Electric Car vs Hybrid

valley-chevy-phoenix-blogs-Electric Cars vs. Hybrids-hero (1)Comparing Full Electric Vehicles vs Hybrids

People who value fuel efficiency often find themselves making a decision between hybrid and electric cars. Either option is a good way to go green and embrace a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Whether you eventually choose a completely electric car or a hybrid, you’ll be reducing your environmental footprint and consuming fewer fossil fuels. Along the way, you’ll also be able to reduce or eliminate the time and money you spend stopping at gas stations.

Even though both hybrid and electric cars offer a lot of benefits, many drivers say it’s hard to pick one over the other. The good news is that you really can’t go wrong with either, so it’s all about deciding which is best for you and your lifestyle. Weigh the pros and cons of hybrid versus electric cars to see which is more closely aligned with your personal preferences.

Benefits of Hybrid Vs. Electric Cars

To begin understanding the differences between hybrid and electric cars, it’s important to know how they get their power. Hybrid vehicles use a combination of electricity and traditional gas engines. Some hybrid vehicles can be plugged in to restore the electric charge, while others don’t even have to be plugged in at all.

The hybrids that don’t have to be plugged can recharge themselves every time you drive. They collect and store energy that gets generated by running the gas engine and by braking. All-electric cars, on the other hand, don’t use a gas engine at all. Simply plug it into a charging station to recharge the battery. Both types of vehicles have their own benefits, and both are much more widely available now than they were even a few years ago.

Benefits of Hybrid Vehicles

We’ve heard drivers list all kinds of different reasons they love their hybrid Chevy vehicles, but these five are the most common by far:

  1. They create less pollution because they run on a combination of electricity and gas. Traditional cars that are completely powered by gas create more emissions.
  2. Since you use a lot less gas, you’ll save time and money by going longer before you have to visit the pump.
  3. Since these vehicles can still run on gas, you don’t have to worry about getting stranded when you’re away from your home and can’t find another charging station. This is nice for long road trips or any other time when your car’s energy is depleted.
  4. The gas engine in a hybrid is normally smaller and more efficient than the engine in a traditional car. This works because the engine gets an added boost from the hybrid battery.
  5. Some local governments offer tax breaks to people who buy hybrid vehicles.

Benefits of Electric Vehicles

When you choose an all-electric vehicle like the Chevy Bolt EV, you’re able to stop using gas altogether. The following benefits are some of the main reasons people buy electric cars.

  1. Electric vehicles translate an especially high amount of their energy into movement, which makes these vehicles extremely efficient.
  2. Compared to traditional gas-powered vehicles, electric cars like the Chevy Bolt EV get more mileage out of every dollar you spend on energy. In other words, it’s less expensive for the owner to power a car with electricity than it is with gas.
  3. Since you’re not burning any fossil fuels, there are no tailpipe emissions whatsoever from electric vehicles.
  4. If you really want to go the extra mile toward a greener future, you can look to renewable resources like solar power to charge your electric car.
  5. Electric vehicles are known for their performance, especially when it comes to acceleration. The motor is smooth and doesn’t make much noise. Expect it to be responsive and provide excellent torque.
  6. Electric motors seem to require less maintenance than the combustion engines in gas-powered cars.

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Downsides of Hybrid Vs. Electric

When you talk to anyone who drives a hybrid or electric vehicle, they’re likely to tell you that the pros outweigh the cons by a large margin. Still, it’s important to consider every aspect of the vehicle before making a purchase. If the lists below sound like things you can easily live with, you can feel confident that you’re ready to commit to a hybrid or electric car.

Downsides of Hybrid Cars

We don’t hear very many complaints about hybrid Chevy vehicles because most drivers already know what to expect. That said, there are a few things we like to remind people about before putting them in a hybrid vehicle.

  1. These vehicles are designed with a focus on efficiency, not power. Don’t expect the performance to be especially sporty.
  2. You’ll still use a decent amount of fuel if you regularly travel outside of your vehicle’s electric range. The good news is that you can still go as far as you want with gasoline.
  3. When you choose a hybrid car, you’ll probably pay a little bit more than you would for a similar car that runs on gas alone.
  4. There are still some environmentally harmful emissions from hybrid cars since they use some fuel.

Downsides of Electric Cars

The biggest drawbacks of electric vehicles are related to the fact that they cannot run on fuel in any circumstance.

  1. Recharging an electric car takes longer than filling up at the pump. Even fast-charging stations can take close to an hour to refill the battery, which only really becomes inconvenient on long drives.
  2. The range of an electric car is limited. The 2020 Chevy Bolt EV, for example, can get an EPA-estimated 259 miles from a full charge.
  3. Like with hybrids, electric cars are more expensive than similar gas-powered vehicles. Fuel savings and tax breaks may provide some help, but it’s still important to be prepared for a higher upfront cost. Replacing the battery pack can also be expensive when the time comes.

Chevy Bolt EV Vs. Hybrid Chevys

Recent technological advances are making hybrids and electric cars more accessible all the time. Based on some of the pros and cons listed above, you should be armed with enough information to decide which type of vehicle is best for you. 

If you take a lot of long road trips, maybe a hybrid is the better option to help limit breaks. If you’re only commuting to and from work, an electric car like the Bolt EV should have more than enough range for you. See one for yourself at the preferred Chevy Dealerships in Arizona. 

We also encourage our customers to consider things like their access to charging stations at work and other frequently-visited locations. This isn’t as big of a deal if you never exceed the electric vehicle’s range without having time to recharge at home. If you do decide that the Bolt EV doesn’t have quite enough range for your lifestyle, consider hybrid options like the 2019 Chevy Malibu Hybrid or 2019 Chevy Volt Hybrid.

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Test Drive a Fuel Efficient Chevy

If you’ve just decided which type of car is right for you, our team at Valley Chevy can help you find a hybrid or electric car for sale. If you’re still on the fence, one of our car experts can take you for a test drive and help you weigh options. Either way, find a Valley Chevy dealer and come visit us today!

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