All about hybrid cars with most affordable options in India

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A hybrid car is a car that has two engines, an electric motor that runs on batteries and a combustion engine which uses normal fuel. The electric motor is used at low speeds. When the car speed picks up, the your combustion engine kicks in. The electric battery then recharges itself using the combustion engine. HEVs can be either mild or full hybrids, and full hybrids can be designed in series or parallel configurations. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) cannot be plugged in to charge the battery.

Hybrids are facing stiff competition from electric counterparts worldwide and in India. As in India, the government is emphasising more on electric vehicles for future sustainability. However, hybrids have continued to make a dent in their respective segments, offering better fuel economy, advanced features, more space and comfort, and most importantly, cleaner emissions as well.

The most affordable Hybrid car in India:

Toyota Glanza G Smart Hybrid –  It is the mid-petrol variant in the Glanza lineup and is priced at Rs. 7.65 Lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). It returns a certified mileage of 23.87 kmpl. This G Hybrid variant comes with an engine putting out 89 bhp @ 6000 rpm and 113 Nm @ 4400 rpm of max power and max torque respectively. This G Smart Hybrid variant comes with an engine putting out and of max power and max torque respectively. Toyota Glanza G Smart Hybrid is available in transmission and offered in 4 colors: Cafe White, Enticing Silver, Gaming Grey, and Insta Blue.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki):  This hybrid car is another affordable option available in the price range of Rs. 8.23 lakh – Rs. 10.17 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It gets an integrated starter generator, a larger capacity battery, and start-stop technology that help the vehicle return better mileage. While the old Maruti Ciaz diesel had an ARAI certified mileage of 26.21Km/l, the Ciaz SHVS returns an outstanding 28.09Km/l. This effectively makes the Ciaz SHVS hybrid India’s most fuel-efficient car.

Upcoming Hybrid Cars

In the affordable range, Maruti Suzuki Swift Hybrid is the most awaited hybrid car which is expected be launched in December 2021. And its expected price would be Rs 10 Lakh.

However, the challenge faced by the hybrid vehicle market is high cost. A hybrid vehicle such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle has the battery as its central component. The battery increases the cost of the vehicle, making it costlier than diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles. The price difference is due to parts such as battery and regenerative brake price. However, there has been a significant decrease in the cost of batteries in the past few years. Also, battery manufacturers are taking initiatives and carrying out R&D operations to decrease the cost of batteries.