Hybrid cars were manufactured to provide an alternative means to combat the rising fuel costs. They are energy efficient and come in different models and sizes. They are powered by both gas and electricity and possess a fuel efficient gas powered engine. They also have an electric powered motor which works with the engine when the car is accelerating.
The vehicles are equipped with a battery powered electric motor which is automatically recharged while it is being driven.
The hybrid cars come in two different types: a parallel and series hybrid. In the former, both the electric motor and the gasoline engine work in unison to propel the car forward, while the series hybrid uses the gasoline run engine to power the electric motor which in turn either powers the vehicle or works to charge the batteries which will perform that task. Hybrid cars are right in line with the current go greenâ technology.
Sales of hybrid cars have spiked in recent months due to the increase in gas prices worldwide.
One of the most common hybrid vehicles, the Toyota Prius, has dominated sales in the US largely owing to its affordability feature. Many other hybrid vehicles are also making waves. The cost of the hybrid cars are ranging from $24,000 to $35,000 depending on the model and the features. Even though they are a bit more expensive than their fuel run counterparts, the hybrid vehicles should pay for themselves, especially if the gas prices continue to skyrocket.
In 2011, more hybrid cars were manufactured than ever before.
Some of these cars are the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion, and Escape to name a few. There are also cars scheduled for release from 2011-2013. The manufacturers of these vehicles realize that this is a trend that is catching on. Many drivers have resorted to hybrid vehicles as an affordable alternative, but some people are switching over simply because they want to help the environment. Apart from the fuel cost, you have to take into consideration the cost to replace the battery which costs far more than the average car battery which simply starts the car. Servicing a hybrid car can prove to be more costly than other cars as well because of the technicality involved.
So is it really worth it to buy one of these hybrids?
If you are tight on money then the answer is probably no. But as more of these cars are made the cost should go down. If the sole purpose of buying the car is to save money then hopefully you are a patient person who can wait the 10 years or more for the car to pay for itself in gas savings. And hopefully in that time you will not have any expensive car repairs.
(To save money on costly auto repairs you can look into getting an extended car warranty. Frank is a writer for www.ExtendedCarWarrantys.com where you can find all kinds of advice on choosing the right warranty for your vehicle and how to avoid warranty scams.)
Follow Us!