Hybrid cars, and which ones are available these days

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Hybrid cars, and which ones are available these days

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#2850328 14-Jan-2022 00:36

mudguard:

To be fair the Rav4 is probably a cheaper car than the CX5 which ranges from $42K to $65K. The Rav4 is $39K to $57K.

Pre covid you could get quite good discounts off mazda. We got a good discount. I think Toyotas are now a fixed price like Hondas where I don't think you can negotiate on the price.

Dingbatt

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#2850365 14-Jan-2022 07:25

MikeB4: I won't buy cars with real leather.

I guess that rules out your Mustang then. According to the Ford NZ website pretty much everything you touch is leather. Steering wheel, gear stick, handbrake and seats.

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#2850380 14-Jan-2022 08:25

Dingbatt:

MikeB4: I won't buy cars with real leather.

I guess that rules out your Mustang then. According to the Ford NZ website pretty much everything you touch is leather. Steering wheel, gear stick, handbrake and seats.

The Ford Mustang is my wife's thing. Personally I hate US motor vehicles but she gets to make her own choices.

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RUKI

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#2850983 14-Jan-2022 20:21

I predicted a big inflow of Toyota and Honda hybrids this year from Japan (hence developed dozens of conversion to English solutions for them).
Just today' enquirers were about
Toyota Fielder,
Toyota Crown Hybrid
Honda Vezel
Honda Fit Hybrid

My advice - do your homework and if you go for Toyota/Lexus hybrid - avoid those few rare models which use non standard hard to get modules in their battery pack - I.e. 8 or 12 cells instead of standard 6-cell NP2 used in majority of Toyota/Lexus.

Hint: The easiest way is to google for "emergency response" guide for firefighters officially and freely available online.
Those list type and configuration of traction battery used in the car, voltage, chemistry, number of cells/modules, etc.

Toyota / Lexus Hybrid and EV Battery Expert Battery Test & Repair

nzmatt

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#2852842 18-Jan-2022 14:09

Jumping in here on the discussion about Hybrids and long distance driving.

I recently bough an Aqua, while economical around town, on the open highway no different to any other small engine, small car. I drive to work 25km, 22km on SH1 into Christchurch (so very flat, biggest hill is motorway over bridge), all SH1 is 100km/h and 80km/h. The Aqua is averaging a tad better than 5l/100. Efficiency climbs quickly as you slow down - and around town below 60kmI have seen it drop below 3.5l/100. Those figures don't kick in until the engine is warmed up (at least 10 minutes) - the first few minutes any dino burner is using twice its rated fuel economy warming the engine block. I expected this so not unhappy- I would have been disappointed if I bought the hybrid because of the claimed 3.7l/100km.

My Aqua shat is drive battery driving home from the dealer - cost (the dealer) $1500 for a refurbished unit. That is a lot of petrol.

A $10k Leaf won't get anywhere near 100km as someone previously claimed, and be careful - winter, night driving, rain and the open road don't play nice with claimed ranges of electrics. If buying electric, budget a 5% range drop per year, so in 5 years, a 100km range now will become around 75km - with $10-$20k for battery replacement. If you driving is around town, and you can charge at night from a driveway or garage, it may be economical to hire (or borrow) a dino burner for out once or twice a year out of town trips.

Obraik

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#2852868 18-Jan-2022 14:18

nzmatt:

A $10k Leaf won't get anywhere near 100km as someone previously claimed, and be careful - winter, night driving, rain and the open road don't play nice with claimed ranges of electrics. If buying electric, budget a 5% range drop per year, so in 5 years, a 100km range now will become around 75km - with $10-$20k for battery replacement. If you driving is around town, and you can charge at night from a driveway or garage, it may be economical to hire (or borrow) a dino burner for out once or twice a year out of town trips.

A cheap Leaf will get around 80-100km of range - more than enough for your daily commute of 50km. NZ's winters are fairly mild and make very little impact on an EVs range most days - you really need to be in a country where the temps are constantly below 0. You're not going to be losing anywhere near 5% range per year in a Leaf - certainly not in any modern EV.

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RobDickinson

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#2852869 18-Jan-2022 14:19

Theres obviously quite a range from central Otago mid winter at 100kph to northland at city speeds

MikeAqua

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#2852886 18-Jan-2022 14:24

Obraik:

NZ's winters are fairly mild and make very little impact on an EVs range most days - you really need to be in a country where the temps are constantly below 0.

