The Good And The Not So Good About Hybrids

Why is it that throngs of people seem to prefer getting a hybrid car instead of a conventional car despite the fact that hybrids are so much pricier?

The answer – the pros of owning a hybrid far outweigh the cons. Those who own hybrids pay about half in fuel costs compared to conventional cars. This is because hybrids actually use two engines. One engine is the familiar combustion one and the other is the electric motor and batteries. This combination of engines is what makes the car a “hybrid”. By combining these two to power your car, it is less noisy, emits less fumes into the air andruns far more efficiently than conventional cars. These are just a few of the major advantages to hybrid cars.

Another high point are the new tax incentives being given to hybrid car users and buyers.

Of course, there are also a few cons of hybrid car ownership to consider as well. Chief among them is that arguably the best feature of a hybrid car, it’s electrical motor, is also its main sticking point. If it requires maintenance, it costs thousands more to repair, much less to replace. Add to that the fact that rescuers trying to free you from an accident run the risk of an electric shock, because of the large amount of voltage associated with an electric engine.

Another disadvantage of hybrid cars is that the retail price is higher than conventional cars in the same weight class. However, the hybrid car can counter this disadvantage by saving its owners big money in the long run. Compute how much gasoline each will guzzle over the course of its life and then add this cost to the full cost of your car. It should work out that the hybrid become comparable in cost if not more of a deal using this calculation.

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