The climate is not in its best state, and the cost of gas could potentially never stop fluctuating the way it currently is. Regardless of all this, it becomes almost harder each year to survive without your vehicle. The chances of the situation improving seem to dwindle with time. People need to get around reliably, and for many years it seemed like buying a gas-powered vehicle was the way one could achieve that objective. That has been the standard for many years, so how were people going to break away from it? Should they even break out of it?
Hybrid Cars Are Increasing in Popularity
Well, there's quite a bit more information out there these days, and the number of people switching to green energy alternatives each year continues to increase. Hybrid vehicles are a testament to this change, and many would agree that it's a welcome one. Electric vehicles don't have the rights reserved on transport method designs, which means you don't need to be at the mercy of gas prices, nor do you need to keep dealing with the synonymous emissions with them. You can trade-in your old gas engine and start taking advantage of the fuel efficiency that comes with hybrids.
What's the Big Deal?
So, why are hybrids such a great alternative, and what makes a full or partial electric motor such a huge step in innovation? This explanation isn't going to be too long, but there's quite a bit of useful information here to wrap your head around. If you want a sneak peek, how does saving money and protecting the environment more each year sound?
Keep an Open Mind
You may even feel like you want to get your hands on a hybrid when this is all done, but no need to get jumpy. It's time to dissect the benefits of driving hybrid vehicles instead of conventional petrol-based ones. If you feel the urge to use this information as an example to others, by all means, feel free!
Does Buying a Hybrid Save You Money?
So, it's important to avoid spreading misinformation here just to get people to drive a hybrid. The truth is a hybrid car could save you money, but it's not always a guarantee that everyone who decides to drive one is going to see a dramatic reduction in costs compared to their fuel-based alternatives.
It's important to define what is meant by "hybrid" here since the number of power alternatives seems to increase per year. Vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, are the kinds of hybrid cars being spoken to here. These are petrol-electric varieties.
Fuel Economy of Hybrid Vehicles
They can see you dealing with a lower fuel cost than normal because it is going to run on its electric power whenever it can. Of course, that requires its battery to be charged, which may not represent your situation all the time. There is a petrol engine at play, and it sometimes needs to charge the battery or keep the hybrid car running. During these times, the fuel-efficient expectation of driving a hybrid car is almost non-existent.
Sometimes It Doesn't Cost Less to Own a Hybrid Car
So, while a hybrid vehicle can benefit you on several costs through the presence of an electric motor, you're not always going to drive the car that way. For example, what happens when the battery discharge comes into the mix? Discharged batteries can't be used to make that trip to the grocery store, can they?
What price is there to pay when you want to make your hybrid car accelerate as much as it can? What's the cost of that extra speed? Realistically, the electric motor in hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, aren't built to standalone at high speeds. Suddenly, your fuel consumption isn't that different, and gas prices become a problem again.
So, cross-country trips that see you driving across the highways may not be synonymous with less spending.
It's Not as Bad as You May Think
Does all this mean that you should give up on your idea to buy a hybrid vehicle? Certainly not! All you got just now was a look at situations where you don't necessarily see less spending and more savings with a hybrid in the mix. The Toyota Prius is an example of a vehicle that has been doing well for years, and much of that success comes from the benefits that people get from driving these cars.
Electric vehicles shine in city conditions, especially when you can't avoid awful traffic. So, as a partially electric vehicle, driving a hybrid car in these conditions means you really get to make use of that fuel efficiency.
The Context Is a Very Important Distinction
That's just one example, but hybrids have a ton of utility for those who drive them. There's a reason why vehicles with a fully-electric motor, such as a Tesla, seem like such a novelty. A Prius has a gas engine to go with its electric design, and it's still highly fuel-efficient in many contexts.
Is a Hybrid Really Better for the Environment?
How many times have you seen this topic about hybrid cars and the environment? If this is your first time hearing about it, you shouldn't require too much insight to understand the gist of the conversation. So, here's the thing. The price of owning a car isn't always monetary. The price of driving a car also includes more than the money you spend on it.
The Real Cost
There's an environmental cost, and whether you like it or not, you're going to have to pay that price for conventional petrol engines all the time. It comes in the form of emissions, pollution, sickness, global warming, etc. When you purchase a hybrid car, it doesn't necessarily mean that you stop paying the price, but it does mean the presence of batteries or an electric motor means much savings in that department.
It All Depends on the Context
The battery-powered side of a hybrid car is meant to be beneficial during periods of slow or urban driving. Why does this matter? Well, this is when conventional, fuel-based alternatives pose the biggest problem. Hybrids typically don't contribute to inner-city pollution in this sense since the gas-based engine is no longer the main source of power here. It's true that emissions are the same when the petrol engine is running for faster speeds or battery charging, but you are most likely going to be running on electrical power when you're driving through the city, which means the environmental cost is that much less.
