With the overall infrastructure for fully electric vehicles (EVs) nowhere near ready, according to Klarius, motorists are turning to hybrid vehicles in the meantime. Hybrids are expected to be on sale in the UK until at least 2035, depending on charging point availability. The company believes that to keep these cars on the road, the aftermarket needs to step up and provide quality replacement components to support the number of hybrid vehicles in use.
To meet market demand, Klarius, an aftermarket manufacturer of exhausts, is already offering a growing range of replacements for hybrid vehicles with next morning nationwide delivery to stockists and distributors.
Hybrids were first thrust into public attention with the launch of the Toyota Prius in 2000. Since then, adoption has been growing. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 2021 was the most successful year for electrified car sales in the UK ever. A large proportion of this market share includes sales of plugin hybrid EVs (7%), hybrid EVs (8.9%) and mild petrol or diesel EVs (18%).
Whilst sales of battery EVs grow, they are still only a fraction of the vehicles on the road (around 1% of the global car parc, according to International Energy Agency).
Charging and power generation infrastructure is, for now, lagging behind; therefore, hybrids are a useful half-way house to smooth the eventual transition from combustion to all EVs. This is set to continue into the foreseeable future, as even with the UK government’s latest plans, some new hybrid vehicles will still be on sale until at least 2035. Consequently, hybrids will be on the road for some time yet, which means the aftermarket must provide quality replacement parts to keep these vehicles running:
“The shift towards electrification in the automotive industry is inevitable and seen as key to reducing carbon emissions, so we want to be supporting that transition,” explained Doug Bentley, head of research & development at Klarius.
“We are dedicated to releasing new aftermarket exhausts to meet the replacement needs of the latest car and van models, developing components that meet the latest emissions standards. We are continuing this culture of innovation by introducing even more new quality hybrid exhausts in the short and medium term.”
“Often first-to-market with aftermarket exhausts for hybrids”
Klarius offers products that are available to fit over 24 million vehicles on domestic roads. This range is growing daily, with its research & development team originating new products in-house to meet market demand. Increasingly, this means providing quality exhausts to fit modern hybrid vehicles.
Doug said: “Often we are first-to-market with aftermarket exhausts for hybrid vehicles. A primary example is our range for the Toyota Prius, which we have offered for years now. Recent additions to our hybrid portfolio include full systems for the Lexus CT200h and the Toyota Yaris 1.8 hybrid. We have a capable and flexible team, which can apply great technical experience and utilise extensive in-house facilities, to deliver optimal exhausts designed for complex powertrains.”
When developing a hybrid exhaust, ensuring quality is incredibly important. Many hybrid vehicles use combustion engines intermittently, creating a hot/cold durability cycle that can shorten the service life of an inferior exhaust. Furthermore, it is imperative that an aftermarket exhaust mirrors the design of the original part, according to Klarius; otherwise, the efficiency of the powertrain could be reduced, compromising the low carbon credentials of the vehicle and potentially damaging the engine.
“Our rigorous development and testing procedures means we can provide components that match or exceed the performance of the original equipment item,” Doug elaborated.
“We test every component on a vehicle of correct make, model and production year to ensure an exact solution for the application. At our manufacturing site in Staffordshire, we have dedicated facilities, including a research & development centre and a test track, so we can conduct independent testing in-house.
“Furthermore, every applicable part in our range is type-approved. Typeapproval is the EU standard for conformance to EU specifications for product performance. To achieve this, our exhausts must undergo stringent assessments on design, emissions, noise and backpressure. We conduct this testing independently with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) in the UK and TÜV in Germany.
“Our focus on quality means that every part in our range is offered with a two-year standard warranty and a fit-first-time guarantee. In terms of hybrid vehicles, choosing a Klarius part means that vehicle performance and reliability is safeguarded.”
Klarius invests heavily in bringing new exhausts for vehicles of all powertrain configurations to market. With its own development facilities and experienced technical staff, the company said it is ahead of the curve in providing proven aftermarket components for the latest generation of hybrid vehicles. Thanks to its own in-house logistics operation, Klarius can also offer next morning UK delivery on any order to stockists and distributors.
