Hybrid Cars

Have you pulled up to a gas station lately, and been shocked by the high price of gasoline? New to the market are a different variety of hybrid cars, that all serve the same purpose, to get great gas mileage and save you money on gas.

Hybrid cars run off of a rechargeable battery, an electric motor, and a gasoline engine. They are often more aerodynamic, reducing wind resistance, and are also lighter, their tires create half the drag of regular cars because they are stiffer and inflated to a higher pressure. Hybrid gasoline engines are much smaller than those on regular cars. A hybrid car engine is built small to accommodate 99% of driving time when a car is not going up hills or accelerating quickly. When extra acceleration power is needed, it relies on the gas engine to provide additional force. For example, a hybrid car gets better gas mileage in the city, where there is a lot of stopping and starting requiring the electric motor to kick in, than on a highway, where the car is maintaining a high speed and the gasoline engine is used more. These cars can get about 60+ mpg in a city and 50 mpg on a highway.

Many automobile companies are just getting in to the trend of building hybrid cars. Some leading manufacturers are Toyota (Prius and Echo), Honda (Civic and Accord), and new to the market is the Ford Escape, the first ever hybrid SUV. Most hybrid cars travel about 50-60 miles per gallon in the city, while regular SUV's travel at 15 mpg.

Why hybrid and not electric? Electric cars cannot go faster than 50-60 mph, and need to be recharged every 50-100 miles. Hybrids bridge the gap between electric and gasoline powered cars by traveling further and driving faster.

Hybrid vehicles are better for the environment, ride quietly, and can save you significant fuel expenses. They are priced only about $1000-$3000 more than a regular car, and some states, like California, give a $2000 rebate on hybrid cars. I think hybrid vehicles are going to get very popular as the cost of gas goes up in the next few years, and I definitely should think about getting one when I can drive. What could be better than saving money on gas, and feeling good that my car isn't polluting the environment.