To go hybrid or stay traditional?

We all can make the reasonable assumption that this kind of technology is far from ready to be embraced in Uganda, let alone Africa save for the rich suburbs of rich African nations.

Electric cars
Let’s go to the very beginning and understand that not all “electric” cars are created equal. There are three main categories. The fully electric cars with high capacity battery packs that store power that is used to run the electric motor and all on board electronics.

Second category which is hybrids is split into two to make the three categories. There’s the Plug-in Hybrid which can recharge the battery through both regenerative braking and “plugging in” to an external source of electrical power. It is this category where most manufacturers are playing. Then lastly the Hybrid which simply uses both electricity and fuel. With the choice of what to use determined by the on-board computer depending on the driving conditions ensuring best fuel economy.

Best buy

Most people in Uganda are into buying used cars so which one can and should you get. I’ll tell you outright, it is the third category, the hybrid. These were the first to come out so there are several examples on the used market. They don’t need to be plugged into some specialised infrastructure so that’s out of the way. And lastly they are move traditional fuel engine than they are electric making maintenance less of a night mare, at least the first and second generations. The Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius Hybrid are the most common on the Japanese used car market.

Why the choose the hybrid
While buying any used car can be a gamble, buying a used hybrid such as a Toyota Prius can be an even bigger one. But why would you want one. Well there are several reasons including having great fuel economy. That is almost always the first thing many think about when in the market for a hybrid. Second is the less wear on brakes and transmission. Due to the electric powertrains used in most hybrids, the brake pads and transmission are in much better shape.

Because the electric motor does a lot of the work in a hybrid, the transmission will be better preserved, and magnet-based regenerative braking helps preserve brake pads, rotors, and other braking systems. The one con for hybrids is our setup is really the maintenance abyss one my run into.

Repairs and spare parts

Starting with the battery replacements that are extremely expensive or non-existent at all at most repair shops. The mechanic skill set available in Uganda may not be up to par with the electronics these cars carry, let alone being accepted at the dealerships.

If you are to get one, the second generation Toyota Prius is considered the Gold Standard in the used hybrid car market. In the early days of hybrid technology, hybrid cars came at a considerable premium when new. The technology itself was cutting-edge and expensive to produce, and the cars were priced accordingly.

Since then, thanks to depreciation and the rapid increase in hybrids’ popularity has helped bring down the cost of the technology, though a hybrid model still usually costs more to buy new than its pure fuel equivalent.

Hybrid vs plug-in hybrids
Hybrids: Hybrids have smaller batteries which are recharged via regenerative braking and when you take your foot off the accelerator and coast. The vehicle’s momentum (kinetic energy) is turned it into electricity that recharges (regenerates) the battery. A regular hybrid vehicle can operate in electric-only (commonly referred to as EV) mode when there is fuel in the tank, but it is not designed to run without it.

Plug-in hybrids: A plug-in hybrid combines the benefits of a traditional hybrid and a battery electric vehicle or BEV. Plug-in hybrids have larger batteries and as a result, you can drive in EV mode for greater distances – usually around 20 to 60km depending on the model.
The plug-in hybrid’s battery is charged via regenerative braking as well as by plugging it in.
Compiled from https://www.thejournal.ie

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