Would a hybrid save me money?

-pete-_2

Hi everyone,


I currently have a VW Polo which will soon be too small for my growing family. My daily commute is very short (about 3.5 miles) through 30 / 40 mph zones, I also go on occasional trips (probably once a week on average) of about 50 miles (round trip) to see family members which involves dual carriageways and A roads. There may be longer tips of up to 200 miles in the future but they would be pretty rare.



I'm keen to cut my carbon footprint down so I was thinking about hybrids or even a fully electric vehicle. As far as I can tell they're ideal for this sort of driving?


Our budget would be pretty limited, we still have a around 1.5 years of finance on the Polo (about £3.5K) and we wouldn't want to spend any more than about £200 a month on a new one. We're hoping to have something that would last (and won't be increasing the size of the family any further!) so we're happy to have something that we can run for several years yet.


Would a hybrid or EV save me money on this? Are there any recommendations of makes / models to look at? Any to avoid?


Thanks!

Cisco001

I doubt if there is any lease deal for hybrid for £200 a month...

Goudy

There's now plenty of choice, but you are no longer limited to a straight Hybrid or EV.

You can break the Hybrid down further to self recharging and plugin's.
(They should explain themselves)

Some EV's, like BMW's i3 can also be had with range extender engine, so a small engine from a BMW scooter can recharge your battery on the move, though they are cost options.

I would say, any would likely fit the bill for the type of trips you plan on using it for, but anything with a battery and electric motor will come at a cost, and that's not just the purchase prices.

Batteries degrade over time so their range decreases and can cost a small fortune to replace, so this is something to consider if you're planning on owning one any length of time.

We've had some 3 years old Nissan Leafs (Leaves??) on lease at work that have just been returned that had ranges of less than 50 miles on a full charge.

Some manufacturers get around this by leasing you the battery, like Renault, you buy the car but lease the battery.
Toyota offer a battery check at service and if you select it, they will warranty the battery for another 12 months (up to 15 years).

I mention all this as with your budget you might be tempted with something used without any battery cover where perhaps something tried and tested like a Toyota Prius (plugin or self charge) or Yaris Hybrid (self charge) that should come within a modest, used budget with stamped up book of battery services might be the way to go long term.

shinytop

I think a newish petrol car with a small turbocharged engine would be the cheapest option. Hybrids are barely, if at all, more economical and are more expensive. You don't do enough miles to make an EV pay. I have a plug in hybrid and while it would do a lot of your miles on electric, that wouldn't make up for the extra cost.

DrEskimo

I bought a used Renault Zoe (battery owned, 41kWh model) and over the 6months since I've bought it it's cost me £28/month in insurance (annual and GAP), £18/month in electricity (about 400miles/month) and....that's it. Tyres will last ages yet due to mileage, brakes probably won't ever need doing and I have the next 2 services free. 2yrs warranty on the car left, which I will be extending for £289, and 6yrs still on the battery (not that I have any concerns about the battery).

The real clincher has been the depreciation, or rather lack of it! Due to taking advantage of £1,000 used PCP deposit contribution, and then settling right after, the car was a good price, and has seen appreciation on top. I've been offered trade values around £750 higher than what I bought it for.

So despite doing very low miles, I think it has been substantially cheaper than a similar petrol or hybrid, which would have been similar priced for the age, spec and mileage.

DrEskimo

Goudy wrote: »

I would say, any would likely fit the bill for the type of trips you plan on using it for, but anything with a battery and electric motor will come at a cost, and that's not just the purchase prices.

Batteries degrade over time so their range decreases and can cost a small fortune to replace, so this is something to consider if you're planning on owning one any length of time.

We've had some 3 years old Nissan Leafs (Leaves??) on lease at work that have just been returned that had ranges of less than 50 miles on a full charge.

Some manufacturers get around this by leasing you the battery, like Renault, you buy the car but lease the battery.
Toyota offer a battery check at service and if you select it, they will warranty the battery for another 12 months (up to 15 years).

I mention all this as with your budget you might be tempted with something used without any battery cover where perhaps something tried and tested like a Toyota Prius (plugin or self charge) or Yaris Hybrid (self charge) that should come within a modest, used budget with stamped up book of battery services might be the way to go long term.

It's worth pointing out that the Nissan Leaf is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to battery degradation. Unlike every other manufacturer, Nissan opted for a specific battery cell technology that was supposed to be more durable, with the aim of saving costs by not having active battery thermal management. Unfortunately this did not work well, and as you say, ended up with older Leaf's experiencing fairly substantial battery degradation.

If you look at similar age/mileage Zoe's, i3's or Tesla's, you will see degradation is very low relative. This is because they opted for battery cell technology that had increased density and performance but low durability, however circumvented the effects of the low durability by applying thermal management systems.

Also, not all Zoe's are leased batteries. From 2015, they offered a 'i-model' version, where you own the battery outright. Likewise, older Nissan's can also have leased batteries if they are a 'Flex' model, but they are rare as Nissan allowed users to buy out the battery. Renault stubbornly won't let owners of lease models buy out their battery lease, so if you want a battery owned Zoe, you have to get an i-model (and as I can attest to after around 5months of searching, they are rare!).

All said, from around 2016 all EV's had to come with a minimum of 8yr warranties, and battery degradation has proved low on all but Nissan Leaf's, so replacement battery costs is not something that concerns me greatly....Other parts of the electric powertrain perhaps! Getting one in warranty that can be extended by the manufacturer is generally advised!

Flim

...for 3.5 mile commute I would be getting an electric bike?...save loads of money and car wear and tear...

worried_jim

If a VW Polo is going to be too small for the OP's growing family I think a BMX with a battery might be a bit pony.

motorguy

Cisco001 wrote: »

I doubt if there is any lease deal for hybrid for £200 a month...

I think they meant "new to them".

photome

Flim wrote: »

...for 3.5 mile commute I would be getting an electric bike?...save loads of money and car wear and tear...

or do away with the electric bit and get a bike, thats the best way to save a carbon footprint which is what the Op is after




a trailer for the family is probably not an option though

jaybeetoo

Goudy wrote: »

Some EV's, like BMW's i3 can also be had with range extender engine, so a small engine from a BMW scooter can recharge your battery on the move, though they are cost options.

This is no longer available on the i3.