Hybrids are likely to be a passing phase in car technology that will be surpassed by electric vehicles in a matter of a few years, predicts Glass’s.
The vehicle data provider says that EV technology is advancing so quickly that a new hybrid vehicle being bought today could be effectively obsolete by the time it reaches the end of its normal life.
Volkswagen ID Concept electric car (Image: VW)
Rupert Pontin, director of valuations, said:
“Hybrids are designed to solve two of the problems that EVs have faced in recent years – high cost and low range.
“However, there are very clear signs that these issues are being resolved very quickly. For example, the revised Renault Zoe announced at Paris Motor Show has a 250-mile range and costs £17,000.
“Similarly, the new battery in the BMW i3 lasts around 190 miles and Volkswagen is claiming that its ID, which will come to market in 2020, will go up to 373 miles between charges and be priced competitively.
“The fact is that vehicles such as this effectively remove the rationale for hybrids. Within a few years, hybrids could be seen as little more than a curiosity and this will undoubtedly affect their values.”
Read more: Fleet News