Understanding different powertrain options
9 October, 2023
Summary
In South Africa petrol and diesel vehicles will still be available for some time, however hybrid vehicles and the refinement of this technology are making them ever more attractive. Currently hybrid vehicles are the perfect option for those motorists looking for reduced fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions as electric vehicles and the way that they integrate into our motoring landscape still needs some time to develop.
Plug-in hybrid
A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is an electric vehicle first and a hybrid second. The battery that powers the electric motor is charged by an external source and a PHEV offers substantially increased pure electric range. The petrol motor only comes into play once the battery is depleted or above certain speeds, making it possible to do short journeys, like a daily commute or stop start traffic in electric mode only. The disadvantage of a PHEV is that the fully electric range is limited to around 50km and the vehicle relies on additional infrastructure such as a charging point to replenish its battery and provide this functionality. The advantage is that PHEV derivatives of larger vehicles, which are normally heavier on fuel can now offer substantially reduced consumption and tailpipe emissions, especially when used in an urban setting.
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Fully electric
Fully electric vehicles rely on batteries and an electric motor or a combination of electric motors located on the axles or in the hubs to power the vehicle. The advantages include zero emissions, no reliance on fuel companies and the oil price and therefore lower running costs. While the daily running costs of an electric vehicle are most certainly lower, the upfront costs are significantly more than those of a conventionally powered vehicle, both in terms of their purchase price and the investment required in charging infrastructure at your home and office. This is due to the fact that these vehicles are still taxed differently in the South African market, something which will hopefully change in future. While electric vehicles certainly make a lot of sense, unless you have an off the grid charging solution, you will need to rely on Eskom to replenish the batteries of your electric vehicle. Electric vehicles also have a limited range before they require a significant period of time to recharge, but that is always improving with the latest models able to do as much as 500km on a single charge.
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With the rise in popularity of alternatively powered vehicles, shopping for your next car now includes a variety of new powertrain options.
Traditionally powered petrol and diesel engines remain the stalwarts for now, but have been joined by hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electrically powered models. In order to understand which of these is best for your needs requires a basic understanding of how each of these powertrains work, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
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