If you've started to look into buying an electric car or a hybrid, it's a great time to do so. In the last few years, we seem to have really turned a corner - alt-fuel vehicles are almost certainly the new future of automobiles. Consumer adoption is rising every month, more and more charging stations are being installed, and governments around the world are starting to incentivize a move away from internal-combustion engines (ICE).
However, if you're thinking about moving into a hybrid car or EV, there's a lot to think about. You have several different technologies to choose between, and the type of vehicle you choose will have a lot of impact on your life going forward.
So, in this article, we wanted to talk about your options in electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as other things to consider before you invest.
Toyota was one of the original pioneers in hybrid vehicles, back in the 90s, and continue to be market leaders today. The concept behind a hybrid is relatively simple: the vehicle includes both electric and internal-combustion motors, allowing the car to switch between modes depending on the situation.
However, there are a few different ways this can be accomplished, leading to several different types of hybrid cars.
Series hybrid vehicles are effectively EVs which also include an ICE for power generation. The drivetrain and motors are electric, with the engine generating power which is fed directly into the electric system. The gasoline engine, therefore, can be tuned to run in one specific power band, allowing it to be far more efficient than engine in an old gasoline-powered car.
Parallel hybrid vehicles allow either the gasoline engine or the electric motors to power the car, with mechanisms in place which can switch between power sources while on the go. These cars typically struggle with maintaining efficiency in stop-and-go traffic, unlike series hybrids, but offer better efficiency on long highway drives.
Series parallel hybrids are a combination of the two methods, effectively including two complete drivetrains in one vehicle. They have a fully functional gas motor AND electric systems, capable of switching back and forth depending on the situation and use case. These are, in many cases, a "best of both worlds" solution to the question of gas vs electricity. However, the downside is that they're typically more expensive than any other comparable vehicle design due to the complexity of their engineering.
Plug-in Hybrids are a variation worth mentioning, although they can appear in a few different configurations. Basically, some hybrids include an electric charging port - like full EVs - along with accepting gasoline. Other hybrids rely on the engine, or other sources of kinetic power, to charge the car's battery. A plug-in hybrid gives you more flexibility in refuelling.
The other option here is a full electric car, which includes no gasoline-powered components at all. The biggest benefit is that they are typically less expensive than hybrids, since their engineering is more straightforward, and their maintenance is typically cheaper as well.
In this case, the engineering is similar across all EV options: the car includes a large battery mounted on the underside, which is charged via a recharge station or wall-socket plug. They may then have a single large electric motor, providing typical front- or rear-wheel drive, or they might use separate motors attached to each axle for AWD capability.
Electric cars are extremely efficient, the most energy-efficient of all your options at the moment.
However, there is one big tradeoff here: you will be wholly reliant on finding opportunities to recharge your vehicle. Today's Toyota EVs can easily go 250 miles on a single charge, so that's more than sufficient for typical daily use and commuting. In addition, charging stations are becoming more and more commonplace. However, they are still commonly only found along the south of Canada - go into the northern provinces, and you may struggle to find power stations.
Websites like Electrify Canada and ChargeHub keep track of charging stations across the country, and should be consulted regularly if you're planning a road trip.
If you're looking at buying an electric car, or a plug-in hybrid, there's one other major consideration: the charger you install at your house.
Chargers are typically not provided with the vehicle's purchase and will have to be bought and installed separately. These must be installed by a qualified electrician, as they will most likely require some rewiring of your home's electrical system. As such, you may also be required to have an electrical inspection of your property after installation, depending on your city's local building codes.
Assume this will add at least several hundred dollars to your first-time plug-in vehicle purchase. On the plus side, chargers are becoming increasingly standardized, so your charger should be able to support future EVs over the years.
There are three 'levels' of EV chargers available, depending on how much power is delivered.
Level 1 chargers only require 120V - which is to say the same amount of current delivered by your basic wall sockets. Using these, you can potentially avoid the expense of rewiring your home. However, they are extremely slow to charge. Assume 8 hours to get a full charge, which is a dealbreaker for many people.
Level 2 chargers are the most commonplace, using 208/240V of power. This is within the capability of a home's power system but will probably require rewiring to make it work. However, these can fully charge an EV or plug-in hybrid within just a few hours, which is far more convenient than L1 chargers.
Level 3 chargers can output 480V of power, but they are extremely rare in homes since most houses aren't capable of providing that much current. These are the "fast charge" stations you see at businesses and fuelling stations, potentially able to fully charge a vehicle in 30-60 minutes.
1000 Islands Toyota is here to help you make the switch to hybrid vehicles or electric cars! Please feel free to contact us if you have questions, or come visit for some test drives.