With the rising fuel prices in India, buyers are quite hesitant to buy a car in the market. Diesel cars may likely disappear from the Indian car market because of strict emissions norms such as CAFE norms and BSVI norms which forces Indian car makers to stop making diesel cars and the raising question is which is the alternative value for money car for the Indian buyers. The only alternative is Hybrid, and the question is it practical and reliable for the Indian buyers and the Indian road conditions.
What is a Hybrid Car?
A hybrid car is a vehicle, which is operated with the help of a internal combustion engine and a electric motor unlike other combustion cars. Hybrid car works with the combination of both the systems which helps improving fuel efficiency. A hybrid car’s electric motor works at low speed and helps in assisting power to the engine which helps in reducing power and fuel consumption only when it is driven sedately.
Types of Hybrid Cars
A micro hybrid is simply the smaller version of a strong hybrid where a car is operated with an internal combustion engine along with a small lithium battery. The small battery assists the engine in terms of power and fuel efficiency. However, it is not as effective as the strong hybrid in terms of better power delivery and fuel efficiency, but one thing we can consider buying the micro hybrid is the affordability as it has less upfront costs compared to the strong hybrid.
The strong hybrid is the bigger version of micro hybrid, in terms of mechanism it is similar to the micro hybrid, the only key difference is the battery component as it is much larger and it gives more fuel efficiency as well as more linear power, but the only letdown is the rising upfront costs as overtime the battery will degrade eventually.
Why Should you Consider a Hybrid Car?
The answer for that is simple, with the rising taxes in India and strict emissions norms such as BSVI and CAFE norms. We must consider buying hybrid cars due to the combination of electric motor and an internal combustion engine which provides better fuel efficiency, and it gives linear power delivery which gives us a smooth driving experience
Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars
Despite the several advantages, there are few limitations when we use hybrid cars. One of the main reasons is the higher upfront costs because a hybrid car works with the combination of internal combustion engine and battery power, where the battery must be replaced after it reaches the end of its lifespan. Moreover, hybrid cars still have very limited options in India, that may restrict buyers choices.
Conclusion
Hybrid cars offer a balanced combination of fuel efficiency, linear performance and smooth driving experience. Despite that we must also know some of its caveats such as limited options, higher upfront costs, battery degradation after it reaches the lifespan and the cost replacing it will be expensive because it is not a complete electric. So at the end of the day, you have to treat it as petrol or diesel car as it needs regular maintenance. Overall, buying a hybrid car depends upon the buyer’s budget, driving habits, but for those looking for an highly cost effective, smooth driveability, hybrid can be considered as an worthy option.