Hybrid Cars: Will They Dominate in the Near Future?

The recent diesel emissions scandal, involving the Volkswagen Group, along with general, growing concerns over the future of the planet and the effects of harmful NOx emissions on our health, are likely contributing to the ever-increasing interest we have in hybrid cars.

Statistics such as those from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) are a prime example.

With 53% of drivers considering a hybrid or electric model for the next car they will buy or lease within the next two years, it’s clear that alternatively-fuelled vehicles will soon likely overtake conventional diesel or petrol cars.

A hybrid vehicle is one that combines a traditional engine, which may be petrol or diesel, with one or more electric motors. Unlike purely electric cars that come to a halt if their batteries run out of charge, the engine and motor in a hybrid work together.  Power is put back into the battery when the vehicle brakes or coasts along.

Hybrid cars were once predominantly the choice of Hollywood celebrities and the more ecologically-minded in society.  The last couple of years, in particular, have seen a raft of conventionally-styled hybrids launched by a range of manufacturers.

At the smaller end of the spectrum, one can find super-mini hybrids like the Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz. The middle ground of the size chart features hybrid saloons such as the Mercedes C300, whilst the premium end of the market offers hybrid versions of the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover, for example.

The IMI estimates that there are around 170,000 car mechanics in the UK and only 2% of those are or will be suitably trained to work on hybrid vehicles, raising fears that scores of hybrid vehicles may be subjected to untrained hands with perhaps damaging consequences. The IMI is therefore petitioning Government to introduce “a license to practice for technicians to reassure the public…in the skills required to take care of the next generation of vehicles and their owners”, according to a recent press release.

A prohibiting factor in the growth of hybrid sales has typically been price.  Now that they are gaining increasing popularity, they will become more and more accessible to a wider range of motorists, at more affordable prices.

Please click below to read our related post:
Diesel Emissions Scandal: Will it Boost Hybrid Vehicle Sales?