Learn some automotive facts on hybrid car design and operation
The higher gas prices go the more popular the hybrid car becomes.
The basic definition of a hybrid car is a vehicle that blends two different means of propulsion together.
The latest wave of these vehicles uses the electric motor coupled with the standard internal combustion gas engine.
This should not be confused with alternative fuel vehicles such as fuel cell vehicles that are hydrogen powered or even a straight up electric car that has only an electric motor for propulsion.
I have been a student of alternative fueled vehicles for the last decade. I currently hold an ASE certification in alternative fueled vehicles.
Back ten years ago the fad was CNG (compressed natural gas) powered vehicles and propane vehicles. This has now fallen by the wayside due to the prices of both of these fuels have increased right along with gasoline.
I am disappointed in the popularity of the hybrid car. I have driven and worked on several different models of these vehicles and the technology is unimpressive.
The vehicle also continues our dependency on foreign oil. When all is said and done yes you do get better fuel economy from a hybrid car but it is not that drastic of an increase.
The fleet company I work for has a Toyota prius that is struggling to get 50 mpg and we also have a ford escape that pulls in around 30 mpg in city driving.
My girlfriends Toyota corolla gets about 35 mpg gallon without carrying around a golf cart motor.
I mean no disrespect to the hybrid car buyer. There is no other choice at this time. It is my opinion that the hybrid car is distracting these automakers from finding a better solution.
The car makers will build what is popular and sells well even if it is not in our best long term intrest. I will now get off my soapbox and tell you what I know about the hybrid car.
The main financial advantage to the hybrid car is the tax credits. These tax credits range between $ 2,000 and $3,500 dollars.
The discount is not a tax deduction, but a tax credit, which means it's subtracted directly from your tax bill. To make this even more complicated, if a taxpayer takes the tax credit and trades or sells his vehicle before the useful life of the vehicle has expired, a portion of the credit will be refunded to the IRS on a pro rated basis.
But again the higher ticket price of the vehicle mostly offsets this financial gain.
Also note that this tax credit will be coming to end. The discount expires in 2009 and is based on a sliding scale on vehicle popularity.
The more the unit sells the lower the tax credit. The government designed this program to stimulate sales and drive the hybrid car forword.
The fascinating thing to me about the cars themselves is the different implantations of the hybrid power train across the different manufactures.
For example the Toyota uses a technique that stalls the gas engine when the vehicle is stopped. When you move the vehicle again the electric motor gets you moving and the gas engine starts up and helps out all automatically.
I mention this because it’s strange to feel the gas engine cut out at stoplights. And if you plan on buying a hybrid car you should road test them around town to make sure your ok with the different quirks about each vehicle.
I should also mention the Toyota prius was recalled for computer system control issues recently (not all models) our fleet unit was included in this recall and the control system computer was replaced.
The manufacturers are still learning how to build these cars. My advice is to get the best-extended warranty available upon purchase.
We do not know at this time what the long-range maintenance costs will be on today’s hybrid car.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
