Am I best owning a petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full electric car? It’s a quandary facing every Australian car buyer today, not least with the ongoing fuel price crisis.
EV enquiries are rocketing, just as a slew of affordable Chinese electric cars hit our market, many costing under $40,000.
There is little price difference between electric vehicles, hybrids and petrol cars.
But it would be a mistake to rush a decision. EVs and plug-in hybrids simply won’t suit certain buyers, and replacing your current car due to sky-high petrol prices could be a false economy.
Let’s start with the basic differences. Besides conventional petrol cars there are “mild hybrids” like a Suzuki Swift, where a small battery and electric motor assist the petrol engine for minor economy gains.
These don’t require plugging in, and nor do “full hybrids” like a Toyota RAV4, which typically use battery power alone for start-up and short, low speed driving – great to reduce fuel use in traffic. Their batteries recharge during braking and coasting.
Meanwhile, range-extender hybrids like Nissan’s X-Trail e-Power drive like an EV, but are fuelled by a petrol-powered generator – you don’t plug them in.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) marry a petrol engine with a larger electric battery and motor. Many offer an electric-only range of around 100km, covering most daily commutes and protecting owners from servo price shocks.
The petrol engine only fires when extra performance is needed, or if the battery’s exhausted. PHEV batteries fully recharge overnight using a domestic socket.
EVs run purely on a battery powering one or more motors. The cheapest EVs manage around 250km of range between charges, while some deliver well over 600km.
Public DC fast charging can get an EV’s battery to 80 per cent in roughly half an hour, depending on battery size, its maximum charge speed and how much energy the charge station offers.
But public chargers can be hard to find, out of service, already occupied, slow charging and expensive: reaching 80 per cent can cost over $50 at some sites.
Most EV owners charge at home, where electricity costs around 30 to 40 cents per kWh – roughly half of most public DC chargers. Homes with solar can basically charge for free.
Home charging is best with a wallbox (around $2000 fitted) if you have a driveway or garage: those who street park or rent units may find EV life challenging.
EVs are best for those rarely travelling long distances and can regularly and easily home charge. Two-car families often pick a petrol and EV to cover different driving duties.
EVs typically don’t need to be serviced as regularly, but it’s far from “zero cost” as some assume. To service a Hyundai Kona Electric for five years is $1488 – the petrol version is $2053 while the hybrid’s a chunky $3007.
Meanwhile, Federal Government will inevitably introduce a “cost-per-km” EV road-user tax in future, to compensate for lost fuel excise. No date has yet been decided.
Insuring EVs and PHEVs often costs more than equivalent petrol and hybrids, so get quotes before committing.
But don’t be dissuaded by EV battery life. Most are warranted for eight years to retain at least 70 per capacity, and recent studies show the majority have a state of health well exceeding that, even after 15 years.
EVs and PHEVs look appealing with petrol costing $2.50 per litre, but how far do you travel each year?
Petrol has jumped around 70 cents per litre since January. Australians drive roughly 12,000km annually, so for a car using 7L/100km that’s 840 litres of petrol. At $1.75 per litre it costs $1470, while at $2.50 per litre it’s $2100: a difference of $630 per year.
Stamp duty alone on a $40,000 new car costs around $1200: worth contemplating before rushing out to buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
Your individual use case determines if a petrol, hybrid, PHEV or EV best suits, so make sure you research all the above before deciding.
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