Before You Rush To Buy A Hybrid Car...
If gas prices have you dreaming of a fuel-efficient car, then you may want to look into buying a hybrid car.
Hybrid-electric cars use two power sources instead of one. They have a rechargeable energy storage system (battery powered) and a normal fuel powered engine. Because hybrid cars essentially have two engines, they can run partly on electricity instead of solely on gasoline. This means a hybrid car’s gas miles will be increased 20 to 30 miles per gallon.
Everyone is rushing to trade in their gas-guzzlers for more efficient hybrid cars these days. Khou.com reports “hybrid car sales have jumped along the gulf coast”. This is because “Owning a hybrid car use to be a considered an environmentally friendly thing to do, but for a growing number of people it’s become more of a practicality as well.”
However, you may want to wait awhile before making your hybrid vehicle purchase.
SmartMoney.com suggests that rushing to get a hybrid car right now may not be worth it financially. After all, hybrids are in big demand right now. According to the laws of supply and demand, you may have a hard time getting a hybrid car for a decent price.
Plus, the cost of maintaining a hybrid car can be enormous. After all, if hybrid cars were truly cost-effective, you would think a lot more people would already be driving them, right? Government incentives for buyinig hybrid vehicles are another clue that people may need a little extra convincing to purchase a hybrid car.
According to MSN Money, “Hybrids are an expensive way to save gasoline. If you spend more on a hybrid car than you would have spent otherwise, you are unlikely to ever get your money back -- even if you got rid of a gigantic, fuel-sucking SUV. Right now, a cheap compact is a better buy than an expensive hybrid.”
That said, another option may be to find the best of both worlds in a great deal on a used hybrid car.
Still, many Americans seem to be in a frenzy to purchase a hybrid car. The demand is so strong that the government is eliminating the tax credit on the 3 most popular models. “The tax credit on the No. 3-selling Honda Civic hybrid will be cut in half, from $1,050 to $525. It will disappear altogether at the end of the year. The credit on the top-selling Toyota Prius, once $3,150, and that for the No. 2 Toyota Camry hybrid vanished last fall.”
As for myself, I think I'll wait awhile until hybrid cars become more commonplace and the price drops. It is just a matter of time before hybrid cars become more mainstream -- and advanced in design at the same time.
With encouragement such as the $300M prize for developing a hybrid car that Senator John McClain has proposed, it is just a matter of time until everyone is driving a hybrid vehicle of some type.
Image Credit: 13 Green Questions Answered
A fundamental change in our driving habits is now required.
The Automobile Industry is going to be in the same position as the Airline Industry in the next few months. Unless we get away from gas combustion vehicles, including Hybrids, the automobile industry (as we know it) will die.We need to make drastic moves. America needs to move to ELECTRIC. The vehicles are not as fast, not always as fun to drive, but the move will save Americans money (Billions) and help bring change to our automotive companies. Let's "Be Green"!!!!!!!!!!!! BG Automotive Group Ltd. has a car that will travel 80-100 miles per charge for $15,995. Finally a car that most Americans can afford. Did you know that 80% of all drivers, drive less than 50 miles per day? This new car will cost an equivalent of $0.20-0.25 cents/gallon (depending on electricity rates in your area). Why send $700 Billion per year to OPEC (now buying up U.S. companies) when we can use this money for our schools, health care, social security for all Americans, etc, etc, etc. We can make the difference if WE change.
I see you wrote that "the cost of maintaining a hybrid car can be enormous."
I want to correct that misconception. Hybrids usually cost LESS to maintain than normal cars.
My Toyota Prius for instance uses regenerative braking, which saves wear on brake pads. That means it does not need a brake job until 100,000 miles. Try that in a regular car and see what happens!
Also, the Prius has a single-gearset Power Split Device transmission with just 22 moving parts, no gear-shifting wear-and-tear like a regular car transmission, which means it does not need a tranny fluid change until 60,000 miles.
The Prius does not have a timing belt-- Components normally driven by a timing belt in a regular car are electronically controlled in the Prius. One less thing to wear out and need replacement.
The Prius does not have an alternator either-- It uses solid-state inverter electronics that is a lot more durable since unlike an alternator it does not have moving parts.
Best of all, the Prius does not have a starter solenoid or motor-- The gasoline engine is cranked by the hybrid system on-the-fly instead. No more turning the key only to find your car engine won't start.
And before anyone claims the hybrid battery will need to be replaced every couple of years and cost thousands of dollars.. The fact is that the Prius hybrid battery is covered by an 8-year / 100,000-mile warranty. If it fails before then, Toyota has to replace it for you free.
I love how low-maintenance my Prius is. As a matter of fact, I consider that my chief benefit-- The fuel economy is nice, but secondary.