Plug-in hybrid electric cars are still a dream for many of us Indians. An economical option for the same is mild-hybrid technology. Let’s take a look at the options we have.
With fuel prices rising to outrageous levels, it is time to take a look at the mild hybrid segment and see what it has to offer. Our car market first saw hybrid technology in 2013 when Toyota launched its most popular hybrid car worldwide, the Prius. Hybrid technology essentially uses an electric motor to drive the wheels at slower speeds and switches to a conventional petrol engine at faster speeds. A low-cost adaptation of this full-blown hybrid system is the mild-hybrid or smart-hybrid system, which lets us enjoy the benefits of a hybrid system at affordable prices but with some compromises. Mild hybrid cars do not need to be charged like plug-in hybrid vehicles, but they cannot be driven independently on electrical energy like plug-in hybrids. Let us take a look at the top mild-hybrid cars that are a bit more affordable to the masses.
MG Hector and Hector Plus
Priced at Rs 17.44 lakh and Rs 18.54 lakh (ex-showroom) respectively, the MG Hector and Hector Plus come with a 1.5L turbocharged petrol engine assisted by an integrated generator motor that powers the main battery. Responsible replaces the traditional alternator. The mild hybrid system has a dedicated lithium-ion battery in addition to the conventional car battery. The battery is charged by the generator motor itself by regenerative braking. The entire system is capable of delivering 20Nm of boost at low speeds where additional torque is required to improve engine efficiency. Additionally, the motor generator and dedicated battery also offer an engine start-stop technology that helps to extract more efficiency during traffic.
maruti suzuki
Maruti Suzuki currently produces the cheapest cars with mild hybrid technology. By introducing its mild hybrid technology in its previous generation diesel engines, the company is continuously and successfully adopting the technology in its current generation petrol engines. Current Maruti-Suzuki models with this technology are Baleno Hybrid (Rs 7.45 lakh), Vitara Brezza (Rs 9.85 lakh), S-Cross (Rs 8.39 lakh), Ciaz (Rs 8.42 lakh) and Ertiga (Rs 7.96 lakh). To make their cars more affordable, Maruti-Suzuki will soon introduce the CNG variant of the Ertiga along with other models.
Toyota
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Sharing technology with Maruti-Suzuki for its Glanza (Rs 8.13 lakh) and Urban Cruiser (Rs 11.19 lakh) models, Toyota also offers the same mild hybrid technology offered by Maruti-Suzuki. Maruti-Suzuki’s technology coupled with Toyota’s reliability make both these cars quite desirable.
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