Hybrid Cars Article

Invest in your Future- Buy a Hybrid

With gas prices soaring each and every week, more and more people are considering the advantages of buying a hybrid. But what is a hybrid exactly? Before we define a hybrid let’s make it known that hybrid vehicles are more common than most individuals realize. Many commuter trains are electric hybrids and plenty of cities throughout the United States, such as Seattle for example, have buses that are diesel-electric powered. Diesel-electric hybrids can be found in mining trucks and even advanced forms of water transportation, such as submarines. Some submarines are nuclear-electric while others are diesel-electric powered. Many automobiles on the market today are gasoline-electric hybrids.

A hybrid is defined as any vehicle that is run by not one, but two kinds of power. As in the examples given above, a combination of gasoline and electricity forms a hybrid. Another example that many people have experienced is that of a motorized pedal bike. This enjoyable form of transport has two sources of power, even though they are very elementary in design, an engine and the pedaling motion.

Should you buy a hybrid? There are certainly many reasons to consider it as a viable option. Let’s turn our attention to hybrid cars.

Hybrid cars are considered to be energy efficient, affordable and a creative, innovative concept worth buying into! These kinds of cars have small gasoline engines that are very efficient in terms of fuel distribution and work in concert with an electric motor. Together the two aid in the acceleration of the vehicle. Batteries allow the electric motor to work because they automatically recharge when the vehicle is in motion. Hybrid efficiency is attained by periodic engine shut off, regenerative braking, advanced aerodynamics, lightweight materials and low-rolling resistance tires. Let’s take a closer look at what each of these features are all about.

Periodic engine shut off is a simple concept for a hybrid car. Basically what it means is that when the car is stopped at an intersection the engine goes into temporary shutdown mode but quickly kicks back into working order once the gas pedal is applied. Regenerative braking has to do with the electric motor and the ability of the hybrid to slow the action of the car. With this type of braking, the electric motor works as a generator and in this way when the car is slowing down, the batteries are charged up. Advanced aerodynamics takes place in order to cut down on drag. Materials that are lightweight allow for the greater energy efficiency of a hybrid. This important point cannot be stressed enough. Low-rolling resistance tires (also referred to as LLR) are special tires in that they are stiffer and much narrower tires than most and have a great deal less drag to them.

But are there still other reasons to buy a hybrid? Most certainly there are. Read on to find other ways to invest in your future by buying a hybrid.

Hybrid cars are better for the environment as they emit up to approximately ninety-seven percent less emissions and have about the same amount of carbon dioxide as non-hybrid cars. Mileage is definitely better with hybrid cars and is somewhere in the range of 2-3 mpg (or to put it another way, 8-10%). Hybrid cars are no more or no less safe than non-hybrid vehicles. The combination of an engine that runs on electricity and gasoline has no obvious noted effect on the safety of the vehicle.

But the pros of buying a hybrid don’t end there. Hybrid cars are driven the exact same way as non-hybrid cars. Drivers can breathe easy; there is no fancy manual to memorize and no difficult instructions. You can drive in the manner in which you are accustomed to driving any vehicle. From state to state there are incentives put into place to encourage prospective customers to buy a hybrid. This does vary from area to area so if you are out car shopping ask dealers about purchase incentives before you make any final decisions. Those who buy hybrids are allowed a tax deduction at the federal level which is another piece of good news when tax time rolls around. To be more specific, in the year 2004, owners of hybrid vehicles received a federal tax break in the amount of $1,500.