What is the difference between gasoline, diesel, hybrid and electric car?

In the past, choosing a car was mainly about which brand you preferred. Today, the search for your new car instead begins with the choice of fuel and engine. Here we summarize the basic advantages and disadvantages of gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and electric cars.

Gasoline

Cars powered by gasoline and diesel are still the most common in Europe. Gasoline cars are by far the most common. So, when you look at car ads, you will most often come across gasoline cars.

Even though fossil fuels are gradually being phased out, there are still advantages with gasoline cars. Not least, they are relatively inexpensive, their depreciation is lower, and as mentioned, the selection is enormous. Newer versions generally have relatively fuel-efficient engines, but it cannot be ignored that carbon dioxide emissions are higher than with other options. In addition, gasoline cars now have relatively high vehicle tax, and they are not as torque-strong as diesel engines.

Advantages of a gasoline car:

• Large selection on the used car market.
• Easy to find stations to refuel at.
• Gasoline cars are often cheaper to buy than cars powered by other fuels.
• Depreciation is relatively low. This means you may not need to sell the car for that much less than what you bought it for.
• Newer gasoline cars are relatively fuel-efficient.
• Quieter sound in the cabin compared to diesel.

Disadvantages of a gasoline car:

• Gasoline is a fossil fuel with higher carbon dioxide emissions than other fuels, which negatively affects our environment.
• In the new tax system, gasoline cars have relatively high vehicle tax.
• Generally, gasoline engines are not as strong as diesel engines.

Diesel

With a market share of around 30 percent, the selection of diesel engines is also large. In general, they are stronger than gasoline-powered versions. Cars that run on diesel can therefore suit you if you either need a larger car or often load heavily and drive with a trailer.

The disadvantages are mainly found in nitrogen oxide emissions, which are usually higher than with gasoline cars, and the release of particles consisting of soot and residues from oil and combustion. A diesel car is therefore less desirable in, for example, urban areas.

Diesel consumes less fuel than gasoline, and if you drive long distances, you can save money in the long run. However, due to higher diesel fuel prices, this rule of thumb has become less relevant in recent years.

Advantages of a diesel car

• The selection is large, and diesel cars are available in many different price ranges.
• Strong engines that can be suitable if you need to carry heavy loads or drive with a trailer.
• Can save you money if you drive a lot, since diesel cars consume less fuel than gasoline cars.
• Cheaper to buy than hybrids or electric cars.
• Emit less carbon dioxide than gasoline cars.

Disadvantages of a diesel car

• Emit more nitrogen oxides than gasoline cars. Nitrogen oxides pollute and are harmful to breathe in.
• Have relatively high vehicle tax.

Hybrid

An option that has grown in popularity in Europe in recent years is hybrids (including mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid), which are cars with both an electric motor and a combustion engine (gasoline or diesel). You could say it’s the best of both worlds.

For example, in city driving the electric motor can do the work, and on longer trips that require more power, the combustion engine can take over. However, on long stretches at high speed, a hybrid can actually use more fuel than a modern combustion engine.

A hybrid is a more environmentally friendly option with lower emissions than traditional cars and is more flexible than a purely electric car. Often, the cost of a hybrid is lower than that of electric cars but higher than that of combustion-engine cars. In terms of price, it therefore lands somewhere in the middle. The selection on the used market grows larger every year.

Advantages of a hybrid car

• The best of both worlds: has both an electric motor and a combustion engine powered by either gasoline or diesel.
• A more environmentally friendly option than cars running on fossil fuels.
• More flexible than an electric car (if an EV’s battery is empty you can’t drive further, but with a hybrid you can keep driving until both the battery and the fuel tank are empty).

Disadvantages of a hybrid car

• Not as many hybrids have been produced compared to fossil-fuel cars. Especially on the used market, the selection is still relatively small.
• A hybrid car costs more than gasoline or diesel cars, but they are cheaper than purely electric cars.
• The combustion engine still produces environmentally harmful emissions.

Electric car

The most environmentally friendly way to drive is to sit in an electric car. In the long run, it is also significantly cheaper than fossil-fuel cars, as the fuel cost is lower (as long as electricity prices don’t skyrocket). The quiet motor contributes to a pleasant driving experience, although some may still miss the sound of a combustion engine.

As a rule, an electric car also requires less maintenance than other versions, and the acceleration is, depending on the model, often very quick since the car does not have a gearbox.

Compared with other alternatives, the selection of used electric cars is somewhat smaller, but it is improving steadily. Other disadvantages of electric cars are that range can be a problem if you want to drive long distances (mainly applies to older models – many new EVs now have really good range).

In addition, charging an electric car takes more time, and the availability of charging stations can be limited, depending on where you live. EV owners also often need to be customers with several different providers. You are then forced to have several different apps, tags, or other payment tools. The government has recently expressed a wish to change this, so hopefully this issue will be resolved in the near future.

Advantages of an electric car

• The most environmentally friendly way to drive. An EV emits no environmentally harmful substances.
• Usually significantly lower fuel costs – which can save you money in the long run.
• Generally requires less maintenance than cars with combustion engines.
• The motor is very quiet.
• From a standstill, an EV accelerates quickly.

Disadvantages of an electric car

• An EV is more expensive to buy.
• Smaller selection on the used market.
• If you drive long distances, range can be a problem with older EVs. When the battery is empty, you cannot drive further. Newer models have larger batteries and can travel farther on a charge, but they come at a higher price.
• The availability of charging stations can be limited. Conditions may look very different depending on where in the country you live.