Hybrid Cars and Traditional Car Gas Mileage
One of the biggest questions potential car buyers have about hybrid cars is about potential gas mileage. Due to the nature of hybrid car batteries, hybrid cars have superior highway and city gas miles when compared to traditional gas only cars. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 2000 Insight(a hybrid) is ranked as the most gas efficient car, averaging about 61 miles per gallon for the city and 53 miles per gallon for highway driving. Due to their fuel efficiency hybrid cars have between 25% to 35% less emissions than gas only cars.
Hybrid Car vs. Traditional Car Performance
Due to the public’s view of first generation electric cars, a common misconception about hybrid cars is that performance is sacrificed for fuel economy. The truth is that driving a hybrid car is almost exactly like driving a traditional gas only car. The transitioning between battery to gas is not noticeable. In some ways hybrid cars are the more energy efficient. When a hybrid car is at a stoplight it can switch to battery power to save fuel. Hybrid car batteries are also able to convert stopping energy to actively charge the car while braking.
Hybrid Car vs. Gas Car Maintenance
In the long term hybrid cars can cost a little bit more money when it comes to maintenance. For example, on the lowest end of the spectrum, hybrid car batteries can last only 6 years. Whereas a traditional gas car battery can cost a little more than a hundred dollars, a hybrid battery can cost anywhere between $3,000 and $4,000. A saving grace for hybrid car owners is that many hybrid batteries come with a 8 year warranty. Another way of supplanting the cost of buying a hybrid car battery replacement is through tax incentives. Buying a hybrid car can end up saving an owner about $3,400 in taxes, hopefully enough to buy that new replacement battery.
Cost of Hybrid vs. Traditional Gas Car
If you are thinking about buying a hybrid car, it will cost your more initially. On average hybrid cars cost about 15 to 25% on the initial purchase. But over the long run, when taking into account the cost of gasoline, hybrid cars can possibly save more money than a traditional gas car.
