The world of automobiles has come a long way since cars first started roaming the roads. And, just as any other technology, it keeps evolving every day. Practicality has not, in quite a while, been the only factor taken into account when choosing one’s vehicles and since global warming is a real threat, people have been more serious about electric vehicles. The recent rise in petrol prices further fuels people’s willingness to opt for a more eco-friendly vehicle in 2022.
However, a full electric car is neither cheap, nor easy to maintain. Infrastructure is still lacking, in many parts of the world charging stations are not frequent enough to cover the range of electric vehicles. On the other hand, even if charging stations are not the problem, it still takes too long for some vehicles to fully charge their battery.
Under these circumstances, hybrid cars come as a ‘best of both worlds’ option. They still provide you with the guarantee of a long trip, without having to plan each and every gas stop, but they can also greatly reduce both consumption and emissions.
Depending on how they incorporate the electric element into their functioning, there are different types of hybrid cars, all of which reduce fuel consumption and emissions by varying degrees.
Some are plug-in, closer to a full electric version and on the more expensive side of hybrid vehicles. They are best for shorter commutes, where they can run solely on the electric battery, but still provide the ease of mind of being able to take a longer journey without having to worry about stopping to charge for a few hours.
The other type, mild hybrids, are self-charging. They have smaller batteries that assist the engine but have a low or no range solely on the electric motor. However, they do not need to be plugged-in to charge, the batteries fill either when the vehicle accelerates, or when it breaks.
All things considered, here are some of the best options to buy in 2022
1. Toyota Corolla
- hybrid type: self-charging
- starting price: € 29,577
- battery range (km): N/A
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 76-89
- economy (L/100km): 3.7-4.7
2. Toyota Yaris
- hybrid type: self-charging
- starting price: € 23,812
- battery range (km): N/A
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 92-98
- economy (L/100km): 3.4-4.1
3. Mercedes E 300
- hybrid type: plug-in
- starting price: € 55,014
- battery range (km): 50
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 41-46
- economy (L/100km): 1.2-1.7
4. BMW X5 45e
- hybrid type: plug-in
- starting price: € 84,859
- battery range (km): 83
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 27-32
- economy (L/100km): 1.1
5. Skoda Octavia iV
- hybrid type: plug-in
- starting price: € 39,478
- battery range (km): 54
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 22-33
- economy (L/100km): 0.8
6. Toyota Prius
- hybrid type: self-charging
- starting price: € 29,607
- battery range (km): 54
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 29
- economy (L/100km): 1.2
7. BMW 330e
- hybrid type: plug-in
- starting price: € 51,027
- battery range (km): 56
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 31-38
- economy (L/100km): 1.3
8. Kia Niro
- hybrid type: plug-in
- starting price: € 36,670
- battery range (km): 48
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 30
- economy (L/100km): 1.2
9. Renault Captur
- hybrid type: plug-in
- starting price: € 37,122
- battery range (km): 48
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 149
- economy (L/100km): 4.8-5.5
10. Mercedes C300
- hybrid type: plug-in
- starting price: € 53,544
- battery range (km): 99
- CO2 emissions (g/km): 14
- economy (L/100km): 0.6