Dealers can help customers compare fuel savings and charging needs for Chinese PHEVs by following a structured approach:
Understand the customer’s daily driving pattern. Ask how many kilometres they drive per day, what percentage is city vs highway, and whether they have access to home or workplace charging. This determines the electric driving share (the more charging available, the higher the fuel savings).
Use the official NEDC or CLTC electric range. Chinese PHEVs often advertise 50–100 km of pure electric range. Under GCC conditions (hot climate, AC use, highway speeds), expect about 70-80% of that figure. A dealer can roughly calculate: if a customer drives 60 km/day and charges nightly, they may use little to no petrol for daily commutes.
Compare total cost of ownership (TCO). Create a simple table showing fuel cost per month for a conventional ICE vs the PHEV when used primarily in electric mode vs hybrid mode. Include electricity cost (at local rates) and petrol cost. For example, in Saudi Arabia, petrol is cheap, but electricity is even cheaper per km.
Explain charging options. Show that a standard household outlet can fully charge a PHEV battery in 3–5 hours. If the customer has a wall box, it can charge in 1.5–2 hours. No special installation is required for most PHEVs.
Highlight the dual benefit. Even without regular charging, a PHEV operates as a conventional hybrid, still improving fuel economy over a pure petrol car by 20-40% in city driving.
Starvia can provide detailed specifications and real-world consumption data for each PHEV model, helping dealers create transparent comparisons for customers.