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Hybrid Cars and Plug-in Hybrid Cars
August 5th, 2009 by Colin Jones, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Hybrid cars are on everyone’s minds these days. $20, $30, $40 or even $50 for a tank of gas? Who in their right mind really wants to pay that sort of money? But, frustrated, the fuel consumer sighs, but pays up. However, hybrid vehicles are being applauded for the little amount of petrol they need to operate, and they are being driven off the forecourts of car dealerships each and everyday in ever increasing numbers.
So, what about a plug-in hybrid? Most consumers have heard that these vehicles are great too. Then, someone might be asking him or herself, what exactly a plug-in hybrid is? How they work, and what the difference between a plug-in hybrid and a regular hybrid is?
Plug-in hybrids are able to run solely on batteries, but they use gas also. These sorts of hybrid cars share some of the characteristics of hybrid vehicles. They are also are very similar to electric vehicles.
Plug-in hybrid cars need to be charged externally by plugging them into an electrical power source. The combustion engine of plug-in hybrid vehicles is engaged only as a back up. These cars can run only on batteries if desired, but it is expected that these types of hybrid cars be plugged in daily.
Hybrid cars travel just as many miles as a conventional car. Designed to go the extra mile where gas-mileage is concerned, hybrids can be driven on the highway, in cities, or wherever else a person needs to travel.
On the other hand, plug-in hybrids are designed to handle commuter-type distances, meaning between twenty and sixty miles between destinations. This way, the plug-in hybrid does not have to use its back up combustion engine, but plug-in hybrids can go further using fuel too.
Hybrids help to reduce pollution, but they do still pollute the atmosphere. Compared with plug-in hybrids, hybrid cars still have a long way to go as far as pollution is concerned. Because plug-in hybrid cars can run solely on their battery power, they don’t have to emit waste fuel emissions at all.
Plug-in hybrids actually do fight against greenhouse gas emissions and plug-in hybrids use virtually no oil, imported or not. Studies have shown that electric hybrids emit at least 67% less greenhouse gases compared to gasoline cars. Since the electric used to power plug-in hybrids is completely renewable, the difference in greenhouse gas emissions may be even greater than the study indicated.
And so there you have it. Those are the main differences between plug-in hybrids and regular hybrid cars. It makes a big difference, but you would be surprised how little that matters at the current moment. And that’s only because plug-in hybrids are not being marketed to consumers at this present time. But this article should get you excited about the wonderful plug-in hybrid car, coming soon to a forecourt near you.
And it’s going to be a great debut too. People already really like regular hybrid cars, but they haven’t seen anything until they see the new plug-in hybrid cars. However, for now, maybe they should just be satisfied with what they have, because who knows? Before plug-in hybrid cars come out, something even better might be introduced onto the market.
Myths Spread about Hybrid Vehicles
April 11th, 2009 by Colin Jones, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
If you are thinking about a hybrid car, you may be hearing quite a bit of “talk”. Some people think the hybrid car is the best thing on the market. Some people say it’ll just pass. Other people say they think they can save a lot of money, but you’re not sure it’s really worth it. What’s the truth, and how do you separate myth from fact with all of the stuff that is being thrown at you? Below, you can read and understand the common hybrid car myths.
Hybrid cars are just the same as electric cars: This is not true since hybrid vehicles are fuel-powered most of the time. But they have what are called ‘battery assists’. The assist is powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack that is rechargeable.
You are guaranteed to economize with a hybrid vehicle: If you are doing town driving, you may economize on fuel and you may not. The same goes for highway driving. There are just too many different factors involved. It has been said that if everyone bought hybrid vehicles, the fuel consumption would decrease by only 10%. That’s not a very big decline, is it?
A hybrid vehicle’s battery can run flat: A hybrid car battery should not run out when you are actually driving it. The engine in a hybrid car does not idle when stopped (at a red light for example). What does it do then? Well, it recharges its battery. So there’s no need to worry about a hybrid vehicle stopping on that score.
The hybrid car’s rechargeable battery only lasts for two years: A hybrid car certainly would not be worth purchasing if this was the case. A hybrid car’s rechargeable batteries usually come with an eight-year warranty.
If I run out of fuel, I can keep driving on the hybrid vehicle battery: Keep in mind, a hybrid car’s battery is an assist. That means that hybrid car’s still run on fuel. After you run out of gas, the battery could keep the car running for a short while. However, the vehicle will cease running pretty soon.
Hybrid cars will soon put normal car dealers out of business: This probably won’t take place very soon. The reason for the delay has to do with the how much hybrids cost. Most people just can’t afford one. Furthermore, people just aren’t certain whether they will really save money by buying a hybrid car. Therefore, they are loathe to join the rush of people who want to buy a hybrid vehicle.
Hybrid cars will only save you about $88 a year: I did hear something on the news about this one day, but it may not be true. If there’s something you really want though, and there’s a lot of smoke surrounding it, you simply have to start digging and do some of your own research. There are many different models of hybrid vehicle, and many different manufacturers make them. This means that there may be many more variables involved than the ones discussed here. A hybrid car may help you, and it may not, but the final decision is all yours.
Therefore, please don’t worry too much about what people say. They probably have only listened to others passing on rumours Do your own research and think it out for yourself. Use the Internet to get your information. The manufacturer’s advertising is also rather useful, if you stick to reading the facts and gloss over the gloss. Check that what the literature claims is also in the warranty.