Grab a double-double, take off your snowy toque, and step into the garage. Welcome to Hybrid Experience!
If you’ve landed on this page, then most likely you’re getting tired of emptying your pockets at the gasoline pump but not yet ready to commit yourself to electric cars and their range limitations in the midst of a raging Canadian snowstorm. Well, you are just in the middle of the bridge connecting the traditional internal combustion engine technology and all-electric future. The name of this bridge is hybrid vehicle and you are in the right place to learn more about it.
This is Maksim – a car enthusiast based out of Calgary who spends his days obsessed with battery technology, fuel efficiency and torque. While my professional life is thoroughly connected with the automotive industry, this website is my personal virtual garage where there are no official guidelines to be followed and no corporate nonsense about buying and selling automobiles. Here you will get to hear from the experienced car owner and driver about the challenges of owning hybrid vehicles in Canada.
The Elephant in the Room: Why Hybrids Make Sense in Canada
It would be entirely fair to admit something right now. Driving in Canada is different from any other place in the world. We do not have “weather” — we have changing moods of the atmosphere.
In Calgary, we lovingly refer to our city as Cowtown, but “The City of Extreme Thermostats” might fit it better. On one day you drive along Deerfoot Trail with the blissful warmth of Chinook wind, and on another you have to scrape a bulletproof ice layer off your windshield at -30 degrees temperature.
When you live in the climate where the wind burns your face in four winter months, choosing a vehicle turns out to be not only financially challenging but also a matter of survival. Many automotive blogs are written by people who feel the sun in California. These bloggers will advise you that fully electric vehicles (EVs) are your only way to go. Of course, they are great cars, but when you have to drive from Calgary to Edmonton through a polar vortex of February, seeing your battery’s efficiency drop by 40% because you need heat in your cabin is scary.
It is precisely this reason why I became so enamored with hybrid vehicles. The hybrid car can be considered the perfect Canadian vehicle because you can use the electric engine to deal with the traffic conditions of the Macleod Trail. This will save you a lot of gas while doing so. However, when the snow is knee deep and you need to drive a lot of miles across the province, you have your gasoline engine there ready to give it all she’s got.
Surviving the Canadian Winter in a Hybrid
The number one question that I get from friends, family and fellow hybrid enthusiasts is “Maksim, does the hybrid battery really survive a Canadian winter?”
Yes it does. And the full explanation is right here in the blog.
First off, your hybrid will work differently during extreme cold. Battery technology slows down significantly in very cold temperatures. As a result, you may find your car switching between gas and hybrid modes much more frequently. This is because the engine produces heat to warm up both the cabin and the battery to the desired operating temperature.
Here at Hybrid Experience, we go beyond just writing about the ideal conditions. Our articles are dedicated to real-life situations. I am sharing with you my personal experience of how to increase fuel efficiency during winter months. The absolute importance of block heaters, regenerative braking in winter, and getting premium winter tires for your hybrid. (A note for those of you who do not have premium tires – regenerative braking in winter on black ice with all-season tires is an almost guaranteed ticket to a snowbank).
Busting the Biggest Hybrid Myths
The advent of the first Toyota Prius nearly 20 years ago has seen hybrid cars come loaded with many negative connotations. Here is a list of some of the major misconceptions about hybrid cars that need to be debunked:
Myth #1: The battery will die in a few years and cost $10,000 to replace. This is the boogeyman of the hybrid world. The truth is that hybrid batteries nowadays are extremely durable. I once saw a hybrid taxi whose battery had more than 400,000 kilometers on the clock and yet was still working properly. True, they wear out with age somewhat, but their capacity exceeds the average lifespan of the vehicle. Not only that, but even if a replacement is required, modern refurbishing methods have brought prices down substantially.
Myth #2: Hybrids are glorified golf carts (i.e., they are slow). And if you still believe that hybrids are slow, well, you haven’t been driving a hybrid lately because manufacturers know that there is immediate torque from electric engines. What happens when you press the accelerator in a hybrid car? The electric engine will give you a boost, but the gas engine will be starting up as well. Merging into traffic becomes easier than ever before.
Myth #3: They are too complicated to maintain. It has two power trains, which means that maintenance is going to be double the price, correct? Not really. Hybrids actually need less maintenance than a typical gasoline-fueled vehicle. The reason is that the motor will do most of the work, hence, the engine will not work as often and, therefore, there will be no wear on the engine parts. Additionally, since you have regenerative braking, the brake pads will last longer. Personally, I can drive for years without doing any brake repair in my hybrid since the electric motor brakes the car for me.
What You Will Find in the Garage (Site Navigation)
This website has been created as your ideal copilot during this mixed journey. If you are in the process of purchasing a hybrid car right now, or you have had one for many years and need to know how you can get 5 kilometers out of every liter of gas, then this website will help you.
Here is the map of all that you can explore in this website:
1. Honest Hybrid Reviews. Hybrids important to Canadians get tested and reviewed by me. Starting from the ever popular Toyota RAV4 Hybrid that you see in parking lots of all hockey arenas, going to the stylish Honda Accord Hybrid, including plug-in hybrids (PHEV). I will not only tell you what the brochure says but also what happens when you sit for three hours in that car, use infotainment system with frozen hands, or put a camping cooler in its trunk.
2. The Winter Survival Guide. It is at the very core of the Canadian Hybrid Experience. I offer practical tips on how to prepare your vehicle for winter conditions, effects of winter on your mileage and special driving skills for winter driving conditions that will help you utilize your hybrid engine properly.
3. Maintenance Hacks and Tips. I am definitely an auto freak. Although I advise that you should take your car to an approved mechanic when it comes to doing the big things, there are still some measures that you can do to ensure your hybrid car is performing at its best all the time. In this article, I will give advice on checking your 12V auxiliary battery, cleaning your hybrid car’s cooling fan, and using the right oil in winter.
4. Buying Guides: New vs. Used. It’s been absolutely nuts at the hybrid car market recently. All dealers have waiting lists that are longer than a queue at Tim Hortons during a Monday morning. Is it better to wait for two years for a new car or risk buying a used one? I will analyze the economics behind this choice, inspection of the battery in the used hybrid car, and negotiation techniques.
Let’s Hit the Road
The world of automobiles is advancing at an unprecedented pace. It will not be long before we all are driving electric powered space crafts. But until then, today, and in particular, in Canada, the hybrid automobile will forever remain the king of practicality.
It is the intention of Hybrid Experience to become a community. Here, you will be able to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, do some reading about the newest technologies, and feel comfortable about the car parked in front of your house.
I am simply an ordinary individual who shares his experience in owning, operating and maintaining hybrids. Take off your boots, settle down, and read through the articles. If there is anything on your mind from the world of cars – be it a query, a suggestion, or even an argument regarding the best winter tires – go to the Contact page and give me a shout!
Thank you for visiting us. Drive carefully, keep warm, and enjoy Hybrid Experience, eh!