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5 Things You Need to Know About Hybrids
By Wendy Clem
Hybrid Defined
Hybrid defines the combination of different or incompatible elements that create a third entity. It has been the focus of years of cross-breeding experiments -- from animals and plants to food and clothing -- and earmarks strides made in motor vehicles. Long the hobby of backyard puttering and privately funded inventors, creating hybrid automobiles has been a serious social preoccupation for more than a century, as finding the perfect travel combination of power and economy eluded man.
How a Hybrid is Different from a Non-Hybrid Car
Modern hybrids combine an electric battery and an internal combustion engine for propulsion, netting more miles per gallon, creating fewer emissions, and offering greater per-mile cost and energy savings. This differs from other cars, which solely run on gasoline, diesel, or other alternative fuels like ethanol. As hybrids gain in popularity, automakers devise different combinations of power and savings; some are considered partial hybrids, others deemed "full" hybrids, and several fall in between. Many new concepts and demonstration vehicles have emerged utilizing varied fuels -- like biodiesel or hydrogen -- and myriad batteries, including long-lasting lithium. Plug-in hybrids that charge overnight for the next day's use are also being developed, essentially bypassing the need for gasoline altogether under the right driving circumstances.
Hybrids Lower Emissions
Hybrids are considered "cleaner" cars because they use less gas, thus creating fewer CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. Defaulting to electric power before easing into gas use, hybrids also cut both evaporative (fuel system) and tailpipe emissions. Multiplied by many cars in any given area, this could have a potentially significant affect on a region's overall air quality. Various agencies and institutions often reward drivers with perks, like federal tax credits for hybrid car purchases. Some states offer hybrid drivers sole occupant accessibility to commuter HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes. A growing number of cities and businesses also offer free or preferential parking for hybrids and some auto insurers also hybrid discounts.
Hybrids Improve Mileage
Today's hybrids have sophisticated on-board computers that are instrumental in blending electric and internal combustion power to deliver impressive gas mileage. With the addition of electricity, less gas and fewer fill-ups are needed. Generally, larger gasoline vehicles equate with greater performance and poor mileage, but the electrical half of the hybrid efficiently enhances pickup so a hybrid's gasoline side operates with greater efficiency.
The Downside of Hybrids
While hybrids cost more money, qualifying for rebates or a federal tax credit can help offset this additional cost. Fans of hybrids say you make up the difference by saving on gas if you keep the car at least three years, but this really depends on the model, your driving habits, and the net cost (less financial or tax incentives) paid for the vehicle … plus, of course, the cost of gas. Criticisms range from concerns about potential fire danger in an accident to health concerns from daily exposure to the battery's electromagnetic field (EMF), but no health or safety issues regarding these have been documented to date. Organizations for the blind are also concerned about safety issues involving hybrids since hybrid vehicles operating on electricity at lower speeds are often so quiet they're hardly heard as they approach.
Wendy Clem is a Michigan-based writer/photographer providing material for newspapers, magazines, and online - -locally, regionally and nationally. Her syndicated auto column for Avanti NewsFeatures appeared in 400 national markets, and her online how-to articles serve an international audience. Wendy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in journalism from Detroit's Wayne State University.
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