Thread: Hybrid cars what to look for.

Looking at a replacement vehicle for the wife after the insurance wrote her 20 year old Suzuki off.

Thing about a hybrid in something like a Corolla or similar sized car.

Don't want a pure EV as not convinced on them as we need something second had and probably no newer than 2015 due to cost (we are not rich)

What are the pitfalls and things to look for in a hybrid as at the moment I know nothing about them but will be starting to do some research in the next day or so.

Cheers

1st make sure it's a Toyota
2nd make sure it's diesel ;p

M8 all I know is wvery uber driver got a Toyota hybrid , 10million uber drivers can't be wrong, quite a few 2nd hand around , it's the most common hybrid atm 2nd hand in AU , I think in nz as well, parts easily obtainable , body panels, brake pads etc from std model , not special order.
I'd stay clear from the small distributors
I'm told by m8s who's into e cars , it pays to have the battery checked professionally for dead/ bad cells

I'm keen on the idea of a plug in hybrid for my wifes next vehicle. The idea of having a 60ish km range on battery alone for plodding about doing day to day stuff is great but then not having the range anxiety and being able to just jump in it and drive to Auckland if we need to.

100% recommend having the battery fully checked over by a professional on anything used!

I'm probably going to go with either a Toyota or Suzuki in the next 6 months I'd say.

My wife had a 2007 lexus rx400h, was a great car, never had any issues. Sold it at 400,000km. She now has a 2012 lexus rx450h, which is at 330,000km, again, super reliable, no issues. They are quite hard on tyres though, as they’re a bit heavier, and the torque from the drive motors is tough on the rubber. Her current one is running at 8.5L/100km, which for a 3.5L V6 suv with 270hp, is pretty good I reckon.


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A year ago people were up on their hind legs saying that utes must be diesel and EV/hybrid will never work.
In the next year or so Im happy to put money (only a small amount) on people clamouring to get a hybrid ute. Technology is changing so fast.

The latest ev cars are something else. I use them as rentals.

Originally Posted by Tahr

In the next year or so Im happy to put money (only a small amount) on people clamouring to get a hybrid ute. Technology is changing so fast .

A hybrid ute for taking the kids to school in or taking your mates hunting up the Rangitata ??

Originally Posted by XR500

A hybrid ute for taking the kids to school in or taking your mates hunting up the Rangitata ??

Anywhere. As Ive said, the changes in technology are amazing and Im certain that in a year or so we will be amazed. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Originally Posted by Tahr

A year ago people were up on their hind legs saying that utes must be diesel and EV/hybrid will never work.
In the next year or so Im happy to put money (only a small amount) on people clamouring to get a hybrid ute. Technology is changing so fast.

The latest ev cars are something else. I use them as rentals.

Hybrid ute will be good for some roles. Nothing involving farming, water crossings, heavy loading cycles or towing though - the extra weight of a viable-capacity battery pack buggers the average ute for load carrying and towing.

Originally Posted by No.3

Hybrid ute will be good for some roles. Nothing involving farming, water crossings, heavy loading cycles or towing though - the extra weight of a viable-capacity battery pack buggers the average ute for load carrying and towing.

You gotta think in the terms of tomorrow, not today. The change in technology is swift and amazing.

Originally Posted by Tahr

You gotta think in the terms of tomorrow, not today. The change in technology is swift and amazing.

Still not seeing anything that's going to reduce the weight of the things substantially enough to make a difference - the limiting factor with the utes is the fact that you hit the limits of Class 1 licence way before the limit of the vehicle, and if you are stacking 3/4 of a ton of hybrid crap into the thing before you start adding paying load to the vehicle. If you aren't loading the vehicle for the purposes of work and it's a glorified car with a big bum there isn't the issues but if you're carting a load for $ the economics of a hybrid ute start looking a little off.

On the other side of it, a hybrid assist on start off with a heavy trailer combined with a regenerative braking setup when on steep downhills stands to make a huge benefit to driveability. A fair bit of experimentation has been done overseas with a electric motor/generator that bolts onto the front of the rear diff and runs on a shortened driveshaft. Bolting a battery pack up under the waste space between the chassis rails and there's a useful advantage in traction and braking, but again the issue is weight and also a smaller effect in performance with the limits on angles the driveshaft can get to.

