The Difference Between Electric & Hybrid Cars

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the UK government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, part of an ambitious plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

No matter your feelings about electric and hybrid cars, they are going to play an important role in the future of transportation, so it’s worth gaining a proper understanding of them now. Who knows – you might want to make the switch early!

Hybrid cars

As the name suggests, hybrid cars are powered by both an internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) and an electric motor and battery. There are actually two separate types of hybrid cars, these are:

• Parallel hybrids – a parallel hybrid (also known as a series hybrid) is the most common type of hybrid vehicle and runs on both an electric motor and a fuel-powered motor. The way these hybrids work is that the fuel motor doesn’t actually kick in until you’re travelling at around 15 mph, making them perfect for city driving or stop-start traffic slogs. Once you go past 15 mph, the fuel motor takes over and the electric motor can charge.
• Plug-in hybrids – a plug-in hybrid vehicle has a combustion engine and an electric motor, just like a parallel hybrid. The difference is that, as well as recharging the electric motor while out driving, you can also plug it into any household power outlet and charge it there. In this way, plug-in hybrids are able to travel much longer distances than parallel hybrids without needing to stop.

Electric cars

A fully-electric vehicle is powered by a large battery and at least one electric motor attached to it; however, more powerful vehicles will often feature more than one. In terms of functionality, fully-electric vehicles share some of the same traits as hybrid vehicles, such as regenerative braking and plug-in charging, but there are some key differences too. Electric cars owners will enjoy lower running costs thanks to the associated reduction in tax and not needing to buy fuel. They also technically have a slightly shorter range than hybrid vehicles as they don’t have a separate engine to rely on.

Should I make the switch now?

Absolutely! There are a number of benefits to switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle, here’s the top three:

• Reduced fuel costs: Hybrid vehicles consume far less petrol or diesel than regular vehicles and electric vehicles use none at all. On top of this, electricity prices are lower in general than fuel prices (per km) and tend to change less.
• Lower maintenance: Electric engines tend to require less maintenance and repairs than internal combustion engines, so you will save time and money in this area too.
• Tax breaks: Both electric and hybrid vehicles have associated tax incentives to help speed up the energy transition.

Do you own an electric or hybrid vehicle in Maidstone, Sittingbourne or anywhere else in Kent? 1st Call Windscreens are the top windscreen repair and replacement company in the region for electric and hybrids vehicles, so you can be sure you’re in safe hands with us. To learn more about our services, why not get in touch today? Our team is always on hand to help.