Home ›› 31 Oct 2021 ›› Front
Hybrid car imports witnessed a 154 per cent jump in the last three years, indicating a rising demand for such vehicles in Bangladesh – which are known for offering better fuel economy, lower maintenance costs and a greener way to commute compared to their counterparts.
Bangladesh imported 8,366 hybrid cars worth Tk 1,296 crore in the Fiscal Year 2020-21, a significant increase from 3,296 units worth Tk 445 crore in FY2018-19, data from the National Board of Revenue shows.
Some of the popular hybrid vehicle brands in the country are Toyota Axio, Honda Grace, and Nissan X-Trail, said industry insiders and a number of showroom owners in Dhaka, adding that hybrid vehicles now occupy 60 per cent of their total sales.
A hybrid combines at least one electric motor with a gasoline engine to move the car, and its system recaptures energy via regenerative braking. Sometimes the electric motor does all the work, sometimes it is the gasoline engine, and sometimes they work together.
The result is less gasoline burned and, therefore, better fuel economy. Adding electric power can even boost performance in certain instances.
Responding to a query, Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) President Abdul Haque said, “The local market for hybrid cars has expanded due to comparatively lower tax rates.
“Initially, the consumers were reluctant to buy hybrid cars due to unfamiliarity with the technology, unavailability of parts and lack of expert technicians. But customer confidence increased as the cars became more affordable.”
He added that the number of authorised dealers and service centres has increased in the country during the last few years, which in turn has boosted customer confidence in hybrid vehicles and increased their sales.
Detailing the benefits of a hybrid vehicle, owner of Dhaka’s Toyota Motors and Car Servicing Centre Md Mukhlesur Rahman said, “One of the biggest advantages of a hybrid car is that it runs cleaner and has better gasoline mileage compared to the non-hybrid models.
“Such features make hybrids more environment-friendly and owners save on fuel too. These cars emit less CO2, and are also cheaper and easier to maintain compared to non-hybrid cars.”
Haq’s Bay Service Center in-charge Md Farhad Amin, said, “Non-hybrid cars need an oil change after running 2,500km – 3,500km on average, but hybrid cars can run at least 5,000km – 6,000km without needing one.
Mohammed Shahidul Islam, general secretary of BARVIDA said the maintenance cost of a hybrid car is lower than its non-hybrid variant. “For example a 50-litre Axio non-hybrid car can go a maximum 350km, but its hybrid variant can go more than 1,200km,” he added.
A cheaper, greener way commute
Importers are currently bringing in both new and reconditioned hybrid car models in Bangladesh, industry insiders told The Business Post.
Hybrid cars have electric motors that provide extra power, so they provide a better power output compared to their gasoline counterparts in the same cc (cubic capacity) range. Hybrids offer good power in the lower cc range, but enjoy lower import duties too, they said.
For example, the hybrid car Corolla Axio 2016 currently costs around Tk 18.40 lakh, compared to Tk 19.60 lakh price tag of the same model’s non-hybrid variant. Another hybrid car Toyota Noah SI costs Tk 28.5 lakh, but the non-hybrid variant costs Tk 34.5 lakh to Tk 35 lakh.
Toyota Harrier has a price tag of around Tk 70 lakh, which is significantly lower than the non-hybrid variant’s market price of Tk 80 lakh.
Md Tanvir Hossain has been a proud owner of a Toyota Axio for the last three years. Sharing his experience, he said, “It has become much cheaper to maintain my car, and I have been saving gasoline worth around Tk 60,000 per year. The car is also much quieter.”
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) data shows the country imported 11,272 cars as of September this year. “More than 60 per cent of these imported cars are hybrid models,” BARVIDA President Abdul Haque told The Business Post.
Karib Ahmed, director of one of Dhaka’s leading car dealers Karib Auto Ltd, said, “A gasoline-powered 1,500cc car can run 7-10km per litre, while a hybrid car of the same cc can run nearly 15km-25km per litre.
“Fully electric vehicles are also entering the country alongside a high number of hybrid models. Bangladesh already has a couple of top brands such as Tesla and Proche Taycan. Japanese cars are very popular here, because these vehicles provide durability and reliability for years.”
Karib continued, “Hybrid vehicles are presently selling very well. Around 60 per cent – 70 per cent of our sales are hybrid cars. We currently have 185 cars in stock, and 123 of them are hybrids.”
Echoing the same, leading dealer Car House Ltd’s Manager Momin Hossain Ratan said, “Hybrid cars made up more than 50 per cent of our sales in the last two years.”
The global hybrid vehicle market was valued at $252.06 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach $1,166.65 billion by 2026, a recent Mordor Intelligence forecast says.
