Hybrid cars and electric cars represent the mobility of the future. In fact, in addition to guaranteeing numerous advantages for the environment, they are particularly competitive vehicles also from an economic point of view.
However, not everyone knows that there are numerous differences between electric cars and hybrid cars. In fact, although they are different from numerous points of view, there is generally a tendency to confuse the two types of vehicle.
For this reason, before deciding which means of transport to travel with, it is essential to inform yourself about the functioning of these vehicles and know what the difference is between hybrid and electric, in order to choose the best solution for your needs.
Hybrid cars: what they are and how they work
A hybrid car is a car powered by two separate sources:
- un internal combustion engine, generally powered by petrol;
- un electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery.
Electric motor and combustion engine work together to achieve maximum savings in terms of consumption. The battery of hybrid cars does not need to be recharged at a charging station: in fact, hybrid cars do not have any external socket. How do you recharge the battery? Simply thanks to the combustion engine and thanks to the energy recovery system during braking.
Furthermore, in addition to traditional hybrid cars, there are also plug-in hybrid cars. These are vehicles very similar to hybrid ones in structure, but with a fundamental difference: plug-in hybrid cars are equipped with a larger rechargeable battery which is powered thanks to an external charging source, in addition to the energy recovery system in braking.
As a result, plug-in hybrid cars can travel as both pure electric vehicles and hybrids. When the car drives as pure electric, the energy comes exclusively from the rechargeable battery. On the contrary, when the battery's energy runs out, the petrol or diesel combustion engine automatically kicks in.
Electric cars: what they are and how they work
An electric car is a vehicle powered exclusively by an electric motor that runs thanks to the energy stored inside the battery. So, unlike hybrids, electric cars are not powered by any internal combustion engine.
The electric car needs to be recharged periodically via electricity: this is why it has a well-defined autonomy. Once the autonomy is exhausted, the car requires a new charge to move. How do you charge an electric car? There are numerous public stations for recharging the electric car battery: the so-called charging columns.
Electric cars, in addition to being an example of sustainable mobility, are also advantageous from an economic point of view as they require less expenditure for maintenance than traditional petrol or diesel cars.
What are the main differences between electric and hybrid cars?
In addition to the propulsion system and charging, another substantial difference between hybrid cars and electric cars concerns the environmental impact and harmful emissions. Although both vehicles are eco-friendly, the electric car is confirmed as more environmentally friendly than the hybrid. In fact, unlike a hybrid car, an electric car does not have any diesel or petrol combustion engine. In environmental terms this means harmful CO2 emissions reduced to a minimum.
Numerous studies exist to confirm the superiority of environmental electric vehicles: among these, the most recent is the one carried out by CSR (Research on the Energy System) which compared the emissions of electric vehicles by comparing them with those of diesel, petrol and hybrid cars. The study took vehicles into consideration throughout their entire life cycle: from the production of materials to their disposal. The result confirms that electric is significantly more environmentally friendly than any other type of mobility.
Finally, thanks to the absence of the combustion engine, electric cars are much quieter than hybrids and also guarantee a reduction in noise pollution.
Cars E-VAI electric and hybrid: the ideal solution for all journeys within the Lombardy region.
E-VAI, the first electric car sharing present at a regional level in Lombardy, has exclusively electric and hybrid cars in its fleet. All the auto E-VAI they are latest generation, light and easy to drive, but above all with low environmental impact.
Driving a car E-VAI it means being able to travel comfortably within the urban and extra-urban areas of Lombardy, with connections to the main railway hubs and airports.
But how to choose whether to travel with an electric or hybrid car?
The advice is choose a hybrid car for longer journeys within the region, and choose an electric car for journeys of up to 350 kilometres.
The hybrid car is therefore the ideal solution for longer inter-regional journeys. The electric car, on the other hand, is the best choice for traveling around the city, to reach the airports or for a trip out of town. Furthermore, an electric car guarantees an automatic, light and particularly silent driving experience: for this reason it is confirmed as the best choice for shorter, daily journeys, especially within the busiest areas of the city.
