Hybrid Cars - Is it the Future?

Hybrid cars combine a small electrical motor and battery with an internal combustion engine to power the automobile. This reduces both fuel consumption and emissions, causing hybrid vehicles to operate longer on the same amount of gasoline and contribute less to pollution than a typical vehicle. A well-designed hybrid vehicle can reduce smog pollution by over 90% and cuts down on global-warming pollutants by up to 50%.

What does "Hybrid" mean?

"Hybrid" doesn't mean just one thing. Cars and SUVs can be set up in different ways to meet different needs. 

Hybrid gasoline/electric vehicles are often lumped into one, all-inclusive category.

People will say "I'm thinking of buying a hybrid" without thinking about which model or type.

The fact is hybrid vehicles vary enormously. It's not just that some are SUVs and some are cars. Their hybrid power trains, themselves, can differ greatly in their design and programming. (Computer software has a lot to do with how a hybrid works.)

Here's a look at the various systems.

Full Hybrid

A "full hybrid" means that it can run on its electric motor alone for short distances at low speeds.

Toyota Prius - the vehicle that most readily comes to mind when someone says "hybrid" is the Prius. It's a good car in many respects.  The Prius has the interior space of a midsized Camry in a smaller package.

Right now, Toyota is the unchallenged hybrid leader. The Toyota Prius is the best selling hybrid by far, accounting for more than half of all the vehicles sold.

Toyota's"full hybrid" system is also used in Nissan's Altima Hybrid, and it's the same technology used in the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUVs.

General Motors, long seen as a laggard in hybrid technology, now has three types of hybrid systems.

Mild Hybrid

A "mild hybrid" system, is on the market now. The Saturn Aura Green Line vehicles, the Aura sedan and SUV, are "mild hybrids," in which the electric motor provides assistance to the gasoline engine but lacks the power to drive the vehicle on its own.

Fuel is saved by shutting the gasoline engine down altogether whenever the vehicle comes to a full stop.

Another, the "two-mode" hybrid system, will be introduced in the fall. A third "series hybrid" plug-in electric vehicle, is on the path to production, but no specific timetable is set.

Advantages

Hybrid cars are becoming more popular because of its cost and size.

Hybrid vehicles can also help consumers cut costs. They are competitively priced, and you will save thousands of dollars worth of gas money over the lifetime of the vehicle, since they consume much less gasoline.

The Prius was designed, from the outset, to be a gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle. That enabled designers to create the body around the hybrid system rather than cramming batteries and an electric motor into a body designed to house just a gas tank and an engine. For that reason, the Prius has plenty of usable storage space.

Some states also offer monetary incentives for individuals who purchase hybrid vehicles. Depending on where you live, you may be eligible for up to $2,000 in tax deductions. Check your local laws to find out more about these incentive programs every year, and soon these types of vehicles might become the industry standard.

Is a hybrid vehicle right for you and your family? The answer to that question will be different for every person, but it is definitely an option to consider.

By researching the benefit in hybrid cars, you can decide if this transportation method is right for you and your family when you are purchasing a new automobile.

When you test-drive these cars, you will be surprised at how well they handle, and how affordable they can be.

Hybrid vehicles are the automobiles of the future.

Hybrid vehicles are healthier for the environment, which in turn creates a healthier world for the future generations.

Click Here for a great source on finding your hybrid vehicles.

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