We all like to feel as though we’re getting value for money, especially when it comes to buying a new car. Going hybrid can allow you to have the best of both worlds, combining performance and capability, but did you also know that switching to a hybrid car (vehicles powered by both a combustion engine and an electric motor) can help you save significantly in running costs?
With that in mind, we wanted to understand how many people in the UK have considered making the switch. We started with research, surveying 2,000 people living across the UK to find out what they think about hybrid electric vehicles, and we found that a quarter of respondents (27%) wouldn’t buy a hybrid car because of the initial costs. But hybrids can save you money in the long run — due to lower running costs and impressive fuel efficiency — and we’ve got the numbers to prove it.
To start simple, we compared the fuel savings of a hybrid to conventional diesel and petrol cars. We topped up our (hypothetical) petrol hybrid^, a petrol-only and diesel-only car with just £10 worth of fuel and off we went. And guess what? Our hybrid went the distance, making more ground than petrol and diesel only cars. (More on this later.)
So, let’s take a deep dive into what the respondents really think about hybrid technology, and how much money could be saved by switching to a hybrid car.
Our survey on making the hybrid switch
While hybrids are becoming more popular, opinions on these savvy cars are split down the middle.
Let’s take a quick look at the research. Our survey showed:
27%
of people living in the UK would like to buy a hybrid car.
17%
Almost a fifth of people living in the UK think the ban on new petrol and diesel cars should be brought forward from 2030.
>10%
In the next five years, more than one in ten people living in the UK say they will switch to a hybrid or electric vehicle.
8%
of people living in the UK think they could save between £250–£300 yearly on running costs, while 21% believe they could save from £51 to £150 per year. (Spoiler alert: it’s more than that!)
In fact, our research puts the average yearly savings at a grand total of £386.44 for a hybrid car when compared to a petrol or diesel only vehicle. So, drivers can travelfurther in a hybrid for the same price as a conventional petrol or diesel car.
What are the benefits of hybrid cars?
Two-fifths (41%) of respondents believe that hybrid cars are the future of the automotive industry. And some respondents said they would consider moving away from a conventional car for a whole load of reasons, including:
- Lower running cost (46%)
- Eco-responsible (41%)
- Reduce noise pollution (26%)
With running costs at the top of the list, let’s get back to that £10 top up.
So, how far can you travel on £10?
We’ve kept you waiting long enough. Let’s find outexactly how far £10 will get you in your hybrid and how that compares to petrol and diesel car.
According to our research, the average distance driven in a petrol car for just £10 is just below 50 miles, which is matched by a diesel car. Very nice. But, drum roll please, that same £10 could take you over 67 miles in our hypothetical hybrid. That’s about the same as 19,604 giraffes laid out head to toe. Or 67 laps of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Indeed, that puts hybrids ahead of both petrol and diesel cars, by going further on the same amount of fuel in the long run.
HYBRID. REDUCED FUEL COSTS, INCREASED FUN
So we've proven that our hypothetical^ hybrid can go the distance, but most drivers also want cars that are simple and fun to drive. With hybrid technology built in as standard across the Suzuki range, there’s no need to choose between fun and function. From practical hatchbacks to adventurous crossovers, our cars are designed to make your driving simpler, more fun, and value-packed. And, of course, with unexpected quality, tech and safety features as standard.
Methodology
- Survey of 2,000 people conducted by Censuswide in December 2022.
- To discover the savings, we looked at:
- The average cost of petrol and diesel across the UK to determine the amount that can be bought with £10. Source: https://www.confused.com/petrol-prices (figures were converted from litres to gallons)
- Distances calculated based on the average mile per gallon of average diesel (43 mpg) and petrol (36 mpg) cars. Source: https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/largest-car-insurance-companies/average-cost-petrol-car
- And for hybrid cars, we found it by determining the average mpg of mild and full hybrid Suzuki cars (53.1 mpg).
- The average yearly mileage of an average UK car (7,400 miles per year) and the mileage travelled with £10 to determine yearly savings. Source: https://www.caranalytics.co.uk/guides/average-car-mileage/
^ Hypothetical Hybrid mpg is the average of Suzuki Full and Mild hybrid models' mpg (HEVs and MHEVs). We looked at mild and full hybrid Suzuki models for our £10 of fuel calculations in our research. Both the mild and full hybrid have an electric motor working alongside a petrol engine. How does it work? Well, the hybrid motor provides electrical assistance, working in tandem with the petrol engine when it's under strain, like during acceleration. Full hybrid models have the capability to drive on electric power alone for short distances when accelerating steadily from standstill, to moderate speeds, or when cruising through slow-moving traffic.
