back to articles | February 16, 2021 | Michael Dehoyos

Categories: Tips & Insights For Car Buying Useful Automotive Information

Electric, Petrol, and Hybrid | Which One Is The Best

When it comes to powering your car, there is plenty of options these days. It wasn't so long ago that every vehicle ran purely on petrol and no one had a choice. Now, consumers have the choice between electric, petrol, and hybrid cars, although not everyone is sure which one is the best for them. Here we will look at answering just that question.

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When it comes to powering your car, there is plenty of options these days. It wasn't so long ago that every vehicle ran purely on petrol and no one had a choice. Now, consumers have the choice between electric, petrol, and hybrid cars, although not everyone is sure which one is the best for them. Here we will look at answering just that question.

What Is The Difference?

Before we get into which option is the best, we must first understand the differences between the three. As most will know, petrol cars have engines that run on fossil fuel-based gasoline or diesel and are by far the most common type. Electric cars, such as Tesla, run on a battery and must be charged daily for use. Hybrid cars have an engine that alternates between gas and electric depending on several factors.

Pros And Cons Of Petrol Cars

As mentioned, Petrol cars are the most popular version and have been around the longest. The main advantage that gas field cars have over electric and hybrid is that they are cheaper to purchase and maintain. Furthermore, they typically have lower insurance costs as well, and rates can be checked here myAutoloan.

“While they are cheaper to purchase and maintain, the price of oil fluctuates wildly year by year, and more often than not filling up one's vehicle can cost more than an electric or hybrid car. Furthermore, many countries are putting in air car restrictions, which may require expensive tune ups for older vehicles to meet the requirements,” says Tim Richardson, a car expert at Write My X and 1 Day 2 Write.

Pros And Cons Of Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars came out after petrol vehicles but before electric cars and enjoyed a great deal of success in certain regions. "One vehicle, the Prius, was for some time the gold standard of hybrid vehicles," writes Fred Barry, a business writer at australia2write.com and writemyx.com. Today Hybrids are still popular, and almost all car manufacturers have a hybrid model or two. It is important to understand that there are three types of Hybrid vehicles, standard hybrids, full hybrids, and hybrid electric cars. Standard hybrids charge their batteries via a process called regenerative braking and cannot be charged at a charging station. Full hybrids allow their users to charge the batteries by plugging them into a charging station, much like modern electric cars. Much like standard hybrids, Hybrid electric cars charge their battery via breaking, but the car can get much more out of the battery than Standard hybrids.

The main advantage of Hybrids is that the cars are generally considered more environmentally friendly (although that is debated), and the gas mileage is generally better. However, Hybrids are typically smaller and less powerful than gas engine cars and cost much more to purchase and maintain.

Pros And Cons Electric Cars

Tesla has taken the world by storm and is now the largest auto manufacturer by market cap. One of the main advantages of electric cars is that it runs solely on electricity, meaning it effectively eliminates fuel costs. It is also said to be more environmentally friendly, although there is an issue with battery disposal. "Electric cars also do not require the routine maintenance that gas-based or electric cars do, such as oil changes, for example," writes James Heffring, a lifestyle writer at Britstudent and PhD Kingdom.

Of course, electric cars are not without their disadvantages, the main one being cost. As many people know, buying an electric car is much more expensive than a gas-based vehicle. Furthermore, they take a very long time to charge, and many people find they must charge them overnight. Moreover, they lack the range that oil-based cars have, and in some cases, electric cars only have an 80 - 100 mile range, which can be limiting to some people.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, all options have their advantages and disadvantages, and which one is best really depends on the situation of the individual and how much they are willing to spend. Gas cars, for the time being, will always be cheaper to purchase outright but come with a higher fuel cost compared to hybrids and electrics (which don't have a fuel cost at all).