KEY POINTS:
Hybrid vehicles - promoted as the planet's eco-saviours - are not as economical as common diesel models.
Results of a test by British green motoring website Clean Green Cars showed that the Toyota Prius had a real-world consumption figure of just 7.8l/100km despite its claimed figure of over 4.7l/100km (60mpg).
When tested against a diesel SUV, the Jeep Patriot, the Patriot managed marginally less over the same journey, recording an average of 7.26 l/100km.
Equally the Ford Focus Econetic proved more economical than a Honda Civic IMA, with a real-world figure of 5.36 l/100km compared to the Honda hybrid's 7.02 l/100km.
Jay Nagley, publisher of Clean Green Cars said, "People may be surprised to learn that hybrids are no better in the real world than diesels, but our tests confirmed what we had long suspected.
Hybrid technology offers the prospect of real benefits, but only with the next generation of plug-in hybrids using more advanced lithium-ion batteries which are expected from 2010. Current models only confer dinner-party bragging rights".
The reason behind the lower economy of hybrids is said to be due to the fact that the cars spend little time running on just the battery - with the exception of the Lexus GS450h, which can drive at 32km/h, on just battery power.
Clean Green Cars also reveals that the main advantage of hybrids - the fact that the engine doesn't idle at traffic lights - has no more benefit than a modern diesel with stop-start technology.
Richard Bremner, Editor of Clean Green Cars, said, "We are not anti-hybrids. The concept offers the prospect of genuine fuel saving with models promised from 2010 that will drive up to 65kms on electric charge.
However, today's models using current battery technology offer no real environmental benefits for British drivers. For your next new car, we would generally recommend an economical conventional engine - for the one after that a hybrid may make sense."
- REUTERS
