Going Green: Should I Buy a Hybrid Car?

This article will explain what hybrid vehicles are, how they work and their benefits. Hopefully this will help you decide whether or not to make the switch.

What is a hybrid car?

First off, there are two main types of hybrid vehicle – plug-in hybrid cars and self-charging hybrids. Plug-in models need to be plugged in in order to charge. In contrast, self-charging models will charge the battery whilst you’re driving.

Hybrid cars differ from electric vehicles in a vital way. While an electric vehicle is entirely powered by a battery that needs charging, hybrid vehicles have both a normal engine and a battery. In a hybrid car, the battery will tend to be used when you set off from a stand-still, when you’re driving at a lower speed or on shorter journeys. Plug-in hybrid cars can also travel further than conventional hybrids when they’re using solely electric power, which saves you money on refuelling costs.

What are the benefits of a hybrid car?

There are several reasons why hybrid cars are increasingly popular with consumers, including:

Greener

With an electric battery to complement their fuel-burning engine, hybrid cars are greener than non-electric vehicles. Hybrid cars minimise your carbon emissions whilst maintaining fuel efficiency, with self-charging hybrids making use of energy that would otherwise be wasted.

Cheaper

Provided that your hybrid emits less than 100g/km of carbon dioxide, you’ll benefit from free road tax. As long as they cost less than £40,000, new hybrid vehicles or PHEVs will also cost £10 less than a fuel-powered alternative on road tax.

Reliable

Hybrid cars are frequently more reliable than either petrol or diesel vehicles because of their electric fuel cell. When you’re driving slowly, the car will use this as its energy source, meaning that there’s less wear and tear on the engine – as well as less CO2 emitted. Similarly, because of the way that hybrid cars use their brakes to generate energy, you could drive around without much using your standard brakes. This significantly reduces impact, which will save you money on brake maintenance and upkeep.

Driving range

Compared to exclusively electric vehicles, hybrid cars have a significantly greater driving range. Plus, self-charging hybrid cars generate power as you drive, meaning they’ll never run out of charge.

Value

Once you’ve finished the terms of your car finance, you might be keen to upgrade your vehicle. Both hybrids and PHEVs are great for this, as they hold their value well over time. This means you’re likely to recoup a lot of the money that you put down when you re-sell it – particularly as hybrids are such popular models with high demand. Toyota and Lexus hybrids are particularly well-known for holding their value.

Should I buy a hybrid car?

Whether or not you should buy a hybrid car depends on two main factors. If you want to be greener, and reduce your carbon emissions, then yes, purchasing a hybrid car would be a sensible decision. Similarly, if most of your journeys are short – for example, around urban areas – then hybrid vehicles are great, as you’re mostly running on electricity and therefore saving money.

However, if you travel a lot on motorways or have very long journeys, a hybrid is potentially less fuel efficient than a diesel car – but it will produce far fewer emissions.

Find car finance for a hybrid car today

Car finance is a key factor for many drivers considering a hybrid car, with some worrying the choice will affect their car finance options. Thankfully, it won’t.

Whether you’re looking for a hybrid (HEV) or a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), your car finance journey with My Car Credit will be just as straightforward as it would with a non-hybrid vehicle.

Simply fill in our car finance calculator and adjust the variables according to the type of loan and repayment terms that you’re looking for. Our online form will give you an answer in minutes, and with us, the rate you see is the rate you get. There’ll be no surprise costs or confusing paperwork.

If you’d rather speak to a person about your hybrid car finance, one of our friendly car credit specialists would be happy to answer your questions. Just call 01246 458 810 to start your journey today.