You are nearing the end of the countdown.
With less than six months to go until your family will need to purchase a fourth car for your youngest daughter who will turn 16 in June, the end of the countdown is near. For months you have been looking at different models and makes of vehicles in an attempt to find the best choice. Currently, you have an eight year old van with 140,000 miles on it; a extend cab pickup with 112,000 miles; and a four door sedan with 40,000 miles. You recently paid for a major transmission repair for the van, but the other two cars have been virtually maintenance free. The major decision you are in the process of making is if you want to purchase a vehicle that you will only use for trips around town, or a vehicle that will become the choice for all of the long distance road trips your family makes.
With two of three vehicles that are not very fuel efficient, you are seriously considering purchasing a hybrid vehicle that will help you save money on gas in the future. And while you are looking forward to having a new car again, you also know that you also have to be concerned with locations of hybrid charging and the eventual hybrid repairs. Whether it will be speedometer calibration or other more minor car maintenance issues, hybrid repair can be an issue for some owners.
In spite of the fact that hybrid repair and hybrid recharging can take a little more planning that a traditional vehicle choice, many Americans look at the environmental benefits of a hybrid purchase. Consider some of the following facts and statistics about the growing number of hybrid cars:
- Hybrid cars typically produce 90% fewer pollutants than comparable non-hybrid cars.
- Some statistics indicate that hybrid cars currently save as much as 8.5 million barrels of oil a year.
- 9,000 public charging stations are currently available in the U.S. right now. These stations actually provide electric car owners with nearly 22,000 outlets.
- Nearly 44 different models of fuel cell and plug-in hybrids were available to consumers in the year 2016.
- $22 billion is the predicted market for vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries by the year 2020. This would be a significant increase from a $1.6 billion market reported in February of 2015.
When all cars and trucks are combined, they account for nearly 20% of all U.S. emissions. This means that 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases are created from every gallon of gas. Perhaps, then, it is not surprising that as many as 28% of the Americans believe they are most affected by air pollution caused by vehicles. What is it you are doing to make sure your vehicle’s exhaust system is running efficiently, and not causing unnecessary damage to the air that we breath? Perhaps a hybrid purchase for your next vehicle will help you play a more significant role in helping the environment.
