Selling the idea that hybrid cars can do everything, including driving through water, rain, and snow, is one challenge sellers face when dealing with a potential first-time buyer. Even when the buyer agrees to purchase, they will still find it uncomfortable and unsafe to drive an electric car through the rain because they have a notion that they might get electrocuted. That’s why it has become a common misconception that driving hybrid vehicles in the rain is a bad idea. It’s not entirely surprising.
A survey conducted by LV=Insurance in 2019 found out that 12% of motorists believe that it’s not safe to drive a hybrid car in the rain. But that’s just 12%. The remaining 88% believe that you can drive a hybrid vehicle through water and rain. So, which is right? Yes, you can drive a hybrid car through water and rain. Not just through water and rain, but snow as well. Surprising? I’m pretty sure that those who live in wintry climates would be surprised by the answer.
Hybrid cars are built with waterproof features, so rain and water do not affect them. However, the interior of a hybrid car isn’t waterproof, so be careful how you leave the windows or sunroof open. Rainwater can damage the fittings and the fixtures.
What’s a Hybrid Vehicle and What Other Things Can They Do?
Hybrid cars use two or more engines – an electric motor and an internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel engine). The electric engine powers the vehicle at a slower speed than a gas engine.
Reasons many people opt for hybrid vehicles are because of their fuel efficiency and provision of clean energy. Hybrid cars conserve fuel and reduce the amount of carbon released to the environment.
Typically, hybrid cars can do pretty much everything a conventional vehicle can do and even more. You can ride them uphill, downhill, and on muds. You can also use them in racing with the internal combustion engine.
Can You Drive a Hybrid Car Through a Flood?
Some may ask, “can you also drive a hybrid car through a flood since you can drive a hybrid car through rain, water, and snow?”. The fact is we all face bad weather sometimes. At one point, the roads can be flooded when you least expected. This may want to make you quit and take the next available route.
The answer is you can, but it’s too dangerous to drive a hybrid car through a flood. 300mm of deep water can float a conventional car, so a hybrid car will undoubtedly float. Unless you would like the flood to navigate you to wherever it pleases.
However, there’s proof that hybrid vehicles like Jaguar I-Pace can wade through a flood to some extent. This vehicle has a wading depth of 500mm, so it can deal with flood situations when they arise.
Can a Hybrid Car Still Maintain Its Range In the Rain & Snow?
In a rainy or snowy climate, the car’s engine becomes less efficient because of the cold. Vehicle engines and batteries hate being cold, so when they become cold, the car will have a shorter range. This is what many hybrid car owners experience.
However, there are ways you can still boost the efficiency of your hybrid vehicle in a rainy or snowy climate. If you precondition the battery and park the battery in the sun when it’s out, the battery will stay warmer.
Another trick to make your vehicle more efficient is to activate the Eco Mode setting if it’s available in your car. Eco Mode Setting adjusts the energy usage of the electric motor to boost the range of your car more effectively. Although it makes your vehicle feel slower a bit, it can help traction in ice.
If you try not to speed and keep your vehicle below 65 MPH, you can also make the car more efficient. This act reduces aerodynamic drag, which pushes the car to move faster. Speeding on highways can be tempting, especially when you feel like overtaking some cars. But, you should avoid it in rainy or snowy temperatures to prevent the vehicle from ingesting air.
Can you charge your hybrid vehicle in the rain if it’s out of juice? While it’s typically unreasonable to plug an electrical appliance on a wet surface, hybrid vehicles have no issues with that. That’s to say that apart from driving through the rain, water, and snow, you can also charge the vehicle in the rain. It’s totally safe and not as dangerous as some people assume.
The charging stations and the drive units are waterproof, so you don’t need to fret about getting electrocuted while charging your precious hybrid vehicle.
If your aim of buying a hybrid vehicle is to use the electric motor instead of the combustion engine, you will need a dedicated cord to charge the motor via a charging station. As long as it’s a top-quality charger and the plug isn’t in the water, it’s perfectly safe to charge your car in the rain.
Before you begin charging, ensure to brush off the snow on the charger and the vehicle’s charging port.
Conclusion
Hybrid cars can practically handle anything you throw at them, be it rain, water, or snow. They fare well in most weather conditions because the inbuilt electrical components are waterproof. In addition, the vehicles use a High Voltage system that’s designed to not give you a shock or energize the surrounding water.
So, when next you want to take a long journey, go to work, or visit your grandma, have it at the back of your mind that your hybrid car can power you through most climatic conditions and you could use a little bit of help from the internal combustion engine.