Hybrid Car semi-hybrid and electric cars have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. During the last decades, there has been a sustained effort to develop vehicles with lower emissions and adapted for the transition away from fossil fuels. Car manufacturing companies have introduced innovations designed to improve the performance of new systems. 

This article presents the advantages of hybrid cars, how they work and what are the best hybrid Petrol models.

How hybrid cars work

There are four main categories of hybrid cars, each with a slightly different mode of operation. Here’s how hybrid cars work:

Series hybrid engine cars

In the case of series hybrid cars, the electric motor directly drives the wheels, and the Petrol engine acts as a generator, producing electricity to charge the battery. The petrol engine does not propel the car forward, but supplies power to the electric motor.

These cars can use both energy sources simultaneously or run exclusively on battery power for short distances. This design makes them particularly effective in urban traffic with frequent stops. The petrol engine kicks in when the battery runs low or when extra power is needed for speed.

Hybrid cars with parallel drive system

In parallel drive hybrid cars, both the electric motor and the internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) are connected to the car’s drivetrain and work together to provide power. The thermal engine is the main working engine, and the electric engine contributes an additional impulse.

The major difference with series hybrids is that the gasoline engine directly drives the car instead of producing electricity. This configuration is less fuel efficient than series hybrids, but cheaper in terms of production and purchase costs.

Hybrid cars with series-parallel propulsion system

Series-parallel hybrid cars combine elements of the first two types. They can work both on the heat engine (gasoline or diesel) and on the electric engine, individually or together. The petrol engine can also be used to charge the battery, similar to series hybrids.

In normal driving conditions, the petrol or diesel engine provides most of the power, and the electric motor contributes an additional boost, for example during overtaking. In slow urban traffic, the car switches to battery operation. However, high speeds are supported by the heat engine.

Plug-in hybrid cars

Plug-in hybrid cars, also known as PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), are a closer version of electric cars. The battery of these cars can be charged through the gasoline engine or through an external power source such as a charging station.

Their batteries are larger than those of regular hybrids, allowing greater distances to be traveled electrically. These cars use both the heat engine and electricity to propel themselves, resulting in lower fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline-only cars.

If we talk about fuel efficient cars, it is important to note that the actual efficiency in terms of fuel consumption and emissions depends on the specific type of hybrid car, but also on the speed and driving style. Furthermore, these cars also use other technologies to optimize consumption, such as the continuously variable transmission (CVT), which automatically adjusts engine revs and gear changes to achieve maximum efficiency.

The best Petrol hybrid cars

The best hybrid cars combine some of the zero-emission driving of an electric vehicle with the pulling power of an internal combustion engine. The best Petrol hybrid cars really suit people who do a lot of city and highway driving.

Currently, there are not many Petrol hybrid cars on sale. Which is a shame, because they work particularly well together. Especially the plug-in hybrids, which can slide on electric power through busy streets, then have a Petrol engine fired up to pull economically on the highway. This list contains plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid cars.

Hybrid Cars

Most popular hybrid cars in India in the price range of Rs. 10 Lakh – Rs. 5.40 Crore. The most popular hybrid cars include Maruti Grand Vitara (Rs. 10.00 Lakh), Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder (Rs. 10.86 Lakh), and Toyota Innova Hycross (Rs. 18.82 Lakh). The top manufacturers that produce hybrid cars are Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Lexus, and Volvo.

Maruti Grand Vitara	Rs. 10.00 Lakh	27 kmpl
Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder	Rs. 10.86 Lakh	27 kmpl
Toyota Innova Hycross	Rs. 18.82 Lakh	23 kmpl
Honda City Hybrid	Rs. 18.89 Lakh	27 kmpl
Maruti Invicto	Rs. 24.82 Lakh	23 kmpl

Hybrid car variants are low-consumption and very reliable cars. If you live in a city or urban area and spend a lot of time sitting in traffic, a series hybrid is a good choice. Parallel hybrids are cheaper and better for those with smaller budgets and low annual mileage.