When it makes sense to buy a hybrid – Price vs Fuel savings
Petrol prices are near all-time highs in South Africa, so it may be quite tempting to purchase a hybrid vehicle to try and alleviate some of the damage done to your wallet at the pump, but it’s not that simple.
The issue is that hybrids are very expensive as they tend to come at a substantial premium over their unassisted counterparts, which creates a trade-off between the upfront investment needed to buy one versus potential fuel-savings further down the line.
Upfront costs for long-term savings
South Africa has seen an explosion of new hybrid models since 2021 as the technology has become more widespread and popular among consumers trying to save money wherever they can.
Complicating matters is the fact there are several different types of hybrids, which tend to produce vastly different results in terms of fuel economy.
The most basic options are mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs) such as the recent Toyota Hilux and Fortuner, which use exactly the same engine as their non-electrified siblings but get a small 48-volt battery and electric starter generator to assist the powertrain when accelerating, which usually improves efficiency by around 5-10%.
Traditional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) like the Toyota Corolla Cross and Haval Jolion have a stronger e-motor that can effectively move the car at low speeds (usually under 30km/h).
They are still not capable of fully-electric driving, but tend to produce fuel savings in the ballpark of 2.0l/100km
At the top of the ladder are plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) which are equipped with a significantly larger battery and much more powerful e-motors that allow for electric driving for ranges typically under 100km.
The result is that many PHEVs have a manufacturer-claimed consumption as low as 1.6l/100km, but this is with the unspoken caveat that you are expected to use it as an electric car wherever possible to avoid dipping into the petrol tank.
The better the hybrid, the greater the fuel savings, but you are paying exponentially more for each of these systems in return.
As far as cost is concerned, these are the cheapest MHEV, HEV, and PHEV models in South Africa:
- MHEV: Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid GLX AllGrip – R542,900
- HEV: Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid XS – R486,100
- PHEV: BMW X1 xDrive30e – R1,050,000.
All of these options are considerably more expensive than their non-hybrid counterparts, which begs the question of how long it will take to break even and start saving money.
In short, it depends on how long you expect to keep the car and how far you drive each year, but ideally, you’d want to start seeing some money back after less than 100,000km, else you are playing a very long-term game to see any financial benefit.
The table below shows how much money you are saving for every half-litre improvement in a car’s fuel efficiency, based on the current inland rate for petrol 95 of R24.2 per litre.
| Fuel economy improvement | Fuel saved per 1,000km | Money saved per 1,000km | Money saved per 100,000km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5l/100km | 5 litres saved | R121.25 | R12,125 |
| 1.0l/100km | 10 litres saved | R242.50 | R24,250 |
| 1.5l/100km | 15 litres saved | R363.75 | R36,375 |
| 2.0l/100km | 20 litres saved | R485 | R48,500 |
| 2.5l/100km | 25 litres saved | R606.25 | R60,625 |
| 3.0l/100km | 30 litres saved | R727.50 | R72,750 |
| 3.5l/100km | 45 litres saved | R848.75 | R84,875 |
| 4.0l/100km | 50 litres saved | R970 | R97,000 |
| 4.5l/100km | 55 litres saved | R1,091.25 | R109,125 |
| 5.0l/100km | 60 litres saved | R1,212.50 | R121,250 |
This illustrates just how much money you can save in the long run by improving your fuel efficiency, and hybrids are certainly a way to do that, but it’s important to consider how much more you’re paying upfront.
Using the three “cheapest” hybrid options as examples, this is how far you’ll need to drive to break even.
| Non-hybrid model | Hybrid model | Price difference | Hybrid fuel savings per 100km | Driving distance to break even |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX auto | Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 Hybrid GLX AllGrip | R106,000 | 0.5l/100km | R121.25 | 874,226km |
| Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 XS | Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid XS | R42,200 | 2.5l/100km | R606.25 | 69,608km |
| BMW X1 sDrive18i xLine | BMW X1 xDrive30e xLine | R261,101 | 5.0l/100km | R1,212.50 | 215,341km |
The traditional hybrid is the clear winner in this case, as it will start turning a profit after less than 100,000km.
The PHEV, despite having by far the best savings on paper, will still take a long time to save its owner any money, illustrating just how expensive the technology currently is.
By far the worst example is the MHEV Suzuki, though this does raise an important consideration.
The Vitara has the worst result because it achieves the smallest improvement in petrol usage while coming at a significant premium, but this is because the hybrid is the only model in the crossover’s line-up to feature an all-wheel-drive system, which is likely where the bulk of the added expense is coming from.
This is true to some extent for the majority of the hybrids on the market in South Africa, as most manufacturers only sell a semi-electric powertrain on their higher trim levels.
In other words, it is vital that you do your research to determine whether the hybrid you are eyeing has any additional features bundled into the price, as this may determine whether or not it is worth springing for the frugal powertrain if petrol savings are all you are interested in.
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