Hybrid vs Electric Car: Which Is REALLY Cheaper?

Electric cars are often said to be cheaper than hybrid or plug-in hybrid, but is that always the case. Rory runs the numbers to see how the super-efficient Honda Civic e:HEV, which can sometimes manage 80mpg, compares with plug-in hybrids and electric cars.

Sources:

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[AutoTraderTV]

As some of you have spotted, the cost for charging an EV for 10, 000 miles at the 32.42ppkwh rate should be £1, 134 not £1, 296. The VAT rate for domestic electricity is charged at 5%. -Rory

[LostChildOfTime]

Sometimes I’m convinced that Honda might actually be the only car company that cares about making car right for everyone.

[garhun]

Interesting article thank you. I took delivery of a Honda Civic eHEV 10 days ago. Today I did 10 mile trip around town and did indeed achieve 85mpg. Although so far over the first 300 miles I have an average of 50mpg. It’s too soon to know if this is representative or not.

For comparison I kept a record of mpg for my last three cars as follows:
Ford Fiesta 1.6 diesel - 58mpg
Toyota CHR 2.0 hybrid - 55 mpg
Cupra Formentor 1.4 plug-in hybrid - 77 mpg

Note: The Cupra includes regular home charging which latterly worked out at around £2.90 for a full charge and averages 30 miles. If not home charging then it averaged 43mpg.

All 4 cars have done the same commute to work (mostly town) plus a once weekly 70 mile round trip (mostly motorway) so I feel gives fair comparison.

UPDATE:
Over the first 2 months I am averaging 54mpg. If you are interested I’ve now worked out the difference in running costs between the Honda and the Cupra plug-in. Using similar mileage and combining petrol and electric the Cupra cost me £122 per month to run. The Civic eHEV costs me £115.

[raybloodypurchase]

As a data analyst this cost comparison is a dream.

Well done guys on the comprehensive cost breakdown especially the best and worst scenarios.

[chrisbloom]

I don't understand why there aren't more hybrids like this. Makes so much sense.

[LifeRacerMe]

this is impressive. These kinds of videos are what really people care about

[Schuey_M]

Something I've known for some time and did some calculations myself if I'm honest, but glad to have it confirmed from a trusted source who has a big platform. Thanks Rory.

[Bmontepeque]

The Civic is one of my favorite cars right now, but even as an enthusiast, I listen to the words "Civic", "Hybrid" and "MPG" and I feel this rush of peace flowing through me 😂 Regular hybrids really are the answer and we finally have a great hybrid that people can buy! Well done Honda! ❤️🙌🏻

[TheLittleRedCali]

Great thing about the Honda is that it’s a bloody good car as well. I’ll definitely be going down this route when I change my car next year.

[VerilogTutor]

Glad you mentioned that EV maintenance costs are lower, but some figures would be good. Resale values are also worth considering.

[petermadany]

Great content!

Based on my experiences with Prius, Volt, and Bolt EV, one thing worthy of more discussion is how weather and road speeds can really affect hybrid, PHEV, and BEV efficiency. For example, on beautiful 50F day driving on minor country roads, I can easily get 5 miles per kilowatt hour. In summer heat or freezing cold, a Bolt EV is much less efficient. I try to use the heated seats and steering wheel to avoid using the heater. In the summer the AC can really hurt efficiency. Also 65+ MPH can affect things. My 2009 Prius averaged 52mpg most months, but was as bad as 42mpg during the coldest months.

[Ambienfinity]

Excellent real-world analysis. I don't fancy sitting round waiting for an EV to charge while on the road, and for now, a hybrid seems like a good solution.

[colinsmall]

I love your reviews. Your information is very detailed and the only one that gives a very balanced view about petrol, EVs and hybrids. Thank you.

[davidpicard]

I don't have a Honda civic ehev but have a Kia Niro pure hybrid and I have to agree how remarkable a hybrid can be provided you pay attention to the display periodically while driving. The hybrid will educate you on the Newtonian mechanics teaching you to drive sensibly and economically. That's not to say that you'll be avoiding overtake maneuvers but it will also help you squeeze out more mileage from your conventional fossil fuel vehicles by changing your driving behaviour. Definately been a worthwhile investment.

[reyarqueza]

Thanks for that deep analysis for a variety of use cases! It was very enlightening.

[mjm]

Good Morning from Los Angeles! Thank you for the great vids and entertainment.

[Adakes]

It'll be interesting in 10years to see what the used car market will be like.

[SteveWortham]

Love it. And I’ve come to similar conclusions when comparing cars and crunching numbers. The traditional hybrids are actually very attractive now from purely a financial standpoint. The Camry hybrid, for example, is only $1500 more than the base Camry and it has more power and far better fuel economy. A comparable plug in hybrid or electric car would be far more expensive upfront.

[joeykitty]

A most enlightening video presentation. Thanks!

[recklessrogue]

An excellent video explaining how each car could be economically beneficial to different people. Although I'd say in the interest of fairness as the new Civic is probably the most efficient full hybrid a more fair comparison would be against a more efficient EV like an Ioniq or Model 3 which can do 4-5 mpkwh easily.