Full electric or hybrid car?
Better BEV or PHEV? This question accompanies many among those about to make the transition from traditional to alternative mobility.
Will I have really understood the differences between one and the other?
Which one is best suited for my needs?
And then the classic-what will be the most convenient?
It has happened to everyone with the “normal” car, let alone BEVs and PHEVs! Arriving at the dealership and not knowing enough, perhaps afraid to express our doubts to the brilliant salesperson in front of us, befits little to the desire-as well as the need-to make an informed choice.
Where do we start to make sure it doesn’t happen again?
From here.
- What are the differences between hybrids and plug-in hybrids?
- Better an electric or a plug-in hybrid?
- One thing in common can make a difference
What are the differences between hybrids and plug-in hybrids?
Exactly what is meant by hybrid, what does it look like?
Let’s start by saying that all hybrid cars have a dual engine system: the traditional one, powered by gasoline or diesel; and the electric one powered by the current stored inside special batteries.
Hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars
In the case of the hybrid car, it is the endothermic engine that recharges the battery; in the case of plug-in hybrids, however, the accumulator they are equipped with to store energy can be recharged by connecting to the electricity grid.
Better an electric or a plug-in hybrid?
In light of the differences between hybrid cars and plug-in hybrids, comparing the electric car (BEV) with the generic hybrid does not make much sense; instead, it is better to consider the plug-in, which with the BEV shares the common feature of recharging by connecting (if desired) to the electricity grid.
What do we need to know to know whether one is better than the other?
As we did referring purely to the electric car, the concept of total cost of ownership is central to the evaluation of the car to be purchased.
The cost of the automobile does not end the moment we weld and leave the dealership but is composed of the sum of several phases: purchase, use, and end of life.
As for the investment to be made in buying hybrids, although these have seen their prices rise in the past year (according to the Smart Mobility Report), they are less expensive than an electric. Consequently, the extent of incentives dedicated to them is also less important.
Continuing with ownership costs related to the use phase instead, like electrics, plug-in hybrids also enjoy exemptions (total and permanent) that benefit them. One example out of all in this regard is the regional car ownership tax, i.e., the stamp duty, whose exemption arrangements are to be verified from region to region.
What about on the maintenance front? From this point of view, the expenses regarding a 100% electric car, equipped with a single drive and not the dual motor, becomes more convenient. In fact, the electric drive does not include oil, combustion or even vibration.
And is the dual power option among the pros or cons?
Not only is the answer depends but there is a twist!
One thing in common can make a difference
The fact that the plug-in is dual-powered automatically translates into a marked lowering of range anxiety. Being able to rely on alternative power, in fact, one hardly ever runs “out of gas,” but at what price?
More emissions
Plug-in hybrid cars fall in the emission range of 21 to 60 g/km. So they are vehicles that, compared to an electric, pollute more. Not surprisingly, among the main drivers to the purchase of a 100% electric car is confirmed to be the positive environmental impact associated with the vehicle.
More consumption
Two engines means more weight; more weight means more consumption. To imagine circulating while constantly leaving one of the two engines inert is uneconomical and counterproductive in all respects.
If you decide to drive a PHEV, it is advisable to alternate between the two forms of power as much as possible for our trips. So what do a BEV and a PHEV have in common? That to be truly convenient they must have free access to charging.
How. By installing a universal charging station, usable for both 100% electric and plug-in cars, such as Prism Basic or Prism Solar. Better still if capable of converting into energy available for charging, that car energy produced by the photovoltaic system, just as Prism Solar allows you to do in Solar mode – charging your car for free.
This will give you the opportunity to take advantage of 100 percent of all the benefits associated with either alternative car model.
