Thursday, August 2, 2012

Hybrid Car Myths

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 will 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 thrown at you? Below, you can read and consider the usual hybrid vehicle myths.

Hybrid cars are just the same as electric cars: This is not true because 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 car: If you are doing city driving, you may save gas and you may not. The same goes for long-distance driving. There are just too many different factors involved. It has been said that if everyone bought hybrid cars, the fuel consumption would decrease by only 10%. That's not a very big difference, is it?

A hybrid car's battery can run out: 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 instead? Well, it is recharging its battery. So, there is no need to worry about a hybrid car stopping for that reason.

A hybrid vehicle's rechargeable battery lasts only for two years: A hybrid car definitely would not be worth buying if this was true. A hybrid car's rechargeable batteries usually come with an 8-year warranty.

If I run out of gas, I can keep driving on the hybrid vehicle battery: Bear 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 car will stop running pretty soon.

Hybrid vehicles will soon put normal car dealers out of business: I'm sure that this won't happen very soon. The reason for the delay has to do with the how much a hybrid cars cost. Most people simply can't afford one. Also, people just aren't too sure whether they will actually save money on a hybrid car. Therefore, they are loathe to join the rush of people who want to own a hybrid car.

Hybrid cars will only save you about 88USD per annum: I did hear something on the news once, but it may not be true. If there's something you really want and there's a lot of rumour surrounding it, you simply have got to do some research yourself. There are many different types of hybrid car, and many different manufacturers make them. This means that there may be much more involved than we have time to discuss here. A hybrid car may be of use to you, and it may not, but at the end of the day, is up to you.

Therefore, please don't worry too much about what people tell you. They probably have only listened to others passing on rumours Do your own due diligence and make up your own mind. Try the Internet to get your information. The manufacturer's literature 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.

About the Author:

No comments: