Advantages & Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars
Hybrid vehicles utilize two engine technologies together. There is a standard gasoline powered engine as well as an electric motor that gets its juice from a rechargeable battery pack. The idea is to create an environmentally friendly vehicle with better gas mileage and lower emissions. A lot of people confuse hybrids with electric cars but they are very different. A hybrid is assisted by the electric motor but it is still primarily an internal combustion gasoline powered vehicle. Recent improvements in hybrid technology are resulting in more hybrid cars on the roads than ever. You may have found yourself wondering about the pros and cons of hybrid cars. We’re here to help answer your questions.
Advantage
- Environmentally Friendly: One of the primary reason public and private organizations are switching to hybrid vehicles is because they run cleaner and have more efficient gas mileage than conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, making them environmentally friendly alternatives. The electric motor and the gasoline engine, when working together reduce fuel consumption, conserving energy.
- Less Fossil Fuel Dependent: With an electric motor, a hybrid vehicle runs cleaner and needs less fossil fuel, resulting in lower emissions and less fossil fuel dependency. A consequent reduction in gasoline prices will also be seen because of this.
- Regenerative Braking System: The interesting thing about hybrid vehicles is that every time you apply the brakes while driving, the electric battery recharges a little. The energy releases as a result of this motion of applying the brakes are captured by an internal mechanism and used to recharge the battery, eliminating the need to stop periodically in order to recharge the battery on longer journeys.
- Light Build: Lighter materials are used when manufacturing hybrid vehicles, which means they require less energy to run. Energy is also conserved due to the smaller size and lighter build of the engine.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of hybrid cars will vary based on what type of hybrid fuel your car utilizes. Some disadvantages are highlighted below:
- Less Power: Hybrid cars use two independent engines, with the gasoline engine acting as the primary power source. Two engines in the car mean that neither the gasoline engine nor the electric motor is as big as they would be in conventional gasoline or electric vehicles. The result is less power being generated making the cars unsuitable for speed driving and heavy acceleration.
- Expensive to Purchase: The primary deterrent for many people is the high price of hybrid vehicles, costing an average of five to ten thousand dollars more than conventional vehicles. However, this is a one-time investment, saving you even more over the life of the vehicle.
- Poorer Handling: Hybrid vehicles house more machinery than a regular vehicle, namely a gasoline engine, a light electric motor, and a bunch of batteries. Extra weight in vehicles reduces fuel efficiency so manufacturers cut down weight in order to counter this, but this results in a smaller engine, motor, and batteries and reduces support in the suspension and body.
- High Maintenance Cost: Repair and maintenance of these vehicles may prove cumbersome because of the dual engines, continuous development in technology, and high maintenance costs. Since the use of hybrid cars as consumer vehicles is fairly new, it may not be the easiest task to find a mechanic with the required expertise.
Lucky for you, at Eccles Auto Service, we have in-house experts specializing in hybrid vehicles. Click here to request an appointment for your hybrid vehicle at Eccles Auto Service.