The Advantages of Owning A Hybrid Car

Many people today now think that it is impractical to
own a car. With the rising gasoline prices coupled
with a poorly performing economy, you too would think
twice before purchasing a car. You’d rather get a bike
or just use the public transportation system to get
around the city. However, have you ever considered
that there are cars today that are very fuel
efficient? These cars are called hybrid cars.

So, just what exactly is a hybrid car?

First and foremost, a hybrid car is just like your
ordinary car. However, instead of having only one
motor to propel the car, it will have two motors. One
is a gasoline motor that you will normally find in all
conventional cars, and the other is an electric motor.

By combining these two motors, this particular car
will have better gas mileage. It will also have
batteries installed that power the electric motor. In
the past, these batteries were charged by plugging it
in your conventional home electric outlet. However,
later models were developed where more advanced
batteries were installed and is charged using the
car’s wasted energy. The energy used is from the
gasoline engine and also the energy that would
normally be lost during braking or decelerating.

Depending on certain factors, the car will use either
the gasoline or the electric engine. Factors include
the speed the car is currently running. Sometimes, the
car will even use both systems to provide extra boost
to the car without using too much extra fuel.

The result would be better gas mileage and less carbon
dioxide emissions compared to conventional cars that
is only powered by a conventional gasoline engine. For
example, the 2006 Honda Civic gets about 50 miles to
the gallon on the highway. When compared to the 2003
Honda Civic model, the 2006 model is 14 miles to the
gallon better. So, in every 12,000 miles, you will be
able to save 69 gallons of gasoline as well as 258
pounds of carbon dioxide in a year.

If you are the type of person who is concerned about
the environment and you also want to save money on
gasoline, then hybrid cars is for you. With this car,
you will be able to enjoy better gas mileage, which
will allow you to save a lot of money on gasoline.
Also, you will be doing the environment a favor as you
will have a car that emits lower levels of carbon
dioxide which contributes to global warming.

However, you have to keep in mind that hybrid cars
today can cost about 5 thousand dollars more than a
conventional car of the same type or weight class.

Although this may seem heavy for some people, you have
to remember that in the long run, getting a hybrid
vehicle can be a lot cheaper.

Not only will you enjoy better gas mileage, but you
will also see that the government is providing huge
tax breaks for people who own hybrid cars.

Many people fear that hybrid cars are very costly to
maintain or repair. Also, they fear that the insurance
cost will be a lot higher than in conventional cars.
However, research has shown that the maintenance cost
for hybrid vehicles are no higher than conventional
cars. And, because hybrid car owners are less likely
to be involved in vehicular accidents, insurance
companies today are now offering discounts to owners
of hybrid cars.

So, if you are ever on the market for a car, you might
want to consider hybrid cars. With this, you will not
only enjoy huge savings on gasoline and tax breaks,
but you will also contribute a lot on the environment.
Remember these things and you will be able to know if
hybrid cars are definitely for you.