- Australians are increasingly choosing hybrid cars over electric vehicles.
- Different hybrids offer varying benefits, and some might not deliver the full hybrid experience.
- Upcoming models could flood the market, making it essential for buyers to understand what qualifies as a hybrid.
Hybrid cars are quickly becoming Aussie new car buyers’ favourites. But beware, there’s more than one type of hybrid and some brands are sticking hybrid on cars that arguably don’t qualify for the badge.
Australians Love Hybrids
Battery electric vehicles might get Elon excited and have Green pollies frothing at the bung, but right now, it’s hybrids that Australians want to know more about.
No surprise then that hybrids of various guises are grabbing an increasing share of new car sales. In fact, according to the latest official VFACTS new car registration figures, Australian hybrid vehicle sales are up over 50% year-on-year to the end of October… In a potential sales record-setting year, that compares to flat diesel sales, petrol sales are down almost 11% and EV sales are also down close to double figures.
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Given one of the single largest segments of new vehicle sales Down Under – utes – is for the moment devoid of any hybrid (but watch this space and read more below), arguably the actual ultimate demand for hybrids could be considerably higher. Indeed, considering the avalanche of new hybrid models set to swamp our market in the next two years or so, some pundits are predicting as many as 50% of new car sales could be hybrid as soon as 2028.
Hybrids Are The Best of Both Worlds
The advantage of hybrids in the most general of terms is written on the tin – they deliver a mix of the benefits of both EVs and conventional ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. Able to run in EV mode some of the time, by definition, they’ve also got an engine that is fuelled at the pump – no more range anxiety, especially if you are heading bush or want to tow.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) can also have their battery topped up via a charger – or even a good old 240V plug. Depending on your address and the PHEV’s electric-only range, that could see you commuting during the week on EV power alone, saving the combustion heroics for weekend work.
The most common form of hybrid requires no connection to the grid and uses a combination of battery and ICE powertrains to optimise fuel usage and/or boost performance. Many will move from a standstill on electric power alone and also switch off the engine from time to time once at cruising speed. At full throttle, you get the punch from both the ICE and EV powertrains.
The key criticism of hybrids is hinted at above – you have to lug around both ICE and electric powertrains. EV evangelists suggest they are simply bridging technology – keeping us moving until battery electric vehicles are good enough or, more to the point, cheap enough, to tick most car buyers’ boxes. I beg to differ – for countries like Australia with infrastructure challenges, huge distances, relatively cheap fuel and diverse vehicle needs, hybrids are going to be around for the foreseeable future.
But hybrids ain’t hybrids – and before you buy or even try, it pays to know what’s what. Here are the three different types – and one imposter…
What is a Parallel Hybrid?
Parallel hybrids are the most common hybrids – pioneered and made most famous by Toyota, and by dint of purchase choice your local Ubernaut… Think of parallel hybrids as having two separate power sources – an electric motor and a petrol engine. Both can drive the wheels directly and the power sources can work together or separately.
In city driving, the electric motor can power the car by itself but EV mode tends to be limited to (very) low speeds and (very) short distances. On highways, the petrol engine takes over and when you need extra power, like climbing hills or accelerating quickly, both power sources work together.
- Popular choices: Toyota Prius and Camry, Honda Civic and CR-V
- Top shelf: Lexus LS600L
What is a Series Hybrid?
Less common, for now, is the series hybrid. Here only the electric motor or motors drive the wheels – the petrol engine never connects to them directly. Instead, the engine (usually smaller) powers a generator, producing electricity to power the electric motor and/or charge the battery.
Some would argue this is the most efficient use of hybrid technology as it delivers a pure EV style drive and dispenses with much of the ICE running gear.
This design is best for stop-start city driving but it can be less efficient on highways compared to parallel hybrids. This could be a great long-term solution for utes and trucks, however – after all, railway locomotives have used diesel series hybrid drives for decades. In reality, the application of this technology is rare – parallels seem to rule the roost for now.
- Popular choices: Nissan e-Power X-TRAIL and Qashqai
- Top shelf: Nothing comes to mind yet… but check out the YangWang U8 for a hint of things to come
What is a Plug-in Hybrid?
Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs (pronounced Fevs!) are typically (but not always) parallel hybrids with a much bigger battery that you can charge before driving by plugging into an electrical outlet.
PHEVs deliver the best of both worlds – you can drive on pure electric power for a reasonable distance (up to 80km) but still have the petrol engine for longer journeys. And that EV range is getting better all the time — Haval has just announced a PHEV version of its H6 GT with 180km electric range. It’s potentially a game-changer.
Of special interest to Aussies, PHEVs look likely to be the most popular choice for electrifying utes. BYD has already launched its Shark 6 PHEV pick-up, Ford has a PHEV Ranger on the way and companies like GWM are also planning PHEV versions of their utes and large SUVs. Oh, and Ferrari and others are building plug-in hybrid supercars if that’s your cup of chino.
- Popular choices: Mitsubishi Outlander, MG HS
- Top shelf: Porsche Panamera, Bentley Bentayga
When is a Hybrid Not a Hybrid?
When it’s a mild hybrid. The tech varies from brand to brand but the common denominator is the electrical power generated by the mild hybrid system is not enough to drive the car. Instead, the power generated is used to power other systems (aircon for instance, especially when engine stop-start is activated in traffic). Mild hybrid systems also commonly harvest some electrical power under deceleration to cut alternator loads (and therefore save fuel) and in some cases can also (very) modestly boost performance when accelerating.
Basically, this is a hybrid engineered by the marketing department – so much so mild hybrid sales aren’t included in official hybrid volumes. Don’t be fooled, a mild hybrid is NOT a hybrid…
Which Hybrid is Best?
Based on sales volumes, parallel hybrids are Aussies’ favourites. This is largely thanks to Toyota normalising hybrids across much of its line-up – indeed, off-roaders aside, most Toyota models are now hybrid only… Thus if you’re happy to go with the flow, Toyota, Hyundai, Honda and Kia all offer a growing number of parallel hybrid models in popular segments including hatches, plus small, medium and large SUVs. Typically all of these vehicles deliver decent fuel savings – especially around town.
There’s a much longer list of brands expected to further broaden hybrid ranks in the next 12 months. It’s probably easier to say the brands that aren’t adding hybrids to their new car showroom. Even EV pioneers like BYD are getting into the game.
If you want the ability to do some driving in pure EV mode but can’t quite commit to a full-battery electric car then a PHEV might be the choice. Most deliver up to 50km of EV-only range and some are now promising four times that (or more).
PHEVs are also a good choice if you plan to tow or expect longer country trips and don’t want to charge along the way. With a full battery and a full tank, the Mitsubishi Outlander will achieve close to 1000km without much trouble.
The caveat on PHEVs is to make the most of that flexibility you really need the ability to charge at home. That can simply be a 240V plug, though a cheap 7.2kW charger from the likes of Jetcharge makes things even easier.
Hybrids on the Horizon
The step-change for hybrids Down Under will likely be the arrival of longer-range plug-in hybrid utes and medium and large SUVs. So far this year, the three segments account for over 50% of new car registrations and currently hybrids have modest penetration into the segments.
Even storied off-road badges like LandCruiser will soon include hybrids in their line-ups with the all-new Prado expected to offer a 2.4-litre petrol-electric hybrid as well as the normal turbo-diesel powertrain.
A PHEV option will soon be offered in Australia’s 2023 best-selling vehicle, the Ford Ranger and the next generation Toyota HiLux due in 2025 is also expected to offer a conventional non-plug-in hybrid variant – which will share its origins with the above-mentioned Prado. As the number of Chinese brands offering utes via their Australian outposts increases, the hybrid options will scale considerably.
And fans of full-size American pick-ups never fear. While it’s yet to be confirmed for Oz, RAM has announced the 1500 Ramcharger in the US which combines a 3.6-litre petrol V6, oversized 90kWh-plus battery and fast-charging plug-in infrastructure to deliver almost 500kW, 0-100km/h in the mid-4.0sec bracket and over 1100km of range. Now, that’s what we call a hybrid!
