Hybrid and electric cars are becoming more popular with each passing year.
Many people who were initially put off by the idea of owning a green car are now starting to realise the benefits, including lower running costs, lower emissions (zero emissions in the case of electric cars) and a smoother and more enjoyable driving experience.
Despite last year’s fuel price cuts, rural motorists are still looking for ways to save. There’s no doubt that driving a green car – whether it’s a hybrid or electric – can cut down on your fuel costs considerably.
Which type of green car is best for rural drivers?
Below are the different types of green cars that are currently available and the considerations of each for rural motorists.
Hybrid cars
Hybrid cars are cars that have both a petrol/diesel engine and an electric motor. The electric motor is used whenever possible and is charged by the energy created when the car brakes and sometimes by energy created by the engine itself.
Rural drivers do not get the same benefit from hybrid cars as city drivers since the driving conditions don’t allow the electric motor to be charged nearly as much.
This is because it is the stop-start nature of city driving that makes these cars efficient.
Plug-in hybrid cars
Plug-in hybrids also have a petrol/diesel engine and an electric motor.
The main difference is that they can be charged at the mains. This makes them an ideal choice for rural motorists since you can charge your vehicle at home before every journey. You will of course need to have an electric charging point installed at your home in order to do this.
These are easily installed and as a lot of country rural driving tends to be short runs to the shop or for parts to your local dealer, the vehicle will mainly be using the electric-only range. However, it will have the ability to take on the weekend trip across the country if required and still be more efficient than the petrol or diesel equivalent.
Electric cars
Purely electric cars do not have a petrol or diesel engine and instead are powered solely by electricity. Electric cars usually run for around 120km to 300km on a single charge, depending on the model.
The main concern with electric cars is being near a petrol station that has a charging point. However, if your typical journeys are not across long distances of more than the range of the vehicle and you have a charging point at your home, this is usually not an issue.
The Tesla Model 3 has a waiting list of 450,000 customers
Ranges of these electric only cars are extending on a weekly basis, with some manufacturers claiming that 500km is not beyond the realms of possibility in the very near future.
At the moment the most usable type of green car for the rural user is a plug-in hybrid which gives the driver the advantages of hybrid and electric without the setbacks.
The one issue that I can see is that if a trailer is to be pulled there is currently no “green” option for the bigger trailer work where a diesel is still the only option.
Currently if a smaller trailer is being used both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid will do the same job as their petrol or diesel version but will probably negate any improved fuel economy. In the case of the full electric vehicles, the range reduction that will be experienced will make them unusable without having a network of charging points on anything but the shortest of journeys.
In the near future, “green” cars will become more and more common as they become more able to do the jobs that we are used to other vehicles doing. Some rural users could currently save some serious money with the use of a plug-in hybrid vehicle with little or no change to their driving habits. You would just need to remember to plug it in at night to get the full savings available.
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Hybrid and electric cars are becoming more popular with each passing year.
Many people who were initially put off by the idea of owning a green car are now starting to realise the benefits, including lower running costs, lower emissions (zero emissions in the case of electric cars) and a smoother and more enjoyable driving experience.
Despite last year’s fuel price cuts, rural motorists are still looking for ways to save. There’s no doubt that driving a green car – whether it’s a hybrid or electric – can cut down on your fuel costs considerably.
Which type of green car is best for rural drivers?
Below are the different types of green cars that are currently available and the considerations of each for rural motorists.
Hybrid cars
Hybrid cars are cars that have both a petrol/diesel engine and an electric motor. The electric motor is used whenever possible and is charged by the energy created when the car brakes and sometimes by energy created by the engine itself.
Rural drivers do not get the same benefit from hybrid cars as city drivers since the driving conditions don’t allow the electric motor to be charged nearly as much.
This is because it is the stop-start nature of city driving that makes these cars efficient.
Plug-in hybrid cars
Plug-in hybrids also have a petrol/diesel engine and an electric motor.
The main difference is that they can be charged at the mains. This makes them an ideal choice for rural motorists since you can charge your vehicle at home before every journey. You will of course need to have an electric charging point installed at your home in order to do this.
These are easily installed and as a lot of country rural driving tends to be short runs to the shop or for parts to your local dealer, the vehicle will mainly be using the electric-only range. However, it will have the ability to take on the weekend trip across the country if required and still be more efficient than the petrol or diesel equivalent.
Electric cars
Purely electric cars do not have a petrol or diesel engine and instead are powered solely by electricity. Electric cars usually run for around 120km to 300km on a single charge, depending on the model.
The main concern with electric cars is being near a petrol station that has a charging point. However, if your typical journeys are not across long distances of more than the range of the vehicle and you have a charging point at your home, this is usually not an issue.
The Tesla Model 3 has a waiting list of 450,000 customers
Ranges of these electric only cars are extending on a weekly basis, with some manufacturers claiming that 500km is not beyond the realms of possibility in the very near future.
At the moment the most usable type of green car for the rural user is a plug-in hybrid which gives the driver the advantages of hybrid and electric without the setbacks.
The one issue that I can see is that if a trailer is to be pulled there is currently no “green” option for the bigger trailer work where a diesel is still the only option.
Currently if a smaller trailer is being used both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid will do the same job as their petrol or diesel version but will probably negate any improved fuel economy. In the case of the full electric vehicles, the range reduction that will be experienced will make them unusable without having a network of charging points on anything but the shortest of journeys.
In the near future, “green” cars will become more and more common as they become more able to do the jobs that we are used to other vehicles doing. Some rural users could currently save some serious money with the use of a plug-in hybrid vehicle with little or no change to their driving habits. You would just need to remember to plug it in at night to get the full savings available.
Read more
Bite-size maize
Kilbrittain Tractor run to raise funds for autism unit
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