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Basic information of my car:
2022 RS e:HEV
Reasons why I bought this car
As a full-time e-hailing & p-hailing driver, fuel consumption is the main issue I must deal on a daily basis, to minimise the expenses for lucrative purposes as we as for our living, as we typically spend a minimum RM1k per month for petrol. I drove a 2019 Perodua Myvi 1.5 AV for e-hailing, which I bought for my daily commute from home and office and vice versa, after my Proton Iswara 2001 was stolen (due to high demands for genuine spare parts as Proton stopped selling new genuine spare parts).
However, using Myvi for e-hailing & p-ailing meaning I'll have to pay an extra RM100 for loan instalment (22% down payment, 3.17% interest rate, 9 years loan), compared to e-hailing drivers with a 1.3L AV and a similar mortgage (or Bezza X with 10% down payment = RM 463 [3.3% interest rate, 9 years loan]. While the former’s Eco Idle technology to contribute to saving 5% of overall fuel consumption (1% lower than Perodua’s claim).
While most taxis use NGV natural gas to tackle their car’s engine thirstiness, it is harmful to the engine as most fellow cabby drivers advised when asked. With that being said, the best alternative to NGV gas of tackling unwanted waste of energy is electricity, which generated from hybrid cars’s battery.
It is worth mentioning is that a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) like the Honda City RS e:HEV, unlike a PHEV such as the BMW 330e, it spend nothing on recharging the battery, compared to fuelling the NGV tank, but only battery replacement fee when it reaches its lifespan. In the meantime, many people insisted that maintenance fee for a hybrid vehicle is expensive, I would compared to the monthly budget of petrol on an ordinary internal combustion engine car, and the division of repair fee of the high voltage battery by 8 years and 365 days a year (8 years warranty given by Honda) once it reaches the warranty’s expiration.
Car selection process
- I had a budget of: No exact budget being set, as an e-hailing driver, paying reasonable priced expenses of undertaking wisely while providing the best services to patrons, as well as making enough for a living are goals we all strive for. Since I am choosing to do provide a budget e-hailing vehicle service, B & C segments cars are among my choices
- Models that I have considered include: Perodua Bezza 1.0G & 1.3 AV, 1.0 Turbo, 1.0 Turbo, , Nissan Serena S-ybrid, Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, Toyota Vios J, Electric, Honda City S
- Reasons why I chose this car:
Again, minimising fuel consumption to maximise the profit is always the goal most chauffeur who monetise with their own car(s), which is why the Perodua Bezza is widely preferred by e-hailing drivers, as well as taxi drivers. For drivers who provide more premium cars to passengers, “kosong” spec Japanese B-segment sedan are the choices. While most Malaysians think hybrid are not reliable, eyeing that some neighbouring countries of ours such as Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore, it is a proven fact that these high mileage clocking hybrids such as Toyota Priuses, the Honda’s main rival are still running good after years of servicing, coupled with few battery’s maintenance.
On another extreme side, the charging an electric car is way cheaper than filling up a petrol tank (e.g. Nissan Leaf’s 40kWh battery pack, TNB rate each kWh after 300kWh= RM 0.516 X 40 = RM20.64 full charge), having to park your vehicle for about 45 minutes make no sense as it reduces my productivity to my job, compared to a hybrid, which you just need to fill up the tank for less than 5 minutes, once every 4.5 days on average (1.5 days for my Perodua Myvi). With that being said, a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid such as a BMW 530e are more feasible options, as a plug-in hybrid don’t take very long to fully charge its battery compared to an all-battery-electric car, while a hybrid doesn’t require to charge at all but filling up petrol as an ordinary petrol-powered counterpart like a BMW 530i.
All things considered, while others have range anxiety with an all-electric car, I am having range anxiety with both petrol-only-powered cars and all-electric cars, as I drive to make for a living.
User experience
- I have already done 4500 km.My average fuel consumption is 26km/l.
