it helps produce electricity. In a car, the engine acts as a generator and also acts as a driver. Hybrid cars keep switching between the engine and the battery as power sources, which helps minimize fuel consumption. This is why big cars like the Toyota Camry and the Grand Vitara are able to deliver a mileage of 25 km/l, that too in city traffic.
A hybrid will always be more efficient in the city and less efficient on the highway. This is because cars generally move at a lower speed in cities. Here, the battery can kick in more often and let the engine rest. However, on highways, the engine needs to be more involved as the speed at which the car is moving is much higher.
For this comparison of Hybrids vs EVs, let’s divide the comparison into 2 parts. The first will be in favor of EVs, and the second will be in favor of Hybrids. 
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Hybrids vs EVs – Pro Electric
Let’s see what things work in an EV’s favor. Firstly, it is the cost. An electric vehicle is super cheap to run. Costs can be as low as Rs. 1-1.5 per KM! This cost is for the electricity alone and does not include the money required to maintain these cars. Speaking of maintenance, that’s the second egg EVs have in their baskets. With the engine gone, maintenance costs reduce significantly. The only costs that remain are for brakes, tires, and other small consumables. This is much lower when compared to a hybrid. The battery usually comes with an 8-year warranty, so that is also pretty much sorted.
The next this that works for EVs is comfort. The cabin is completely free of any noise and vibrations. This makes the driving and sitting comfort much better than an ICE vehicle and significantly reduces tiredness. They’re also very convenient as you never have to stop at a petrol station. You can simply charge your car overnight at your home!
Performance is another thing that gives EVs a step up in this comparison of Hybrids vs EVs. With all the torque that is available from 0km/hr, EVs are much faster than hybrids. Not just faster, but EVs handles much better as well. See, the battery that powers the wheels is huge, and it is heavy. This battery is placed under the car, and this makes the center of gravity really low. For a regular car, the front is much heavier than the rear. However, in an EV, the weight is distributed so well that even an SUV may handle like a sedan!
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Hybrids vs EVs – Pro Hybrid
The first thing in this comparison of Hybrids vs EVs that makes a hybrid better is the upfront cost. In general, a hybrid variant of a car is priced at Rs. 2 Lakhs higher. On the other hand, an EV variant is pricier by at least Rs. 4 Lakhs. The upfront cost of buying an EV is much higher when compared to hybrids. The next thing that makes a hybrid better is familiarity. A layman is much more comfortable driving a hybrid than an EV. People are simply not used to driving EVs. Whereas in a hybrid, the driving experience is pretty much the same as in a regular car.
Fuel efficiency also works in favor of hybrids. Look at the Honda City eHEV for example. The petrol City delivers an efficiency of about 10-12 km/l with mixed driving. On the other hand, the City eHEV can be as efficient as 27-30 km/l! The efficiency figures are more than double, and the driving experience is pretty much the same.
The thing that makes hybrids super easy to choose is the fact that there is no need to spend hours with a charger. All you need to do is refuel and you’re good to go in just 2 minutes. This makes long drives super convenient when compared to an EV where you’ll have to stop and charge your vehicle for at least 30-40 minutes every couple of hours. If you don’t stop for super regular charges, range anxiety will take over you and all you’ll do is worry. The small ‘charging breaks’ will take up a lot of time if you are planning on doing long drives.
This brings us to the next thing that works for EVs – peace of mind, the most important human emotion. There’s no such that as range anxiety for a hybrid owner. Even though the car is running partly on electric power, the primary source of energy is still good old petrol. This is the biggest point in this comparison of Hybrids vs EVs that works in favor of hybrids. This is especially convenient for long highway trips where EV chargers are not easily available. An EV simply cannot go somewhere there’s no charger. But petrol is available almost everywhere, and that’s why hybrids are much more convenient.
You might argue that EV chargers are being installed, and there will be plenty of chargers across the country soon. Yes, that is 100% true, however, ‘soon’ really means a few years at least. The infrastructure is just not at a level where people can freely drive EVs from one point in the country to another. So, for now, a hybrid is much more convenient.
One last thing, from an enthusiast’s point of view. An EV lacks the road of a petrol engine, and that is something we dearly miss. Yes, the performance is better, but the connection is missing for many.
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Hybrids vs EVs – Conclusion
If you just look at EVs and Hybrids as products, EVs are definitely much better in the long run. However, India is just not equipped enough to support mass electric traffic right now. Looking at the number of cars sold in India every year, it will take a lot of time to make our country truly ready to go 100% electric. And this is the biggest reason why hybrids win this comparison of Hybrids vs EVs.
However, a comparison also depends on the use case. If you want a car solely for city drives, an EV is hands down the perfect choice. Hybrids are better in a generalized setting of highway+city driving. A hybrid is definitely the better choice if you have only one car in your household. Imagine there’s an emergency you need to rush to at 3 AM, but your car is out of charge. Not good, right? This is why hybrids are more favorable.
What do you think about this comparison of Hybrids vs EVs? Let us know in the comments below!
