When looking at the position of the car market, everything seems to be heading towards the purely electric car, although the conventional gasoline, diesel and hybrid still have their share of the pie. It is true that in the case of the former, those of fuel generation, they are seen as the option most displaced by environmental issues. However, due to their good characteristics, they continue to be important . But, what differences do we have between a gasoline, diesel and a hybrid car?
No, even if it seems like it, not everything is in the electric. It is true that they are the closest option for the future and the one that is presented as the best view for urban mobility . Its expansion is unstoppable and it has more and more weighty arguments, for which, indeed, there are many reasons why the step should be taken.
Three mobility options with great followers
However, the conventional gasoline, diesel or hybrid car remains in its space, and it is not exactly small. And the truth is that it is not easy for consumers to choose, at present, the car they want to buy. There are vehicles for families or focused on cargo and transport, there are those that bet on the sports line, while others do it, above all, for safety. There are higher ones, with greater speed , with better extras or, even, manual or with automatic transmission .
Of course, there is the option of opting for one of the shared mobility solutions that are experiencing unprecedented growth in recent years. In addition to this, we must add the technological component and the use of energy that the vehicle makes. Thanks to the development and commercialization of ever-better versions, the hybrid car is almost at the same level as gasoline or diesel vehicles, which is why they are the option chosen by an increasing number of drivers every day.
It should not be forgotten that those with combined motorization were born to be the intermediate point between those of combustion and those that are purely electric. Now, what is it about them that makes them so unique? Are there any that are especially better?
Basic fundamentals
Since the early 1990s, the proliferation of diesel as a fuel in the automotive sector has meant that more than half of the new cars sold in Spain were equipped with diesel engines. After discovering that internal combustion engines are particularly polluting and harmful to health, alternatives to this fuel are gaining momentum.
At the same time, we must make a clarification: not all alternatives are valid for all drivers or, at least, they may not be the most profitable or appropriate solution for their trips. Because although all three seem like very comfortable options, both for use and for driving, it is possible that you have a particular preference.
What makes them gain integers is that, in distance of those that are purely electric, the hybrid car, gasoline or diesel does not need to be recharging or be aware of the state of the battery. That is probably one of the aspects that most think about winning. And is that if you are looking to make medium or long journeys, we should not worry excessively about the fuel load.
Anyway, they are not all the same either. We say this, in particular, for those of hybrid technology, since although the conventional HEV recharges its batteries automatically thanks to its regenerative braking, there are cases such as the PHEV, the plug-in hybrid , which although still has a combustion engine and another electric, it does need it to extend its electrified life. That is something that does not happen with conventional ones, very safe, reliable options, and in the case of gasoline, much more affordable (although with higher consumption).
As they are
Previously, the dealership used to ask us how many kilometers we planned to do per year and they would recommend a diesel if that figure exceeds 15,000 km . Now things are different, as the market has seen the settlement of hybrid vehicles and the rise of electric vehicles. Even that of gas vehicles (LPG or CNG), which had their moment decades ago and have made a strong comeback.
In general, we can say that green cars become really profitable if they drive a sufficient number of kilometers. The existence of super valley electricity rates with deep discounts in Spain, as well as the relatively high taxes for the most polluting vehicles, favor these figures, and they will become even cheaper and more competitive as time goes by. However, for this, you have to know what they are like.
- Gasoline car . A car with a gasoline engine is smoother, quieter and vibrates less than a diesel, but it consumes more than this and the fuel is somewhat more expensive. Of course, they have a more affordable purchase price than vehicles with a diesel engine. They generally have a shorter life than diesels, which are more resistant.
- Diésel . This is usually louder and trembles more than gasoline (although they have improved a lot compared to the first in this aspect), but they consume less and their fuel is cheaper.
- Hybrid . Characterized by the combination of a combustion engine (generally gasoline) and an electric one, it is usually a more expensive type of car than gasoline and diesel. But their electrical support is greater and they also consume less. Hybrid cars provide the lowest consumption in the city, which is where the electrical part of their mechanics works the longest. And in this scenario they outperform any other alternative.