The best car I have used in my lifetime so far! Added with tinted windows, the automatic climate control and the remote engine starts keeps you cool from the moment you embark to disembarking your car, while saving your wallets on petrol’s expenses. As the key fact to remember, a good car meaning it served the purpose of the user, which turns out that it served the purpose to save fuel, especially in the notoriously congested KL city centre. Here are other purposes were well served owning this car.
Despite the Adaptive Cruise Control gives an abrupt acceleration and braking that drools petrol, it is still favourable to my long-distance driving on a highway, to combat fatigue of having to juggle with deepness of pressing the accelerator. One of the tips to overcome abrupt acceleration is adjusting the cruising speed. Spacious and comfortable interior with the combination of leather and fabric adding extra comfort to both passengers and driver along the journey, which most of my e-hailing passengers have commented that they felt very comfortable along the journey. Also to mention, the rear air-conditioner vent helps to cool the rear passenger better under a hot sun.
Pros of my car:
Fuel saving, even with aggressive acceleration & deceleration, I still manage to get a whopping 19km/l, which a petrol engine only car hardly gets even with economical driving. The ICE woke up just a few times, and a short period of time to recharge the high voltage battery while stucking in a long durration of complete standstills traffic.
Reasonable maintanence fee, just slightly more expensive compared to the national brand counterparts -Spacious interior compared to other B-segment cars
Auto-Brake-Hold, helps to reduce fatique of needing to keep depressing the brake in a complete standstill traffic. Pretty close to Nissan's e-pedal
Deceleration selector pedal, similar concept of engine braking
Temporary tyre repair kit, which is a good thing in fact as the rubber liquid injected into the tyre to repair the tyre permanently, despite it says “temporary”, it actually repair it permanently until you replace a new one, as long as you inject the whole bottle of rubber liquid. So for those who are alarmed that this car does not come with a spare tyre, you don't need to!
Cons
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto tend to crush always, very annoying when you need to unplug and plug my USB cable over and over again, as it happens multiple times each drive.
No front parking/cornering sensor or 360 view camera, making narrow cornering and parking just right in the parking bracket, without occupying neighbouring spaces difficult.
No auto side mirror fold, having to turn on the car to acessory mode to fold the side mirror is exhaustive, when you forget to fold the mirrors or needed to leave your car hastily to a place.
Ratings:
Total Score: 4
Performance: 5
Quality & Features: 4
Space: 5
Ride Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy:5
Price & Cost: 5
Summary :
Truly speaking, while many people insisted that hybrid cars' batteries is expensive to repair, I would comment that do your maths in your overall car ownership’s expenses of a hybrid car, just confirm the replacement cost from your dealer. I would say the same with other City RS e:HEV owners that different technologies, be it older or newer serve different purposes.
As the world is heading to carbon neutrality, we ought to play apart and to be a role model to others before they follow. With that being said, people who has a job that requires plenty of travelling, before supplies of EV charging networks meets its demand, hybrids are transitional models to carbon neutrality and electrificatio, as a damaged or under maintenance charging port can ruin your nice holiday. As stated above, a good car means it served the purposes. So this car served the purpose, being it is designed to drive around the city, added with those useful functions such as the auto brake hold
Interesting event
Had a hard period of time dealing with the electric parking brake (colloquially called hand brke), since I have not used any car with one. Truly I tell, the auto brake hold makes it feel like the gear position is Neutral. Because of this, there was once when cars in front departed after traffic light turns green, I struggled as I have to depress the brake before you are allowed to release the “hand brake”, while you are still panicking in doing the “SOP” to put the “hand brake” down LOL…
Since the car solely running on high voltage battery while idling except when the engine charges the battery,it is so quiet and you hardly tell if it is stopped or started. Even when it starts it ICE, the starter motor is so quietand it won't scares passbyers at all, which is the whole point here as I can start the car with Honda CONNECT to pre-cool the interior under a hot sun when I am out of range of car's remote control, without scaring people at vicinity.
The car is so quiet and it hardly tell if the car is started or stopped, I had a hard time reminding myself to shift it to “Park” position, as I am so used to ICE car that you still apprehend the audible engine sound.
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