Benefits of Hybrid Cars
The hybrid cars are generally referred to as vehicles which make use of two types of power sources: the internal combustion engine and batteries. There are however, many different types of sources used to power the cars and hybrid vehicles, in general. The water-based and gas hybrid engines make use of gasoline as well as hydrogen (extracted from water). The commonly used model of engine is that of gas supported with batteries. Let us understand what are benefits offered by these smart vehicles.
Hybrid Car Benefits
Use of hybrid cars offers lots of benefits to the owners mostly, in terms of saving money on gasoline. These are also environment-friendly vehicles which prove to be useful in the conservation of environment. Let us have a look the different benefits on offer.
Environmental Benefits of Hybrid Cars
The use of hybrid cars can be of great help in reducing environmental pollution. These cars should definitely reduce the amount of pollutants that are otherwise emitted by purely gas-powered engines. The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and low consumption of gas is a major benefit of using hybrid cars. According to a report published by the U.S. Department of Energy, it takes 263.2 gallons of gas for a hybrid car to cover a distance of 10,000 miles; traditional cars on the other hand need 344.8 gallons of gas to travel the same distance.
The emission of carbon dioxide per mile in traditional cars is 294 grams. This value of carbon dioxide emission is 453 grams for traditional cars. Oil reserves of the world are on the verge of depletion and taking appropriate steps to use cars that consume less amount of fuel is the need of time; hybrid cars are therefore, very useful. The problem of smog, which results from carbon emissions can also be reduced to a great extent by the use of hybrid cars.
Regenerative braking system used in hybrid cars also saves energy. This braking system reduces the speed of a car by transferring its kinetic energy into battery storage. It prevents the wastage of energy to a great extent. In traditional cars, kinetic energy (speed) of the car is absorbed by the brake pads, which means the energy generated from the friction of brake pads and the wheel is not put to any use and is wasted; moreover, the wear and tear of brake pads leads to an additional cost of their replacement.
Tax Benefits
As stated earlier, hybrid cars are beneficial from the point of environment. But, do you know these cars also allow the owners to enjoy tax rebates. These days, governments are encouraging the use of hybrid cars; offering tax rebates is part of a policy of promoting these environment-friendly vehicles. Direct financial benefits in the form of tax rebates are offered in states like Maine, New York, Maryland. The tax rebates offered in Maine, Maryland and New York are up to $500, $1,000 and $5,000 respectively. In states like California, hybrid cars are exempted from parking fees.
Other benefits of Hybrid Cars
The hybrid cars are as efficient as the ones powered by gasoline. One can rely on the performance of hybrid cars just like that of gas-powered cars. Let us have a look at some of the other benefits of these cars.
- Fluctuations in the fuel market can be overcome by using the hybrid cars. Less use of petroleum-based fuels for vehicles should automatically stabilize their prices. It is one of the important economic benefits of hybrid cars.
- Mileage of hybrid cars is more than that of standard ones.
- The efficiency of engines used in hybrid cars should improve with the development in technology. People should therefore, expect high-efficiency engines in the near future.
- The hybrid cars score over the purely electric cars in terms of reliability. The cars which run purely on electric power cannot attain high speeds above a certain specified limit. It makes the hybrid cars reliable and much efficient. Understanding the hybrid cars pros and cons is important in making the decision about choosing a car.
