Your questions answered: Should I buy an EV now or switch to a hybrid?

Aussies are still keen to lower their running costs by looking at electrified vehicles.

But there’s still plenty of EV trepidation, as we’re seeing this week with our reader letters.

There’s something of a battle brewing between hybrids and EVs - and which way you leap will depend on your circumstances.

The recently arrived new Toyota Prado also continues to get readers talking, this time about the number of seats.

Plus there’s one couple wondering which car to buy for the big caravan adventure.

Question: I was looking at buying an EV but am now worried it may not be the best decision given the drop in sales. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty around EVs. Am I better off waiting until all that blows over? Maybe I should buy a hybrid instead? I just don’t want to be making a rash decision. - Jennifer

Answer: First up, EV sales are not down, at least not for the year. The last six months or so haven’t been kind to battery electric vehicle sales, but for the first 11 months of 2024 Australians have bought more EVs that ever before. Sales are up, albeit only 3.1 per cent.

And there are pockets of the market where EVs are very strong, all off the back of strong - and sensibly priced - product.

The Tesla Model 3 is outselling the Toyota Camry in the medium car category, for example.

And since MG sharpened the price of the MG4 it’s one of the top selling small cars on the market.

If you can make an EV work from a charging perspective (with off-street parking and access to a powerpoint) then it’s a terrific way to go. I wouldn’t be too worried about jumping into the EV market now provided you buy a decent car at a decent price.

Even better if you can leverage some of the incentives, such as the fringe benefits tax exemption for salaried employees who can package it into a novated lease.

Are there better EVs coming in future? Absolutely. Just as there are better hybrids, better petrol-powered cars and so-on.

Sure, the EVs may get bigger leaps in terms of tech, batteries and so-on, but there are some great value EVs on the market today.

Question: I’ve read that some brands may not survive as competition increases over the next few years. Which brands are most likely to die off? And is there a danger in buying a brand that soon won’t be around? - Harvey

Answer: There are dozens of brands unlikely to be around in five or 10 years due to changes in the market. Some are traditional brands we’ve known for decades while others are relatively new Chinese brands (keeping in mind there are more than 100 Chinese brands).

In some ways it’s a natural component of the automotive industry – in recent years the world has waved goodbye to Saab, Oldsmobile, Saturn, including short-lived newcomer Fisker. Closer to home, Holden is no more, which no one would have predicted just 20 years ago.

As for which ones won’t make it, it’s anyone’s guess. Some Japanese brands have struggled with the EV transition and it’s difficult to see all 14 Stellantis brands surviving long term.

Jaguar is clearly under pressure and trying to reposition. Then again, they could all prosper. Time will tell.

As for buying a brand that disappears, theoretically all should provide after-sales support and parts for many years once a brand disappears (Holden is still selling parts in Australia). There’s no defined time for after-sales support, but spare parts are a decent money spinner, so there’s an incentive to offer them.

Perhaps the biggest danger is what it can do to residual values. Brands can quickly fall off people’s radar, which can then impact their desirability down the track.

Question:

Answer: We agree. It seems odd that the model Toyota thinks will account for half of all sales doesn’t have the five-seat option. The five-seat layout is standard on entry-level GX and off-road focused Altitude models, but the GXL, VX and Kakadu come exclusively as seven seaters.

While we agree the seven-seat layout will be popular in the GXL, especially with families, we also think there’s a market for a five-seater that has the GXL’s sensible level of kit. It’s probably partially been done to reduce complexity in dealer land. With five models and eight different colours (not all models are available in all colours) there’s already a bit going on.

Even better would be the ability to temporarily remove the third row, as you could on old four-wheel drives. It’s trickier these days due to the seatbelt sensors and other safety systems that come as part of modern cars.

But Ford, Volkswagen and others have solutions for some people movers. We reckon the 4WD engineers need to get a bit more innovative.

Question:

Answer: It’s great you have three-phase power, something that allows you to install a charger that can provide up to 22kW. But like most EVs the Kona won’t accept that full charge.

Its onboard charger limits AC (home) charging to 10.4kW. A single-phase charger will provide up to 7.4kW, which would charge the longer range Kona (with a 64.8kWh battery) in about 10 hours.

Hooking it up to a three-phase charger so it can suck in the entire 10.4kW would lower that to about 6.5 hours. And that’s for a full charge to get the entire claimed 505km of range.

In other words, it’s unlikely to make a difference if you’re parking the car overnight.

A three-phase charger will also likely cost slightly more to install. Longer term, having 22kW three-phase available could be an advantage, especially if you need a quick top-up or buy an EV that can accept the entire 22kW.

As for which brand to buy, we haven’t tested them all. Check EVSE and Jet Charge for options. The Tesla chargers are also good (yes, they’ll charge your Hyundai).

Most are connected chargers so you can monitor them and activate them remotely via an app. And if you’ve got solar it’d be worth considering one that can be programmed to only charge using the excess solar.

Question: We’re about to hit the road for a trip we’ve been planning for years. We’ve bought a caravan that weighs about three tonnes and are wondering what car you would recommend to tow it?

Answer: Good on you for planning the next big adventure! The next challenge is finding the right car to do the hauling.

As you may have realised, it’s not an easy decision once you’re towing a heavy van. The first thing you need to do is crunch the numbers. And what you’ll learn with the new Prado is that its payload once you’re towing a heavy load isn’t terrific.

With a 3000kg caravan, for example, you can only put 315kg of people and gear in the volume-selling GXL variant. Any accessories you add - such as a bull bar - would have to be subtracted from that. So you’ll have to pack lightly.

The MU-X will give you another 20-30kg, depending on which model you go for. And a Ford Everest would be more like 100kg better off than the Prado. The Prado is an excellent choice, if you can live with that payload - and the compromised boot area. The five-seat GX model may be a better bet for some more load space.

The MU-X is obviously more affordable but is more raw and rudimentary to drive. It’s solid and will get the job done, but the Prado would do it more comfortably. Definitely check out the Everest, though, because it’s still a hugely competitive machine.

And if you think you may need more payload, then check out some of the utes. You’ll have to work out how to keep dust and water off things you store in the tray, but they’ll generally allow you to take a lot more thanks to the more rugged suspension that’s designed to carry heavy loads.

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