Hybrid cars: an introduction

Have you been thinking about hybrid cars and maybe wondering what a hybrid is anyway? Well, in this article we hope to help you understand them a little better.

A hybrid is very similar to the gasoline powered car that most people drive today, the big difference is that the hybrid also uses batteries as part of its power supply, most hybrid cars on the roads right now they are gasoline-electric hybrids, although there are some that are diesel-electric, but for the sake of this article we will concentrate on the gasoline-electric car.

A gasoline-powered car has a fuel tank, which supplies gasoline to the engine, which turns the transmission, which turns the wheels. The hybrid is a compromise, it attempts to significantly increase mileage and produce less emissions than the gasoline car, to be useful to you or me a hybrid must be able to recharge quickly and deliver around 300 miles or more between fuel fills. The fuel tank of a hybrid is very sophisticated. Advanced electronics allow it to act as both a motor and a generator. It can draw power from the batteries to speed up the car, but by acting as a generator, it can slow the car down and put power back into the batteries. It takes 1,000 pounds of batteries to equal a gallon of gasoline in energy. This combination can and is substantially reducing gas mileage. I’m sure things will only get better in the future for hybrid cars; They took a long time to arrive and they will not be for everyone. Hybrids don’t cost as much as you might think, although some do get quite expensive depending on the extras and options added, just like any new car.

Here is a list of what is available in gasoline hybrids on the market today and some that will be available soon.
Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Honda Fit expected 2008, Honda Insight, Hyundai Accent expected 2009, Chevrolet Malibu expected 2007 Lexus GS 450h, Nissan Altman expected 2007, Toyota Camry, Toyota Plus,
SUVs and Minivans: Chevrolet Tahoe, expected in 2007, Dodge Durango, expected in 2007, Ford Escape SUV, GMC Yukon, expected in 2007, Lexus RX400h SUV, Toyota Highlander SUV, Mercury Mariner SUV, and others to come in the near future.

There are enough on the market right now to see if maybe a hybrid car is for you. At first the layouts look a bit different, it takes a bit of getting used to, but after a while they seem to fit together perfectly and some will make you take a second look at the clever layout. Take a look and maybe a test drive, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the ride and concept of the new hybrids. They are different and will take some getting used to, but they are very necessary and will kill off some of the other gas-guzzling cars on the roads today. I hope that after reading this article you have a better understanding of what a hybrid car is all about, it seems that it is here to stay.