Hybrid Long Distance Fuel Consumption

Dublinandy3

Hi All,

This forum seems to be full of people with a lot more knowledge than me so hoping you won't mind this question. We have a 2012 car and we need to upgrade. We want a hybrid to help with the fuel consumption and also so we don't have to worry about charging.

Are hybrid cars no good if regular long-distance driving is needed? (A usual week consists of Dundalk to Dublin and back again 6 days a week).

I've tried reading up on it but I'll be perfectly honest, I'm not a car person and the jargon kind of baffles me somewhat. I do however think that what I'm seeing is a hybrid is only useful to save fuel if you do short, city trips rather than long motorway ones like we do. Are there any savings at all?

TIA

ELM327

There's no point in getting a hybrid for that use case. We had a 2008 MK2 prius and while I could get 70MPG around town with some effort, it drops to mid 40's at best on the motorway.

You should either buy an efficient diesel or a full battery EV that has enough range to do your trip. The diesel would be cheaper to buy (depending of course on what model and how new etc) but the EV would be much cheaper to run. A Kona 64kWh for instance would be perfect and theres a 2019 currently for sale for 29k on another thread.

Miscreant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242826#Comment_119242826

Depends on the driver then. I had a hybrid Auris and regularly achieved mid 50s MPG on the motorway. I do the Dublin - Galway route every 2 weeks.

I have a PHEV now and get into the mid 60s MPG on the same trips.

Zurbaran

I’d have a hybrid over a diesel any day of the week. The Camry is supposed to get over 50mpg on motorways and would be cheaper running cost overall with better residuals.

JPup

Modern hybrids will more or less match diesel over long distances and beat them in town. They also have the benefit of being more reliable and cheaper to maintain. Throw in that they are automatic, quieter and much better for air quality then it's hard to justify diesel these days unless you're getting a bargain.

Dublinandy3

Thanks all, we probably will get a hybrid, even if it only matches a diesel it's better than petrol and is more future proof than a diesel.

MightyMunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119246402#Comment_119246402

If you're doing big mileage and have home charging you'd be saving thousands a year in an EV vs a hybrid.

Diesel or petrol at 2Euro/L x 6L/100km= 12 Euro

EV at 0.1038 Euro/kWh x 16kwh/100km= 1.66 Euro

So you'd save €11.34 for every 100km you drive.

10,000 km/year, save €1,134

20,000km/year, save €2,268

30,000 km/year, save €3,402

That's every year...

Zurbaran

Yeah if you have the ability to home charge bev is the way to go. I just checked and it’s only a 163km trip each day to Dublin and back. Most electric cars will do that and more in the depths of winter. As Mightymunster explains it would be far cheaper that way although the price of what you buy is not included.

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058251542/hybrid-long-distance-fuel-consumption

Are you looking at PHEV?

MightyMunster

Don't think any PHEVs can do a 163km trip in EV mode, what's the point in lugging an empty battery around?

Lantus

You might get some benefit in using mixed mode for a phev but it's an expensive option. You'd save by dropping your speed to 110.

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119247219#Comment_119247219

You can in hybrid mode. I was just asking is it PHEV…..

Dublinandy3

Hi All,

No at the moment a home charging station is not an option at the moment I'm afraid, which is why we're wanting to go hrbrid rather than EV or PHEV.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119246081#Comment_119246081

And the Camry is a big car if that matters to the OP.

New model Camry's can be bought from 30k up to 40k for a nearly new.

However as it seems an EV is ruled out they should look at a diesel for the kind of driving envisaged if the budget is lower.

Dublinandy3

Our budget would be between 30 and 35k, maybe a touch more if really special

whatever76

I'm in more or less same scenario as the OP and same budget - Dublinandy3 - did you make a decision? I am currently debating new corolla hybrid.

Dublinandy3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119388747#Comment_119388747

Yeah we went for the chr hybrid for a few reasons.

Firstly we found a dealership that had ordered some previously so we managed to get a new one without a long wait, also after test driving it and speaking to someone in person who does a similar commute it's obvious the commute will be a lot more comfortable and it will also save money compared to what we're spending now.

whatever76

great thank you ! I may look into that model as well ... happy hybrid motoring :)

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119246610#Comment_119246610

those ev figures look a little misguiding.. 10 cents per kwh charging at home? doable potentially if you have a night meter but then a higher standing charge? i just got an id4 and i reckon charging at home is about 20 euro per 400km versus 55 euro per 400km in my petrol tiguan... go to public ev chargers and im at 35/40 euro per 400km... still a saving but its not 1/10th of the cost..

MightyMunster

Depends on the electric rate you're on. Still night rate if around 7c available I think. 20 per 400km would be 25kwh/100km at 20cents. Seems excessive, I've never seen over 20kwh even in the depths of winter in high winds and driving 120

ELM327

Night rate of 7c available with Energia

innrain

My long term average for nearly 100k km driven, on two EVs, a Kona and a Model 3 is less than 15.5kWh/100km. My commute is on the whole M50 plus some around the exits. That would mean, for an average of €0.4/kWh on public charging a total cost of €6,200. The equivalent ICE for a 2 quid per liter of fuel would need to consume 3.1l/100km to break even. Every 1l above this figure means a thousand more. As a bonus for me, from the theoretical amount of 6.2k I paid less than 3k for charging due to some free charging I got back in 2019, at work, etc plus much cheaper rates in previous years. I know free charging is not sustainable and I don't plan around it but it impacts my budget. Before the EVs we had 2 petrol cars one would average 7.5l/100km for the same commute, the other 10+ l/100km and it was used only in emergencies.

Chris_5339762

I have a diesel and my parents have a petrol hybrid.

In my experience, their petrol hybrid is about the same in terms of fuel consumption as my diesel. Simple enough way to think about it!!

But then if you look into it, their hybrid creams my diesel in the city, but my diesel creams their hybrid on the motorway.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393165#Comment_119393165

+1

Our 520d is mid 20’s MPG with mostly city driving.

Our 530e is 51 MPG with all city driving.

Our EV is currently 19.5 kWh/100km with mostly city driving.

corks finest

I achieve this without any hassle 2012 insight

no lead foot

56 plus mpg

corks finest

Mid 20s🙄 I’d burn it

mc2022B2TF

Problem with phevs on long distance is they are carrying the extra weight of an empty battery for most of it and that impacts the consumption massively

Miscreant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119592137#Comment_119592137

I routinely get over 60mpg from my PHEV on a long distance motorway journey so the extra weight isn't impacting all that much. My previous Toyota hybrid used to get into the 50s on the same journey so the PHEV is clearly doing something right.

alfa_aficionado

Just got a new XC90PHEV recently - averaging 3.1l/100km so far after ~2500km. It does tend to return upwards of 6l/100km once the battery is exhausted, although this is 40+ mpg which isn’t bad for the size of the car.

sh81722

How many kWh/100km on top of the petrol?

mc2022B2TF

https://youtu.be/PsQORFOUgTY