Both use electric motors to run around and help to reduce pollutant emissions in the city. It may seem far from reality to have more electric and hybrid cars on the streets, but even the Toyota Corolla won a hybrid flex version, which works with ethanol. The main advantages are the reduction of consumption and the emission of pollutants.
Electric and hybrid cars: how each works
The hybrid car works with two engines: an electric and a combustion engine, either ethanol or gasoline. It can be classified into 3 types: in parallel hybrids, electric and combustion engines can move the car’s wheels. In the hybrid series, only the electric motor accelerates the car, and the combustion engine only charges the battery. The mixed hybrid is the one that combines the other two systems and ” decides” when to use each one. This is the case with the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion Hybrid models.
The electric car does not have a combustion engine. The power comes only from the electric motor, and the batteries are recharged at the outlet (called a plug-in system).
Prices of these cars
The price is high for both types of cars. Among the electric ones, the Renault Zoe is the most affordable and costs from $27,250, while the BMW i3 is sold from $44,450. Among the hybrids, and the Ford Fusion Hybrid, $28,000.
In relation to maintenance expenses, costs are lower than in ordinary cars. That’s because electric and hybrid cars have fewer parts. For example, the electric motor does not get as hot – reducing the chances of problems – and does not even need oil to run.
One point that also needs to be taken into account is the batteries’ life span: it is estimated that they will last about 10 years and lose their efficiency over time. But the biggest savings are actually fuel costs.
Autonomy and consumption
The electric car has the lowest cost per km driven. According to experts, the cost in reais to fully recharge a battery corresponds to about ⅕ of the cost to fill a fuel tank. Still according to the expert, the autonomy of the trams has improved a lot. Five years ago, they traveled approximately 200 km on a full charge. Today, both Zoe and the i3 can do about 300 km.
Hybrids also consume well below combustion cars. To give you an idea, the Prius, which is the most economical model, does 18.9 km / l in the city and 17 km / l on the road and can reach a range of more than 812 km. The Fusion Hybrid runs 16.8 km / l in the city and 15.1 km / l on the road.
