The price of going Hybrid: Is the Prius C worth its weight in black gold?

While we’re waiting for pollution-free, 50 km/liter-equivalent electric vehicles to become a practical proposition in our part of the world, gasoline-electric hybrid cars are available, here and now. They offer an interim solution worthy of consideration. Their pollution is considerably less than that of an equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle, and their mileage is easily triple or quadruple that of an equivalent car. But at what cost?

Toyota has just launched Prius C, at a price point previously unheard of for a brand-new hybrid vehicle: P1,475,000. That is relatively affordable for a hybrid, but still expensive compared to conventional B-segment hatchbacks.

There’s the inevitable computation of how much you would need to drive to recoup the initial cost of the hybrid system. If we take the Prius C and compare it to its nearest equivalent in size in the Toyota lineup, that would be the Yaris. The Yaris costs P766,000 and gets an estimated 10 km/liter.

The Prius C is quoted at 22.53 km/liter. Given the difference in purchase price and excluding other costs such as insurance and maintenance, and a price of P55.00 per liter of gasoline, you would have to log 230,000 km of driving before you recoup your initial cost. That is well beyond the warranty of either car, which is 100,000 km.

Of course, the fuel savings is not the only consideration in buying a hybrid. If it was the only factor, people like Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz wouldn’t be puttering around in Priuses. The fuel savings aspect would be radically different if the government were to offer incentives or tax rebates for the purchase of a hybrid.

Another consideration is the technology. Hybrids represent a technological advance over conventional cars, and thus inherently cost more—at least for now. Just as you may buy what you perceive as the best laptop or smartphone despite it being more expensive than an ordinary device, the technology of cars like the Prius C has its own attraction. In its favor, Prius C is replete with electronic safety features, from traction control to ABS and brake assist, to its five airbags that are not all available in its conventional-engined rivals.

Powering up the car and motoring off in the supreme silence of a hybrid is a still a singular experience in the world of motoring.

Another factor is the environment, or at least one’s feeling that he is cutting down on his carbon footprint. The Prius C will almost certainly be classified, in US Environmental Protection Agency parlance, as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle, typically 90 percent less emissions than an equivalent gasoline car. In the Prius C’s case, it emits only half that of the cleanest-engined Yaris. That feel-good factor (without being smug about it) is perhaps the ultimate reward of going hybrid.

We commend Toyota Motor Philippines for pioneering the sale of hybrid vehicles in the Philippines. As hybrid drivetrain is the parent company’s halo technology, one impetus is promoting the brand image. Nevertheless, bringing in a range of hybrids, from the Prius C to the ultra-luxury Lexus LS600h L, with no tax breaks from the government required a leap of faith.

With the Prius C, a new class of customer may just validate that leap.