For all of us who don’t live under metaphorical faith, the awareness that the planet is at risk and that our choices as consumers brought us here is all around us. As consumers, we are constantly reminded that our choices shape businesses and even industries. The onus is on us. On the one hand, it’s incredibly empowering—the dream of collectively shaping a better world is almost addictive. But day to day, it doesn’t seem that way. That sounds like a lot of pressure.
Anyone who knows the details of national affairs knows that the world is in trouble, and it is because of the choices we make around us as consumers. As consumers, we are constantly reminded that our choices shape businesses and even industries. The onus is on us. On the one hand, it’s incredibly empowering, meaning that the dream of designing a better world is almost an addiction. But day to day, it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like a lot of pressure.
Take, for example, the vehicles we choose. While EVs are the gold standard, even emerging economies are making investments in their charging infrastructure, and we’re not even getting started; Especially in India. But buying a standard petrol or diesel car feels like a betrayal of our values and the rising fuel prices hurt the budget in the long run. On the other hand, most of us live in cities where the public infrastructure (or lack thereof) makes it difficult to reach our goals easily and conveniently. So we need cars.
This sounds like a Catch-22 situation, however, and there is a third option that most of us ignore: hybrids.
Hybrids are nothing new. In fact, the world’s first hybrid car, the iconic Prius, debuted in Japan in October 1997 after 4 years of frantic R&D efforts by Toyota Motor Corporation’s engineers. In the summer of 1993, the vision was set by then Honorary President Eiji Toyota. He challenged the company to think about a new vision for cars for the 21st century: a car delivered on three fronts: environment, energy and safety; and was ready to face the problems of energy resources, global warming and air pollution head on.
At the Conference of the Parties (COP3) in December 1997, Prius taxis were used to transport participants between venues. The global media was impressed and the car was hailed as “something perfect for the 21st century”. Today, the Prius is in its 4th generation.
Further per liter 40.8 km Speed up provides. Toyota has sold more than 15 million self-charging hybrid electric vehicles (SHEVs), reducing CO2 emissions by 139 million tons worldwide to date. Toyota aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 and has committed to end production of internal combustion engines by 2040.
In India, in the context of electrified personal mobility, we tried to go straight to electric vehicles in line with developed countries, but did so without the necessary investments in charging infrastructure. Our investments in renewable energy have yet to pay off, so for most of us, even if we have EVs, we get them with power generated from fossil fuels. This defeats the purpose, and it prevents people from adopting EVs. Meanwhile, we’ve completely overlooked hybrids (and their enormous advantages).
According to a global survey conducted by Deloitte, 68% of Indians prefer internal combustion engine vehicles as their next purchase. A shocking 24% want a hybrid vehicle as their next vehicle, while only 4% want a pure EV. Toyota and other manufacturers are in talks with the Indian government to reduce taxes on hybrid vehicles, so they become a viable option for consumers looking to opt for greener options.
Toyota offers Toyota Camry and Vellfire SHEVs in India. What makes these cars unique is their ability to recover kinetic energy from braking and coasting and regenerate it to drive the car with greater efficiency. SHEVs are equipped with a powerful petrol engine and an advanced electric motor that seamlessly switch between each other to deliver a smooth, effortless and most importantly, environmentally responsible driving experience.
These cars run in electric mode up to 60%* of the time. The car starts using the electric engine, maintains an optimal balance between the electric and gasoline engines during normal driving, uses power from both engines during acceleration and overtaking, and recovers energy during braking and coasting. Best of all, it works on its own, without any driver input, making these cars an absolute joy to drive.
By running up to 60%* on electricity, the cars reduce carbon emissions and deliver higher mileage. Because the electric motor recovers power from braking, where conventional gasoline cars struggle most, SHEVs perform extremely well in stop-and-go traffic, precisely generating high mileage. The cars offer complete peace of mind when it comes to driving range – the cars are, as the name suggests, self-charging! The electric motor recovers power when one drives it, so there’s no need to charge it all the time!
SHEVs are also quieter when using an electric motor – electric motors have very few moving parts! It also reduces petrol engine wear and tear (as it’s used less than half the time!) and in Toyota SHEVs, the clutch, alternator and starter motor have been removed, meaning these cars don’t break down as often and require much less maintenance. Also, Toyota offers an unprecedented 8-year hybrid battery warranty. The hybrid can run for 8 years without worrying about the battery. In fact, it’s a battery that doesn’t need to be replaced during the life of the car. Never heard of it right?
Are SHEV variants more expensive? One has to spend a little more for a SHEV variant. However, fuel prices will only rise, and a SHEV’s very low maintenance costs balance the initial cost. Also, when India has global EV charging infrastructure, customers have the satisfaction of knowing they are doing their part towards a better planet today, not in the future.
The road to ecological recovery is long and it is time to act. We can’t do without our cars and some innovations are actually translated into real benefits in Indian conditions. Self-charging hybrid electric vehicles offer both value and environmental responsibility. The world’s first hybrid car appeared about 20 years ago. The technology is proven. Adoption cost is low. The benefits outweigh the costs. What are you waiting for?
* According to the iCAT Nu-Gen November 2019 Summit report.
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