Isn't the issue with winter using the heater and the consequent effect on range. Official range testing (based on the standard docs I've read) is undertaken with the A/C off.

Mike

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#2852941 18-Jan-2022 14:39

Sure, but heating the cabin on a 12c NZ winter day is a lot easier than those in sub-zero conditions those in the Northern Hemisphere often deal with. On top of that, those cars that have heat pumps don't use more power than cooling in summer.

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MikeAqua

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#2852949 18-Jan-2022 15:06

Obraik: Sure, but heating the cabin on a 12c NZ winter day is a lot easier than those in sub-zero conditions those in the Northern Hemisphere often deal with. On top of that, those cars that have heat pumps don't use more power than cooling in summer.

12*C is often the high in winter in Marlborough. Usually below zero driving to work and under 10*C driving home. It gets cold quickly once the sun goes down and not unheard of for the window to be iced when I'm getting into my car at night.

I set the A/C to 19.0*C in winter, with the seat warmer on in the AM, so with my commute that's an average delta of about 15*C in winter, for average of 1.5 hours per day. And dark both ways.

A smart person could work out the required kwh.

Mike

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#2852981 18-Jan-2022 16:06

nzmatt:

A $10k Leaf won't get anywhere near 100km as someone previously claimed, and be careful - winter, night driving, rain and the open road don't play nice with claimed ranges of electrics. If buying electric, budget a 5% range drop per year, so in 5 years, a 100km range now will become around 75km - with $10-$20k for battery replacement. If you driving is around town, and you can charge at night from a driveway or garage, it may be economical to hire (or borrow) a dino burner for out once or twice a year out of town trips.

I happen to drive an approximately $10k leaf (2013 model, 75% SOH) and I get approximately 100km of range! It does vary somewhat though, depending on ambient temperature.

My commute is (in Auckland) Northcote to Westgate. It's 21km there and 20km back (I take slightly different routes) and I do the entire thing at approximately 90 - 100km/h depending on traffic. I also include a couple of fairly brutal hill climbs at motorway speed, which absolutely mows through the battery. The trip to work is about 24% of battery, and the return is about 21% as it includes a bit more slower side road driving.

So yeah, probably 85km of range real-world motorway driving, and would easily get 100km of a full charge at more sedate around-town driving.

All of that is with the AC going hard too.

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#2852984 18-Jan-2022 16:17

MikeAqua:

12*C is often the high in winter in Marlborough. Usually below zero driving to work and under 10*C driving home. It gets cold quickly once the sun goes down and not unheard of for the window to be iced when I'm getting into my car at night.

I set the A/C to 19.0*C in winter, with the seat warmer on in the AM, so with my commute that's an average delta of about 15*C in winter, for average of 1.5 hours per day. And dark both ways.

A smart person could work out the required kwh.

A lot of the initial heating is done when you first get in the car. Nearly all EVs (including the Leaf) have a means of having them heat the cabin before you get into them while they're still plugged in. The cabin will get up to temp without using any (or very little) of the battery before you set off. From there it just has to maintain the temp.

Having said that, the majority of New Zealanders live north of Nelson mostly in the rather mild winter of Auckland. There will be cold days, but the majority are fairly mild.

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Dingbatt

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#2853010 18-Jan-2022 17:04

Why is this being discussed in the Hybrid Vehicle thread?

There are numerous EV threads on GZ. Please stick to your lane.

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Obraik

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#2853040 18-Jan-2022 18:32

Dingbatt:

Why is this being discussed in the Hybrid Vehicle thread?

There are numerous EV threads on GZ. Please stick to your lane.

Because an EV option could be a better option if the goal is to save on fuel costs. Feel free to read back through the thread and see how it came about.

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Dingbatt

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#2853052 18-Jan-2022 19:10

I don’t need to read back. I can guarantee that any thread that is started by someone wanting advice on a vehicle will have one of the usual suspects chime in within the first couple of pages with “have you considered an EV?” even if what they are suggesting is completely at odds with what is being asked. “I’ve got $25K to spend on a family car that will tow my boat”. “Have you considered a $50K MG ZS or a clapped out Leaf?”

Doesn’t take much to take a thread completely off topic. Reading the title sometimes helps get it back. If you want to discuss how temperature affects range. Start a thread on it because a hybrid that has 300km worth of fuel in its tank will have that whether it’s -5 or +15 degrees.

Please note, your inputs on EVs are completely valid and I support your passion for them, but they belong in the appropriate threads.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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