- Plug-in hybrid. At the same time, alongside conventional hybrids, are PHEVs, which are plug-in hybrid cars. This one has a priority, fully electric autonomous motor powered by a rechargeable battery, but also a combustion engine. The 100% electric motor and the gasoline engine can work separately or together. That is why a plug-in hybrid car has much more range.
Why is a gasoline one better?
Therefore, and once the types of vehicles we have are known, the question arises: what type of car to buy and what are its most advantageous points? Gasoline, diesel, hybrid …? As we mentioned, today’s automotive field, within its wide variety, complicates the answer.
Although if we are drivers who are clear about their conditions of use and life on a day-to-day basis, perhaps it could be something easier. Because depending on a series of factors , such as the types of journeys (longer or shorter), the way of driving … we have with us the gasoline that is really optimal.
Thus, if what we are going to do is a few kilometers a year, regardless of the type of environment (city, highway, highway …), we will never be able to amortize the high price of an electric car compared to a gasoline one, but neither that of a hybrid car, not even that of a diesel car. The higher consumption of gasoline cars is very little noticeable if we drive a few kilometers a year and what we save by buying it will allow us to refill the tank for a long time.
The truth is that, if journeys below 20,000 km are frequented, the recommendation is always gasoline. Only in a large and heavy car such as a minivan or large SUV, a diesel may be more recommended to cope with the increased fuel consumption. But there are other reasons.
- Lower purchase price . The gasoline engine is the cheapest option when you go to a dealer.
- Superior performance . The acceleration of this type of vehicle is superior to that of any other. The reaction is faster and the driving sensation is more authentic.
- Innovation . Manufacturers have been working hard lately to reduce emissions and fuel consumption from gasoline engines. The result is vehicles with smaller but more efficient powertrains. Another important development is the creation of hybrid engines that combine an electric motor and a gasoline motor. An option that hardly exists in the diesel versions.
- Better response to high revs . Beyond 4,500 revolutions per minute, gasoline cars have a reaction and performance that is not matched by other engines.
Advantages of diesel
Until the arrival of electric cars and the hybrid car, there was always an important debate about what was better, whether to opt for diesel or gasoline. In this sense, if we refer to them, it is true that they are much more efficient than the first ones. They have greater towing capacity and consume less fuel per kilometer.
Its durability is much greater, despite the fact that its engines are slower. Currently it is still a reasonable purchase and reasons to reject this type of engine. Not surprisingly, a model can be perfect for you and not adapt to another driver. It all depends on what each one needs, their circumstances, their possibilities …
As we have said, they are always more expensive than their gasoline equivalents, however there are a couple of ‘buts’ that turn this problem into an advantage. In the first place, there are the offers that these models enjoy: in the face of falling sales, manufacturers have to make up lost ground and they do so with hefty discounts. Secondly, we find the government aid for the purchase of new cars that have now included diesel again. A combination that makes them economically interesting.
- Lower consumption . It is its best feature. The difference is especially noticeable when driving at a constant high speed, that is, on motorways or expressways.
- Recovery capacity at medium revs. While it is true that in the moments of acceleration a diesel car loses some traction with respect to its gasoline counterpart, when the speed is homogeneous its performance is superior.
- Lower fuel price . Although the difference in price has tended to equalize lately, diesel is still a cheaper option than gasoline. So when we go to a gas station we will notice the savings.
Hybrid virtues
Classic hybrids or, as Toyota euphemistically calls them, self-recharging are the ones we have known and driven for more than two decades. In this case we have high-voltage batteries that store the electrical energy that they recover when we brake and a series of electric motors / generators that are capable of moving the car by themselves.
The system works in such a way that the maneuvers and every time we start to roll it tries to do it only with the electric motor and with the thermal off, which is when it consumes the most. If we step on the accelerator too much, it will turn on the combustion engine to come out with more power, but assisted by the electric one to reduce consumption as much as possible.
By recovering enough energy during braking and being able to use it later to move the car, its energy efficiency is greater and produces considerable reductions in consumption, especially in urban use. Its advantages are very tight consumption in the city and the ECO label, as well as greater mechanical reliability by operating the heat engine with less effort as it is assisted by the electric, which reduces wear.