Originally Posted by No.3

Still not seeing anything that's going to reduce the weight of the things substantially enough to make a difference - the limiting factor with the utes is the fact that you hit the limits of Class 1 licence way before the limit of the vehicle, and if you are stacking 3/4 of a ton of hybrid crap into the thing before you start adding paying load to the vehicle. If you aren't loading the vehicle for the purposes of work and it's a glorified car with a big bum there isn't the issues but if you're carting a load for $ the economics of a hybrid ute start looking a little off.

On the other side of it, a hybrid assist on start off with a heavy trailer combined with a regenerative braking setup when on steep downhills stands to make a huge benefit to driveability. A fair bit of experimentation has been done overseas with a electric motor/generator that bolts onto the front of the rear diff and runs on a shortened driveshaft. Bolting a battery pack up under the waste space between the chassis rails and there's a useful advantage in traction and braking, but again the issue is weight and also a smaller effect in performance with the limits on angles the driveshaft can get to.

Or design the gearbox/transfer case to work like an old series Landy, that enabled you to start off in low box till you got up to speed, then double the clutch, into transfer case neutral, select second, then into high box. Possibly a tad too much stick shift gymnastics for the average millennial to master

Originally Posted by Tahr

You gotta think in the terms of tomorrow, not today. The change in technology is swift and amazing.

Not really. EV builds are significantly worse for the environment than ICE builds. And an EV is no guarantee that it's running on clean energy, the source energy is just as likely to be coal as it is hydro. Now we are seeing more EVs out there the stats are coming in on battery life, weight resulting in shorter tyre life spans/more road wear/less energy efficiency. And of course soon you will be paying RUCs.

This summer will be interesting, if the forecast hot dry summer arrives and our hydro lakes don't have water - EV owners will be crying big time.

EV's are a smoke and mirrors game, shifting the pollution from the left hand to the right hand - hoping the audience doesn't notice. Our electrical generation hasn't grown to meet the population growth let alone the EV charging demand.

Renewable energy generation is crashing at the same time, it's inability to provide consistent supply doubled with EV charging demand is driving some countries to blackouts.

It will be an interesting summer.

Originally Posted by vulcannz

Not really. EV builds are significantly worse for the environment than ICE builds. And an EV is no guarantee that it's running on clean energy, the source energy is just as likely to be coal as it is hydro. Now we are seeing more EVs out there the stats are coming in on battery life, weight resulting in shorter tyre life spans/more road wear/less energy efficiency. And of course soon you will be paying RUCs.

This summer will be interesting, if the forecast hot dry summer arrives and our hydro lakes don't have water - EV owners will be crying big time.

EV's are a smoke and mirrors game, shifting the pollution from the left hand to the right hand - hoping the audience doesn't notice. Our electrical generation hasn't grown to meet the population growth let alone the EV charging demand.

Renewable energy generation is crashing at the same time, it's inability to provide consistent supply doubled with EV charging demand is driving some countries to blackouts.

It will be an interesting summer.

I don't know enough about EV's apart from them being ok to drive. My comments were directed to utes and was thinking new generations of hybrids.

Originally Posted by No.3

Hybrid ute will be good for some roles. Nothing involving farming, water crossings, heavy loading cycles or towing though - the extra weight of a viable-capacity battery pack buggers the average ute for load carrying and towing.

Local Toyota agent saying that from ~ April 2024 they will only be supplying the recently announced mild hybrid HiLux .... no other options.

Originally Posted by Maxx

Local Toyota agent saying that from ~ April 2024 they will only be supplying the recently announced mild hybrid HiLux .... no other options.

Lose a lot of business they will. Basically turning one of the last hard service work utes into a town car with a big boot. There are advantages that come from a full phev iteration of a ute but for a lot of people that's a handicap not a benefit and just something else to fix. Combined with the other hilux issues like the tiny cab and cruise liner forward vision over the rugby field Toyota is passing off as a bonnet means that there will be better options.