Hybrid Shoppers Guide!

This week my roommate and I were lamenting our lack of personal transportation when she announced she plans on getting a car this summer. I said “oh, really?” and she grinned and exclaimed “yes, a hybrid too!” And while obtaining transportation is exciting, I was stuck on my roommate’s comment about hybrids.
It seems everyone is getting a hybrid, talking about getting a hybrid, or discussing the importance of owning one. Perhaps society’s new obsession with ‘going green’ has encouraged this phenomenon, or maybe it’s just American’s enjoying technology. Whatever the cause, hybrids have created some excitement.
According to many definitions, the term hybrid means ‘having two sources’ (hybrid). Following this logic, a hybrid vehicle would be a vehicle deriving power from two sources. In today’s auto markets, this means gasoline and electric power. But are these automobiles worth it? Some seem to think that one hybrid is as good as another; others have no idea of the wide range of gas and electric vehicles available today. Here is a short comparison to put it all in perspective:


Miles Per Gallon
Best Hybrid: Toyota Prius
City: 48
Hwy: 45

Worst Hybrid: GMC Sierra Classic
City: 18
Hwy: 15

Emmissions
Best Hybrid: Toyota Prius
4.o Tons/per of CO2

Worst Hybrid: GMC Sierra Classic
11.4 Tons/year of CO2

Note: 1 gallon of gassoline = 20 lbs of Carbon Dioxide
check out: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/contentIncludes/co2_inc.htm

Air Pollution Score
scale: best 1 - 10 worst
Best Hybrid: Honda Accord and Honda Civic
Score: 9

Worst Hybrid: GMC Sierra Classic and Chevrolet Sivlerado
Score: 3

Annual Fuel Costs
Best Hybrid: Toyota Prius
Cost: $1051

Worst Hybrid: GMC Sierra Classic
Cost: $3028

Note: Some hybrids have federal tax incentives!


As we can see, not all hybrids are created equal; in fact, some are simply a more technical SUV in terms on fuel economy. But what is all this hype about saving the environment with hybrids? The green aspect of hybrids comes from their gas mileage. Hybrid electric vehicles run on both an electric motor and a small gasoline powered engine. When the break is pressed on the vehicle, the electric motor acts as a generator and takes some of the power out of the car, thus saving power. The majority of the hybrid energy savings happen through this process, making it a wonderful car for city driving, where frequent stops are made, but a not so wonderful car for long distances.

Some complain that hybrid vehicles are too expensive, and past studies have shown very little actual monetary gain in terms of fuel, though as oil prices continue to rise, this will become less of an issue. Car mechanics across the United States are becoming more familiar with the electric car and maintenance is also becoming less expensive. Manufactures have come out with hybrid jeeps, vans, and trucks this last year, advertising that more are on the way. It seems hybrids have really taken the plunge into mainstream vehicle markets.

I guess my roommate isn’t the only one who wants one.


Sources:
hybrid." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 16 Mar. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hybrid.

www.howstuffworks.com
www.greenhybrid.com
www.hybridCARS.cm
www.Edmunds.com
www.fueleconomy.gov
www.epa.gov