Auto zone: Hybrid cars zoom ahead

Sanjay Khurana

Electric Vehicles (EVs) may be the buzzword in the automobile industry, but hybrid cars — powered by a petrol or a diesel engine and an electric motor — are catching the fancy of buyers.

Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, which use energy stored in batteries. A hybrid vehicle cannot be plugged in to charge the battery. Instead, the battery is charged through regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine.

The extra power provided by the electric motor can power auxiliary loads and reduce engine idling when stopped. Together, these features result in better fuel economy.

Standout features

• Though hybrid cars come at a premium of 20-30% over the conventional petrol cars, they deliver 35-40% higher fuel efficiency.
• They offer a unique blend of traditional fuel-based engines and electric motors, which are easy on the pocket and emit fewer pollutants, making them an eco-friendly option.
• Strong hybrid vehicles aim to close the gap between internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs).
• Ideal for long-distance driving as they offer greater fuel efficiency while also removing any range anxiety associated with electric cars.

Models on Indian roads

• Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Camry, Innova Hycross, Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Honda City e:HEV
• The luxury hybrid cars available in India are Lexus ES, Lexus NX, Toyota Vellfire, Volvo XC90, BMW X7 and Porsche Cayenne Coupe

Market leaders globally

• Toyota, Tesla, BMW, Volkswagen and Renault are the leading players
• While Toyota is the dominant player in the hybrid segment, Tesla leads the electric car segment

According to the India Passenger Vehicle Report for Q2 2023 of Cyber Media Research (CMR), powertrain shifts are accelerating rapidly, with EV growth exceeding 120 per cent and hybrid powertrain vehicles surging over 400 per cent. Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) have expanded by more than 350 per cent year-on-year. The adoption of connected and digital cockpit features continues to gain steady traction in passenger vehicles, surpassing 60 per cent.

John Martin, senior analyst, Smart Mobility Practice, CMR, says: “Consumer confidence and uptake of vehicles with connectivity and smart features continue to gain traction. Automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are focused on introducing vehicles with ADAS that include features such as cruise control, lane centring and automated lane changes. Besides enhancing consumer safety, these advancements promote intelligent mobility and environmental sustainability.”

The remarkable growth in hybrid vehicle demand was driven by OEMs, including Toyota Kirloskar, Maruti Suzuki and Honda Motors. Some of the popular hybrid models in the Indian market are Toyota Vellfire, Innova Hycross and Urban Cruiser Hyryder; Maruti Suzuki Invicto and Grand Vitara; and Honda City. Urban Cruiser Hyryder is the cheapest hybrid vehicle priced at Rs 10.86 lakh onwards.

While the government offers upfront subsidies on EVs under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) scheme, there are no incentives for buying hybrid vehicles. These attract the same 28 per cent GST as their petrol and diesel counterparts. However, some states and UTs do give incentives on road tax.

Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, says 40,182 hybrid vehicles were sold in 2022-23. In the first half of the current fiscal, 33,923 hybrid vehicles have been sold. He forecasts the sale of 70,000 vehicles for 2023-24, projecting a growth of 74 per cent. On why hybrid vehicles are becoming popular, Srivastava says: “Hybrids have a strong potential in India due to the high fuel efficiency and the lower cost of acquisition than EVs. They don’t require charging infrastructure and charge on the regenerative brake energy. Hence, there is no range anxiety among the customers. Therefore, the hybrid vehicles are a good intermediate step to achieving emission norms and building an ecosystem for EVs later.”

He says the projection for Maruti Suzuki in 2030 is 15 per cent electric, 25 per cent hybrid and the balance a mix of gasoline, biogas and flex fuel. So far, the country’s largest carmaker has sold about 18,000 hybrid Grand Vitaras.

By the end of the year, CMR estimates over 5 per cent of passenger vehicles to be fully electric and equipped with ADAS features. Advanced connectivity and digital cockpit functionalities are projected to capture a 40 per cent market share.

Advantages of hybrid cars

Fuel economy: Are proven to be more fuel-efficient than conventional petrol/diesel vehicles. They can run purely on the electric motor whenever possible, which has a large impact on the car’s fuel economy.

Less maintenance: Hybrids are designed to last longer and run better than gas-powered cars. They have fewer parts, which means less maintenance.

Light materials: Hybrid cars are made up of lighter materials and the engine is significantly smaller and lighter so that less energy is required to run the vehicle. The petrol engine used in hybrid cars is smaller and lighter as it is not solely responsible for powering the car because there’s an electric motor to support it.

More reliable: In a recent survey, hybrid cars were found to be the most reliable by fuel type. This is because hybrid models are mechanically simpler and have fewer parts, which keep their fault percentage much lower.

Good resale value: Similar to petrol/diesel cars, the value of a hybrid car will depreciate, but its resale value will typically be higher because of less maintenance and higher mileage.

Disadvantages

Higher insurance: That’s because the technology used is much more expensive to repair or replace. Some insurance companies do offer discounts as an incentive because hybrid cars are good for the environment.

Higher upfront cost: A hybrid car is more expensive than a traditional car, but once you start driving it, the running cost will come down considerably, making the higher upfront cost worth it in the long run.

Performance: Hybrid cars are often manufactured with the goal of improving fuel efficiency and being better for the environment. Fuel efficiency is improved at the cost of performance.

Battery cost: A lot of hybrid cars use a battery with specific rare-earth materials that can only be mined in certain areas of the world. Thus, the batteries are quite expensive when it comes to replacing them.