Is a hybrid car expensive to maintain? A lot of people get worried about buying a hybrid; they worry that it is complicated, it is very expensive to buy and it will cost a lot more to maintain than non-hybrid cars. A hybrid is in fact, complicated and an expensive car to buy, but it is actually less expensive to maintain when compared to a non-hybrid car over a long period of time. So, the answer to the question is no, unless the car breaks down.
The normal or routine maintenance of a hybrid car is not more than that of normal cars. In fact, a hybrid car might cost less to maintain than the regular non-hybrid cars. A hybrid does cost more when it needs some major repairs.
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People who buy hybrid cars often debate about whether or not, the high mileage and fuel efficiency save money in the long run. This actually depends on a number of factors, like the price of fuel, how much you drive the car and the period for which, you keep the car. People often wonder or not it is economical to own a hybrid car especially because it is more expensive to buy than a non-hybrid car.
The electric motors of a hybrid car take over when driving at low speed, this makes the engine shut down. Because the use of the engine is reduced, the wear and tear of the engine is reduced as well. This saves the owner from expenses related to engine repair. Auto experts recommend an oil change at about 3500 kms of use. Some hybrid cars also come with regenerative braking system, which has a long life. Regenerative brakes don’t heat up much, resulting in their long life.
Also Read: A List of The Most Popular Luxury Hybrid Cars Available In Pakistan
The major cost of maintaining a hybrid car comes up if you have a faulty battery. New hybrid cars come with a battery warranty of about 8 years or 160,000 kms, while some have a warranty of up to 10 years or 240,000 kms, whichever comes first. A hybrid battery costs more than $2,000, which is more than PKR 200,000.
When comparing the cost of maintenance over a period of time, a hybrid costs less. The wear and tear of the engine is relatively less when compared to non-hybrid cars; and you save a lot of money on fuel.
I gained not an ounce of info from this article. Thanks for helping me remember old days though, whenever in school during an exam I didn’t have a comprehensive answer to a question, ek hi baat ko ghuma phira ke lambi kardeta tha! Karma I guess
the best writer on PW blogs.
I agree with you to some extent. There was no solid info, no solid facts and no solid opinion, writer himself seems confused and unclear.
“Regenerative brakes don’t heat up much”? What does that even mean. It’s the motor that slows the car down.
Unless you have the data of ownership of a few cars to compare, all is guess work.
Why not use a Prius for 500,000 km, record all the costs and then just put the rupees in the numerator and the 500,000 in the denominator and find out what actually it costs.
Back your theory with numbers 🙂
DFM on autoexperts that recommend a 3500km oil change interval and LDL tery mu ty for posting it without any confirmation. 4000km+ is recommended period for 1000cc suzukis even then oil though dirty(performing its job, absorbing dirt rather than keeping it in engine to form sludge) is still in more than optimal condition. with a mineral oil at least 5000km and with a fully synthetic oil 7500km with Guard or 10000km with oem toyota oil filter is recommended.