Self-charging hybrid cars, which operate on both an internal combustion engine and a battery, outsold diesel cars in Europe for the first time in 2021, albeit by just 48 vehicles, data showed on Wednesday.
One in 11 cars sold were battery-electric, the data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association showed, totalling just under 880,000 vehicles.
Self-charging hybrid cars contain a battery charged by an internal combustion engine, and generally can only drive a limited distance on electric power.
Plug-in hybrids are powered primarily by a battery charged externally and thus seen as more environmentally friendly, but are backed up by an internal combustion engine, while battery-electric cars run on the battery alone.
A total of 1,901,239 million self-charging hybrid cars were registered in the European Union throughout the year, a significant jump from the 1.1 million registered in 2020.
Diesel registrations, which have cratered since the Dieselgate scandal in 2015, fell by a third from last year's 2.77 million to 1,901,191.
New government subsidies for low- or zero-emission vehicles that took effect as part of pandemic recovery programmes trebled sales of plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicle sales in 2020 to over one million, with a roughly even split between the two types.
The plug-in hybrids are seen by carmakers as a technology of transition to fully-electric cars, but their green credentials have been criticised by environmental groups as studies have shown drivers rely more than hoped on the internal combustion engine over the battery, pushing up the vehicles' emissions.
In 2021, battery-electric vehicle sales grew by 63.1 percent to nearly 878,500 cars, the data showed, while plug-in hybrid sales grew 70.7 percent to nearly 867,100.
Petrol remained the most common fuel type but by a lower margin than last year, constituting 40 percent of new registrations, down from 48 percent in 2020.
Hybrid Cars offer drivers an innovative, efficient, and affordable option. After years of ‘on the road’ development, gas-electric hybrid cars have become a practical choice for consumers. The Toyota Prius, the most successful mass-market hybrid and the best-selling hybrid car, is now in its sixteenth year on the US market. Most automakers today are now following suit, with hybrid versions of popular models in planning stages or now in production.
A hybrid car features a small fuel-efficient gas engine combined with an electric motor that assists the engine when accelerating. The electric motor is powered by batteries that recharge automatically while you drive.
There are two types of gasoline-electric hybrid cars: the parallel hybrid and the series hybrid. In a parallel hybrid car, a gasoline engine and an electric motor work together to move the car forward, while in a series hybrid the gasoline engine either directly powers an electric motor that powers the vehicle or charges batteries that will power the motor.
Hybrid Cars Also Gain Efficiency From:
- Smaller and more efficient engines.
- Regenerative braking: The electric motor that drives the hybrid can also slow the car. In this mode, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car is slowing down.
- Periodic engine shut off: When a hybrid car is stopped in traffic, the engine is temporarily shut off. It restarts automatically when put back into gear.
- Advanced aerodynamics: To reduce drag
- Low-rolling resistance (LLR) tires: Narrow, stiffer tires have less drag
- Lightweight materials: Increases the efficiency of hybrid cars.
Hybrid cars cost more than their non-hybrid counterparts, but due to steady gains in technology, the hybrid price premium is coming down. New affordable hybrid sedans, and improved versions of existing hybrids, are expected to at least double hybrid market share in just five years, from about 2.5 percent in 2010 to 5 percent or higher today.
A more recent development in hybrid technology is “plug-in” hybrid cars. These models offer the same benefits as hybrid cars, with the added benefit of being able to be plugged in to home electric outlets for recharging when the car is not in use. This extends the range for the”electric-only” driving mode, leading to increased mileage and fuel savings.
The hybrid cars listed here, and shown below on this page, are now available in North America. (The list is not complete.) There are also ‘mild-hybrid’ models which are not on this list due to their lower fuel economy ratings.
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