Lower emissions are always going to mean better air quality, so that's a win for vehicles that can use an alternative power source, such as an electric one, when their owners drive them.
Is It Worth Buying a Hybrid Car Now?
It seems like no matter how things shape up over the years, this question never goes away. You would think that hybrids have proven themselves in the areas of cost-saving, fuel efficiency, and environmental benefits enough, but that still does not seem like the case, so the age-old question of hybrid car purchase feasibility is still a thing. Well, it couldn't hurt to give the topic some extra coverage, so make yourself comfortable and get ready to have this discussion.
When Do the Cost Savings from a Hybrid Car Come?
Some people aren't ready to accept this, but before you decide to purchase a hybrid car, you need to understand that getting one doesn't show you the money immediately. What does that mean? Imagine that you own a Nissan Micra as it is. Note that depending on which version you own, it may also be called a Nissan March. It's a fuel-efficient car that uses a traditional gas engine.
Now, imagine that you decide it's time to get yourself a Toyota Prius because you heard that hybrids save both money and the environment, and both are worthwhile prospects to you. So, you trade-in or sell your conventional car to go green. Now that you run a hybrid lifestyle with electric batteries, costs should be less, right? The most appropriate answer to this question is, yes.... eventually.
Vehicle Cost Price
Hybrids don't start things off on a cheaper note. That distinction belongs to cars with a traditional engine and composition. The choice to buy a hybrid means that you expect to save over time. Hybrid cars are generally more expensive to purchase. That's one of the facts that you don't hear so much, but it doesn't make it any less true.
Your Higher Insurance Premium
Insurance is likely higher too. Why is that? Well, there are a couple of key factors at play that drive the costs of insurance up for a hybrid. The first is arguably the most unfortunate. Almost anyone who buys a hybrid car is doing so to save. Saving here applies to both money and the environment, but insurance companies are concerned with the former. It is a business, after all, so that means they're going to try to charge you somewhere.
Additionally, more expensive cars tend to be more expensive to insure. Since hybrids are generally more expensive cars, it means that they have higher insurance prices. Finally, insurance companies look at the cost of replacement parts and repairs. OEM parts for the Prius, for example, are a long way from affordable.
You Are Going to Have to Make Peace with the Initial Expense
You're starting to see the point, right? It takes a long time before your decision to buy the green alternative starts to pay off for you. Hybrid cars may start helping the planet immediately, but your bank account doesn't get the same treatment from these cars.
There's a Saving Grace
So, you probably feel a bit discouraged where hybrids are concerned now, but don't give up on getting one just yet. There's one thing that these cars have over cars with a conventional engine. The Prius is a shining example of what hybrid resale value looks like. While it doesn't apply to every hybrid car, they often don't depreciate too harshly.
There are models that can value 51% less than they did at purchase time in five years, but this is typically not the case. Hybrids hold their value very well. What does that mean for you? Well, after years of driving a hybrid and enjoying the advantages of the battery, less engine pollution, and better gas prices, you can resell the car for a pretty big chunk of what you purchased it for.
How Environmentally Friendly Are Hybrid Cars?
The final big discussion sums up the true environmental friendliness of hybrids. While electric cars are the epitome of going green in the automobile landscape, hybrids offer a very solid alternative. The best way to look at it is that a hybrid car represents the centre point where saving the planet is concerned.
A fully electric car doesn't pollute the air since there isn't a combustion engine at play. At the other extreme, a traditional vehicle represents the height of environmental distress. They work on combustion consistently, which means regular use is enough to cause damage.
The hybrid, as the name suggests, represents a solid mid-range. It does have a combustion engine at play, but it can also work on electrical power, which means pollution isn't always a concern.
Conclusion - Does the Semi-electric Motor Save You Money and Protect the Planet?
With everything said above, you should have a pretty solid foundation in all things hybrid, at least where potential savings are concerned. Once fuel is in the mix, hybrid owners are always going to save because their vehicles are built to run on electric power in two of the most important contexts present. Therefore, they are going to consistently reclaim ground on the prices of their vehicles until they get to a point where they have really spent less.
Additionally, the car represents an environmentally conscious decision that helps to combat several of the issues the planet faces, such as pollution and global warming.
Who Should Not Buy a Hybrid?
Hybrids lose their edge when they can't get to take advantage of their electric nature. So, hybrid owners who always drive quickly or have to travel long distances using highways consistently are almost always going to be relying on gas power. In these contexts, a hybrid cannot save anything.
Still Not Sure if you should Buy a Hybrid? contact our friendly sales team today at Westside Auto Wholesale for more information.
