Would hybrid cars take off in India like in other countries

Tata and Mahindra have focused a lot of their effort on EVs, effectively skipping hybrids. Toyota has been making hybrids for decades and that puts it and Maruti in a very strong position.

BHPian guru_max recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

With news reports from all over the world coming in that electric vehicle sales have cooled off, many carmakers have altered their targets for EV production. This has implications the world over, the biggest example being Toyota, which was hesitant to launch products in the EV space, focusing more on hybrids. Now they are in a great position to retain the number 1 spot. With range anxiety, cost and infra issues being a stumbling block for mass EV adoption in the medium term, hybrids will probably see a temporary peak in the next 10 years or so.

This, obviously, has a ripple effect in India and not all carmakers are on equal footing. CNG adoption is also growing rapidly. Carmakers can roll out a CNG vehicle quickly, but a hybrid is a different ball game. Tata and Mahindra have focused a lot of their effort on EVs, effectively skipping hybrids. Toyota has been making hybrids for decades and that puts them and Maruti in a very strong position. Global players like Hyundai and Honda can also quickly adapt to make hybrid vehicles in India as they have a good portfolio of hybrid vehicles in their product range.

The question is whether hybrids will take off in India like in other countries. Unlike EVs, hybrids do not suffer from issues such as range, charging infrastructure, etc. They are also much more economical than the ICE cars. The only challenge for hybrids is their cost. If the price difference between ICE cars and hybrids decreases, then we will see a definite increase in sales.

What do BHPians think? Will hybrids fill the gap for a few years? What other factors apart from cost will drive the adoption of hybrids?

Here's what BHPian bijims had to say about the matter:

Hybrids will be a stop-gap solution until EVs take over, with better range, more charging infrastructure and lowered prices, EVs will soon become the norm, but in the meantime, Hybrids will have their time.

Here's what BHPian Thyag had to say about the matter:

I have a different view on the whole, I don't think that EVs or BEVs are not the future (like for a long time, as ICE cars held the market). Rare earth elements being used, the longevity of the batteries and disposal of the same, is all together a bigger nuisance & unsustainable to our planet than the Fossil Fuels.

Hybrids will bridge the gap for now between ICE vehicles & BEV, but I think we will find out some major breakthroughs in the coming years (maybe in 10 years). Actually, hybrids should be given more importance than the BEVs!

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say about the matter:

We must keep aside the fancy noises made by managements of car companies and gauge their real commitment toward electric transition by their stubborn refusal to not launch mass market, affordable EVs and their deliberate half-hearted moves in that space. Ultimately, hybrids are a convenient way for legacy manufacturers to extend the lives of their conventional powertrains and by extension, their own.

Whatever innovation that has happened in the EV space has come from startups and outsiders, not the traditional car industry. This is why the Germans and Americans are so afraid of the Chinese. They are willing to make the products the old timers are not.

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