More of us are looking for ways to live more sustainably, and because a lot of us need the convenience of a car to get from A to B, we’re choosing hybrid cars to help us reduce our carbon footprint. There is a range of benefits that come along with choosing a hybrid car over your more common petrol or diesel-fuelled cars. If you’re looking to purchase a car this summer, there are a variety of finance options available if paying a large sum upfront isn’t the best option for you – there are even options to suit if you’ve struggled to be approved for car finance in the past, like car finance for bad credit. Before you decide on your new car, here are a few reasons to buy a hybrid car in 2022.
1. Better for the environment
One of the major benefits that come with choosing a hybrid car is that they are more environmentally friendly than traditional diesel or petrol-fuelled engines. Hybrid vehicles don’t emit any exhaust fumes into the atmosphere if you travel short journeys using battery power, which, in turn, has a massive impact on the reduction of localised air pollution. Because of this, hybrid vehicles can be very beneficial for people that live in often congested cities.
2. Cheaper to run
Hybrid vehicles cost significantly less to run than conventional cars. A hybrid car is powered by electricity and fuel. and although the overall price of a hybrid car may be more than a petrol or diesel car, you’ll save money in the long run, as you’ll be spending 30% less on fuel per mile. You might think that because hybrid cars are more modern that they would be more complicated to repair if necessary, however hybrid vehicles tend to have fewer moving parts than fuel-powered cars. This means that you’re less likely to have expensive repairs on parts, servicing shouldn’t go any further than a basic check-up and the car will spend less time off the road because repairs should be quick and simple to carry out.
3. Better experience
One of the things you’ll notice if you decide to test drive a hybrid car is that they are a lot smoother, for the driver and passenger and contribute to a safer experience overall. This is because of a couple of factors. The first is that the distribution of the batteries means that hybrid vehicles have a lower centre of gravity, meaning they handle with more comfort. The electric motor keeps the car incredibly quiet on the road whilst still responding when you put your foot down. The power is still there but the noise of a revving engine is not!
4. Lower congestion charges
Living in a city means that you must pay congestion charges. One of the many benefits of hybrid cars is that the government introducing clean air zones around cities like Birmingham means that if you have a car that emits low or no emissions, you are exempt from paying congestion charges that apply to fuel-powered vehicles. If you live in London, you can also benefit from buying a hybrid car to reduce your carbon footprint, however, from 2021, only fully electric vehicles will be exempt from the congestion charges in this city.
5. Reduce noise pollution
You may (or may not have!) noticed how quiet hybrid cars are. The sound of a noisy car can be irritating, but with a hybrid car, all you can hear when you’re driving or if a vehicle drives past you is a gentle hum. This is well received in neighborhoods and densely populated areas as it helps to reduce anti-social noise and general noise pollution. Because these vehicles are so quiet, a law has been introduced that means every hybrid car has to have an artificial sound that alerts pedestrians to let them know they’re moving!
