A Few Answers to Hybrid Concerns
There are many issues and variants a consumer must consider before buying a hybrid vehicle. Here are some common hybrid issues addressed for you.
1. Hybrids tend to lack power
This most definitely was a concern for some of the earlier hybrids, but current models have just as much juice as their gas powered brothers. For example, the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid can accelerate with almost the same V-6-like power as its gas powered sibling, and the 2008 Lexus GS 450h can go from 0-60mph in just over five seconds. Of course, all other things being equal, more power generally translates into poorer fuel economy.
2. Hybrid batteries have a short lifespan and are expensive to replace
While the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the current generation of hybrid cars would indeed be expensive to replace, costing at least a few thousand dollars, the reality is that most car manufacturers warranty their batteries for 8-10 years or 100,000 miles. Since there aren’t yet many hybrids on the road that have hit those lengthy milestones, it’s difficult to ascertain how long hybrid batteries will actually last. Anecdotally, however, a cab driver in Vancouver drove his Toyota Prius 200,000 miles in 25 months, and his car’s batteries remained strong.
3. Hybrids need to be plugged in to an electrical source
This common myth confuses hybrid cars with electric cars. The latter indeed rely on an external plug for their power, and their range is therefore limited (not to mention the fact that purely electric vehicles are almost non-existent in today’s market). Hybrid cars, however, use a mechanism known as ’regenerative braking’ to charge their batteries, essentially transforming the car’s deceleration into electrical energy that is then stored in the battery. What many ecocar enthusiasts are waiting for, however, is a combination of the two, a plugin hybrid that would run entirely on electricity for its first 60 miles, switching over to hybrid technology only for longer trips. In theory, for many commuters this could mean never having to fill the gas tank.
4. All hybrids have great fuel efficiency
While hybrids get better mileage than their gas-only counterparts, some models’ fuel efficiency is far from spectacular. For example, the Toyoto Highlander SUV may be a hybrid, but its unspectacular fuel efficiency of 30 mpg is handily beaten by a host of nonhybrid vehicles currently on the road, albeit smaller ones. Furthermore, a hybrid’s fuel efficiency is largely dependent on the type of driving you do. Because hybrids generate electrical power through braking and save power by switching off the gas engine when they come to a stop, they get better mileage in the city than they do on the highway,the opposite of standard gas-powered cars. If you intend to do a lot of long distance highway driving, a hybrid may in fact provide very minimal fuel efficiency benefits.
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