The once again affects thousands of motorists in the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico. This week phase 1 of the program was activated, which limits the circulation of all vehicles with verification hologram 2 and some with hologram 1. Even models with “0 and 00” will have limitations to circulate according to their decal color and plate termination.
Some hybrid models, those recognized as mild or mild-hybrid , will also have limitations to drive, and only fully electric vehicles, some plug-in hybrid cars and hybrids with hologram ‘exempt’ will maintain the benefit of being able to go out every day .
Why some hybrids can not circulate in Environmental Contingency?
For years, one of the main incentives to buy an electrified vehicle was that they were exempt from verification and could circulate every day, regardless of the schedule of the Hoy No Circula program, due to their low-emission vehicle label. All models, regardless of whether they were hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric, were exempt from verification.
But after recognizing that there is a great disparity between the emission levels of electric and hybrid vehicles, and even between the different hybrid technologies, the Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City (Sedema) decided to reduce in 2020 the benefits for those models that use the gas tank more than the battery and the electric motor.
“Hybrid vehicles whose technology does not allow the propulsion of the unit using only the electric motor, will no longer be able to obtain the exempt hologram, since this type of vehicle depends on the internal combustion engine for its operation, which favors that the performance of the same is not significantly greater than that of its similar ones to gasoline ”, explains the agency on its website.
This rearrangement for the first time made a distinction between electric and hybrid models, giving the former the ‘exempt’ hologram permanently, and dividing the latter into two categories, depending on the number of kilometers they are capable of traveling using only the electric propulsion source. Depending on this, hybrid cars will only be able to have the ‘exempt’ hologram for a limited time.
And the mild-hybrid models?
Mild-hybrid models cannot aspire to the ‘Exempt’ hologram even once, because the generator and battery work as an assist that adds torque to the start or that powers some electrical components of the vehicle, however, this system does not is capable of propelling the unit by itself.
This type of models can have the double zero hologram. Those who have a yield greater than or equal to 16 km per liter may request it up to two times.
Although this type of vehicle was not included in the list of models that do not have to step on a verification center for years and can circulate every day, regardless of the air condition, this has not stopped its growth in the country.
What models can circulate every day beyond air quality?
After the reorganization undertaken by the Ministry of the Environment of Mexico City (Sedema), fully electric cars are the only ones that will be able to maintain a permanent ‘exempt’ hologram . This means that they do not have to be verified and that they will be able to circulate every day regardless of whether any of the environmental contingency phases are activated.
A wave of new electric vehicles has broken into the Mexican market in the last year, from the new SUVs from Volvo and BMW, or the super sports car from Audi RS e-Tron GT, to Jac’s E10X city car.
The 3.4 million pesos Porsche Taycan is the best-selling battery model in Mexico. A good technical performance of its power train, the charging speed, which allows recovering 80% of the battery in about 25 minutes at a level 3 station (the fastest), and the immediate torque that it delivers as soon as the accelerator is stepped on they have become a desired model within the lucrative niche in which it operates.
In addition to the Porsche model, in the top 10 there are four vehicles from the Chinese brand Jac, one from Renault and another four from premium brands.
This is the one that can aspire to the exempt hologram.
