The offering of incentives for hybrid and electric cars by the government of Malaysia saw all the automotive brands bringing in their own versions of eco-friendly vehicles to our markets. As they are exempted from excise tax and duties, these vehicles have become more affordable, prompting many to consider if they should change their petrol cars or buy a new hybrid or electric car.
Below are some factors to help you make that decision.
Eco-friendliness
Are you trying to be an advocate of eco-friendliness and be kinder to mother earth? If you are, then the decision is very straight forward. Getting one of these new hybrids or electrics will be your contribution to help reduce the use of petrol.
Electricity charges
This is one factor that you should consider if you are planning to buy an electric car like the iMIEV. The school of thought is that by saving on petrol, you might be paying back in electricity. The truth is, you actually save a lot more in the long run. Furthermore, you can head towards KLCC or Lot 10 where they have free charging stations for electric cars while more of such stations are planned up around the capital.
Hybrid or electric?
So it all comes down to whether your should choose the hybrid or the electric car. The former actually still consumes petrol but charges the battery and using a smart system alternates between the 2 energy sources. The top model for this would be the internationally popular Toyota Prius and the more affordable Prius C. Meanwhile Electric cars are those that need not use any petrol. They run purely on electricity where you need to charge them.
There are specific limitations to every type of car so you need to make your decisions well. Whichever model you go for, you won’t be making any wrong choices as these will surely be the type of cars in the future especially with the incentives of lower car prices now available.