Top 5: Myths About Hybrid Cars

Hybrid Cars:

Even if you are not an activist on environmental issues, hybrid cars may intrigue you. Most of us have heard that these cars are cheaper, more efficient and that will be the cars of the future, although they took a long road to get on this point.

But just as with any new technology, there are still many prejudices when it comes to knowledge and understanding of these machines. On this idea, we will tell you some of the myths about hybrid cars:

1. A hybrid car should be plugged

Once the word "electricity" is brought up, you think of plugs, cables, and wall sockets. What you may not know is that engineers of this kind of cars have developed an ingenious system known as regenerative braking. Energy, which is usually lost when a vehicle slows or stops, is regenerated and directed to rechargeable batteries of the hybrid.

Conventional fuel engine is also used to transfer energy to the battery. The process is automated, so that it’s not a special requirement for the driver.

2. Hybrid batteries need to be replaced

Worries about the replacement of the expensive battery of hybrid cars, still bother a lot of potential buyers. These worries are unfounded.

By maintaining battery loaded at a rate of 40 to 60 percent-never fully-loaded, car manufacturers have extended the life of nickel-metal batteries or lithium ion batteries.

3. Hybrids are a new phenomenon

In 1900, American car companies produced steam cars, electric and gasoline cars in almost equal numbers.

There was not long before enterprising engineers have discovered different energy sources that could be combined. Also in 1900 Ferdinand Porsche became a pioneer of hybrid technology.

4. People buy hybrids only to save money

Hybrids are positioned on top of the list of the most efficient cars. Research shows that the reason for those who buy that kind of cars, are not based only on a purely economic logic.

The criticism of hybrid technology declare that additional savings for using a hybrid car are equal or lower than the different of cost if you purchase a hybrid model compared with conventional one.

Obvious question result would be: if saving money is not the reason for buying a hybrid car, then what are the benefits? Manufacturers try to answer this question with arguments for minimizing the impact on the environment or reduce dependence on conventional fuel worldwide.

5. Hybrids will solve all problems of transportation, energy and environment

Market hybrid models are in full ascent. In recent years, sales of hybrid cars for example, in the U.S. have increased exponentially from 9500 in 2000 to 350,000 in 2007.

The figures are encouraging, but must be viewed in the context of the car market in general. 350,000 hybrid units in 2007, representing only 2.5 percent of the 17 million new cars sold in the same year.

However, Toyota recently announced a record production figure of two million hybrid units sold in 1997 until the present.