Saturday, July 18, 2009

Myths Spread about Hybrid Vehicles

By Colin Jones

If you are considering a hybrid vehicle, you may be hearing quite a bit of "talk". Some people think the hybrid car is the best thing since sliced bread. Other people say it'll just pass. Yet other people again say they think they can save a lot of money, but you're not sure it's really worth it. What is the truth, and how do you separate fact from fiction with all of the stuff that is being said to you? Below, you can read and consider the common hybrid vehicle myths.

Hybrid cars are just the same as electric cars: This is untrue because hybrid cars are fuel-powered for the most part. 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 save money with a hybrid vehicle: If you are doing town driving, you may save gas 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 gas consumption would drop by just 10%. That's not a very big decline, is it?

A hybrid vehicle's battery can run out: A hybrid car's battery should not run flat when you are actually driving it. The engine of a hybrid vehicle does not idle when stopped (at a red traffic light for example). What does it do then? Well, it recharges its battery. So there is no need to worry about a hybrid vehicle stopping on that score.

A hybrid car's rechargeable battery only lasts for 2 years: A hybrid car definitely would not be worth purchasing if this was the case. A hybrid car's rechargeable batteries usually come with an eight-year guaranty.

If I run out of fuel, I can keep driving on the hybrid car battery: Bear in mind that, a hybrid's battery is an assist. That means that hybrid vehicles still run on fuel. After you run out of gas, the battery may keep the car running for a little while. However, the car will cease running very soon.

Hybrid cars will soon put normal car sellers out of business: I'm sure that this won't take place very soon. The reason for the delay has to do with the how much hybrids cost. Most people simply can't afford one. Furthermore, people just aren't sure whether they will really save money by buying a hybrid car. Therefore, they are loathe to join the rush of people who want to own a hybrid vehicle.

Hybrid cars will only save you about 88USD per annum: I did hear something on the news the other day, but it may be untrue. If there's something you really want and there's a lot of gossip surrounding it, you simply have got to start digging around and do some research yourself. There are many different types of hybrid vehicle, and many different manufacturers make them. This means that there may be much more involved than we have discussed here. A hybrid car may help you, and it may not, but the final decision is up to you.

So, don't worry too much about what people say. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Use the Internet to get information. The manufacturer's advertising is also useful, if you stick to reading the facts and gloss over the hype. Check that what the literature claims is also in the guarantee.

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