Electric and Plug-In Hybrid cars
By: Abe Niang | Posted: 05th July 2006
by Abe Niang, www.plug-in-hybrid-cars.com
Hybrid cars have both an electric and a gas motor to run it. A common misconception is that they need to be plugged into an electric outlet to recharge the batteries, but the modern hybrid cars and trucks are now built to recharge themselves.
The term "hybrid" of course simply means a mixture of 2 different forms; in this case electric and gas power.
The gas engines in today's electric cars are smaller than in standard vehicles. The hybrid can run on either engine, but hybrid drivers will use both to conserve on fuel.
Most hybrids primarily run on the gasoline engine, and the electric motor kicks in when more power is needed.
A neat feature in that they are designed to instantly shut off whenever the vehicle stops and restart when the driver hits the gas
pedal again. In the interval, the battery keeps the lights, radio, AC/Heat and other appliances on.
Hybrid cars are virtually silent because the gasoline engine cuts off and on. This will confuse new owners who may not pay attention to the indicator lights and think the car is off when it is actually on.
Of cource, the main benefit of the hybrid car or truck is the tremendous fuel savings (up to 60 miles per gallon). This makes the hybrid a very popular choice these days and this trend will continue for years to come.
Another benefit is that they emit much fewer pollutants into the air; up to 90%cleaner than non-hybrid vehicles. Their engines are a lot more efficient and they produce fewer exhaust emissions.
Besides the government tax incentives, you may benefit from free parking at many parking lots in more environmentally 'conscious'
cities and businesses
Hybrid cars and trucks are primarily made of aluminum and plastic, which makes them much lighterand more efficient and that allows them to run efficiently on smaller, lighter engines.
But these materials don't make them any less safe than conventional cars; the manufacturers use strategically placed special panels that reinforce the impact points thus allowing the car to better resist impacts.
Honda and Toyota are the 2 major hybrid manufacturers, but US manufacturers are catching up fast. Honda and toyota started exporting hybrid vehicles into the US in 2000 with the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius. Both cars were commercial successes.
The trend now is to introduce hybrid sport utility vehicles that will have the power of conventional SUVs, but will be more efficient and environmentally friendly. These are expected to be very popular with today's gas prices and high maintenance costs of regular trucks and SUVs.
Hybrid vehicles are here to stay. they are much cleaner, easier to maintain, more environmentally friendly, cheaper to operate and their cost is very similar (cheaper in some cases) to conventional cars and trucks.
Get additional info on hybrid cars at my blog http://www.plug-in-hybrid-cars.com
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Tags: common misconception, parking lots, hybrids, miles per gallon, gasoline engine, hybrid vehicles, hybrid car, exhaust emissions, pollutants, abe, tax incentives, gas engines, government tax, conventional cars, fuel savings, electric cars, indicator lights