Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles

Stephen CuUnjieng

First of two parts

BY Philippine standards, I suppose I could be considered an early adopter though I was probably only a modestly early adopter by American standards. In 2006, my family was still based in Northern Virginia, and I replaced my conventional internal combustion car with a Toyota Prius. I enjoyed driving it there (I had moved back to Hong Kong for work in 2004).

I remember a couple of women blowing their horns at me as they laughed and told me, “You are the first cigar-smoking, leather jacket-wearing (it was winter) Prius owner we have seen.” I supposed there must have been a strange contradiction in profiles. I also enjoyed the lower car insurance rates I got as a Prius owner, and was given the immediate and justified assumption that you were not a speed demon given the modest but adequate acceleration speeds the Prius delivered.

In 2010, my three kids were all over in three different places as one was working in New York, another in Manila and another studying in the United States. We moved our base back to Makati, and I brought my Prius here. There was some amusement with the Prius at my tennis club. The staff joked that the cats feared my car as many would sleep under the car given the shade and would scamper away when the car started. Often and depending on the angle, my car would start the battery only so it would be silent, and the cats would panic when the car started moving without any noise.

Alas, I sold the Prius very reluctantly in 2016 as, given the unwillingness of the second Aquino administration to provide incentives for hybrid vehicles (even though it would pay for itself with lower pollution from emissions and getting at least double the mileage from the gasoline used), there was nearly no take-up for hybrid vehicles unlike what one saw in Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong, where many private vehicles were hybrid and a preponderance of buses and taxis were. With no take-up, there were few service providers for my Prius and replacement parts had to be imported.

Then later, even the Toyota dealership in Makati said they were not going to service my vehicle anymore as I did not buy my Prius from them and had to find another place to service the car. With deep regret, instead of further going forward or at least replacing my now 10-year-old hybrid with another hybrid, in a great metaphor on our lack of progress, I had to go backwards and replace my Prius with a regular car, when that would not have been the case if I was in even another Asian country.

Fortunately, both the Duterte and second Marcos administrations were more forward-looking and understood revenue generation at any price was not the only priority and incentives for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) were provided. I am happy that last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. restated the importance of EVs, especially the need to integrate them into public transport citing its importance relative to private vehicles. The President gets it.

Last year, I decided, given my traveling habits as a sort of retired person who mainly sits on boards plus has advisory positions, to buy an electric car. This is because I generally travel modest distances. After studying options and not wanting to buy a luxury model, I settled the middle of last year on a BYD Dolphin (amused at the time they only offered three colors: white, gray and pink) with its ample over 400-kilometer range on a full charge and modest cost.

I chose gray, which seems to be the most popular color of choice from the other BYD Dolphins I see on the road. Yet to see a pink one on the road, though I would like to, as it is a decent-looking pink given it is a dark and deep pink rather than a Barbie hot pink look. Not for me, but a better-looking color than one would. Hope they broaden the range of available colors soon.

I am very happy with my electric car (and no, I did not get any discount when buying the car and made the choice after checking out others as well that also were impressive just more expensive or receive anything for this sincere positive comment). My car is again the enemy of cats at my tennis club.

Today, one is not limited to a traditional internal combustion engine car or a hybrid anymore. Without getting into hydrogen-powered vehicles, and so on (which are more in use as buses), there are hybrids, plug-in hybrids and EVs available. Which is best for you if you are looking for a new car and like me want to be environmentally responsible?

Alas, I do not have the engineering and technical background my friend and fellow columnist Ben Kritz has, especially in this field (so please write about it should you have the time and inclination, Ben), so will limit my discussion to what I know, as my technical knowledge is limited to changing the tires, and adding water and oil.

To be concluded on May 17, 2024