Hybrid Cars
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With gas prices rising significantly every year, we’re finally starting to come around to the idea that we don’t need to drive around 5,000 pound SUVs to get from point A to point B. Now hybrids are all the rage.
While people were skeptical of hybrids at first, they’ve certainly come around. Major hybrid manufacturers like Toyota can’t make enough to keep up with demand and neither can anyone else.
A hybrid car has a small engine that is fuel efficient, which is combined with an electric motor that aids the engine when additional power is needed during acceleration. The electric motor gets its power from battery banks which continuously charge while you are driving.
Most “full” hybrids come with a feature called regenerative braking. That means when you slow down that energy is used to charge the batteries.
Another fuel saving innovation is the fact that many hybrid vehicles are simply lighter. They tend to be more aerodynamic and use lighter materials in construction.
The sales figures for hybrid vehicles have shown increased demand every year for the vehicles. Right now the demand for fuel efficient hybrids is far eclipsing the actual supply. Just try to buy yourself a Prius at your local dealership and notice how they’re not going to budge on the price. You’ll pay full sticker because if you don’t, someone else will.
There are several hybrids currently available in North America. They include the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and the Mercury Mariner. There are also Hybrid SUVs available - the Ford Escape, the Lexas 400H and the Toyota Highlander. Pretty much every manufacturer has at least one entry in this market.
The current king of hybrids lies with the Toyota Prius which has a population over 1 million strong.
Now that consumer support for the hybrids has arrived, auto manufacturers are increasing the pace at which they introduce hybrid models.
While none of us has a crystal ball to know exactly what we’ll be driving 50 years in the future, the hybrid is certainly going to be a prominent player in the quest to save gas for years to come.
