Affordability, lower emissions and a move towards fully electric vehicles are motivating Kiwis.
While on New Zealand's highways this summer, did you notice the influx of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) on the road?
Maybe you were surrounded by hybrid electric vehicles but didn't notice them because many HEVs look like any other car or SUV?
First, the facts. There were a lot more hybrid electric vehicles on the road this summer. Around 16,300 new HEVs were sold in New Zealand in 2021 and, of those, 11,000 were new Toyotas.
Used import statistics are a little harder to unpack, but the top-selling used import last year was the Toyota Aqua HEV, a compact hatchback (previously sold new here as the Prius c).
To put hybrid electric sales into context, over 14 per cent of all new passenger vehicle sales in 2021 were hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). By comparison, 6800 or 6 per cent of new car sales were pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
So why are thousands of Kiwi drivers opting to buy a new or used HEV?
Affordability is a major factor when considering an electrified vehicle. No doubt many of us would love a brand new battery electric vehicle but the reality is they are not affordable for most car buyers, new or used. Price parity between BEVs and hybrid electric or petrol engine cars is still some years away.
Hybrid electrics are a great stepping stone towards a battery electric vehicle – they give you the benefits of lower fuel use and tailpipe emissions. You know you are reducing your carbon emissions footprint when you shift from an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle to a hybrid electric vehicle.
The combination of a petrol engine with a hybrid battery and an additional electric motor makes HEVs super-efficient – they can use around a third less fuel than a similar sized ICE vehicle.
One question asked a lot about hybrid electric vehicles is how to charge them up. HEVs do not need to be plugged in to recharge their hybrid battery (unless you buy a plug-in hybrid vehicle or PHEV, which is another story). They use their internal combustion engine and regenerative braking to keep the hybrid battery charged. This means they only need to be refuelled, the same as a conventional vehicle.
Hybrids do have a special battery – like a BEV – but the battery is smaller and does not connect to a plug or wall socket. All Toyota HEVs first registered in New Zealand come with a New Vehicle High Voltage Hybrid Battery Warranty that covers this battery for up to 160,000kms or 8 years (whichever comes first), so no need to worry about battery life.
A Toyota HEV such as a RAV4, Corolla, or Highlander driving at low speeds around town can be in EV or electric vehicle mode for brief periods, therefore emitting no emissions.
But on the open road an HEV will use a combination of the petrol engine and electric motor, meaning you don't have to worry about the range of your hybrid battery.
Like any car with a petrol tank, you keep an eye on the fuel gauge and fill up when you need to – except in the case of a Toyota HEV when you will visit a petrol station less often, depending on how much you drive, where and how you drive, of course.
Some HEVs also give the driver some control over the mode of driving, meaning you can select EV-only mode if the hybrid battery has enough charge and you are driving a short distance at low speeds.
Modern Toyota HEVs also have the latest in driver-assist and safety technology, such as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, lane tracing assist and lane departure alert. One really helpful feature for your next commute or road trip is all speed dynamic radar cruise control, which keeps a constant pre-set distance between you and the vehicle ahead.
Toyota has a hybrid electric vehicle for most driver needs. Ours is the widest range of hybrid electric vehicles in the market from the Yaris hatch and Yaris Cross and C-HR SUVs to the always popular Corolla and Camry passenger cars and the larger SUVs – the RAV4 and, since 2021, the seven-seat Highlander.
Whatever your need, Toyota has a hybrid electric vehicle – new or a refreshed and certified pre-owned version – for you.
Find out more about hybrids click here