There has never been a more confusing time for Australians looking to buy a new vehicle, with a plethora of options to consider between electric, hybrid and even traditional petrol cars.

Each vehicle type carries its own pros and cons, and sorting through them might help you work out what option might suit you best depending on your budget, driving needs and location.

Let’s run through some of the basics so you can wrap your head around what to consider.

Electric vehicles

Electric vehicles have been rapidly growing in popularity across Australia in recent years, particularly as new models have become available from a wider range of manufacturers.

Pros

There are plenty of upsides with an EV, explained Compare the Market’s Henry Man.

That includes running costs, which are typically much cheaper than petrol or even hybrid vehicles because electricity doesn’t cost as much as petrol – particularly these days.

“We crunched the numbers – the typical off-peak rate is about 25 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh) whereas public charging stations can be 50 to 60 cents per KWh,” Man said.

“There are even dedicated EV energy plans out there that can offer ultra-low tariffs.”

Another benefit of an EV is its carbon footprint is far lower than other vehicles over the life of the car, with a higher upfront impact during manufacturing quickly offset by it running on electricity.

Cons

There are some downsides though, Man explained.

First, though the sticker price of EVs has been trending down in Australia lately, they still cost far more to buy new than many traditional petrol vehicles and the second-hand market isn’t big.

Another downside with electric vehicles can be range and their need to be charged, which is becoming less of a problem as more charging stations roll out nationwide but can catch you out.

Man said EV range won’t be a problem for most motorists, particularly those in the market for a commuter car, as the average distance travelled is far lower than the range available in EVs.

“The average Australian drives 30 to 40 kilometres per day,” he said.

“For most people you can plug in a normal wall socket overnight and add at least 100 kilometres of range.”

Hybrids

Hybrids are often seen as a middle ground between an EV and a petrol vehicle by buyers.

They come with their own set of pros and cons.

Pros

Man said that being able to have the best of both worlds with using a battery for most trips and then having an engine when it’s needed is the biggest drawcard behind the success of hybrid cars.

They’re also typically cheaper than an EV, meaning motorists can access some of the savings associated with running a battery-powered vehicle without needing to fork out as much upfront.

“It is more accessible to more Australians simply because there is only a slight price premium compared to an equivalent petrol model and that can range from $2000 on some models to up to $8000,” Man said.

Cons

That said, a petrol engine still means higher running costs than are achievable with an EV, and independent testing has found many hybrid models use their petrol engine more than advertised.

Petrol vehicles

The market for traditional petrol vehicles is larger than hybrids or EVs, even as experts predict their sale will need to be phased out if Australia has any hope of achieving its emissions targets.

Pros

A key draw of a petrol vehicle is access to the cheapest cars on the market and an expansive second-hand market that’s well established.

Buyers of the cheapest models can save thousands over the cost of an EV or even hybrid.

Cons

But running costs are where petrol vehicles really squeeze motorists, with petrol prices currently sitting over $2 a litre more often than not and spiking to more than $2.30 a litre on the east coast.

The other downside with petrol vehicles is their environmental impact, with a much larger carbon footprint over the life of the vehicle than EVs or hybrids offer.