It is no accident that the most fuel efficient vehicles in some classes for this model year are hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs). Hybrids combine the best features of the internal combustion engine with an electric motor, and they can be configured to achieve a variety of different objectives, such as improving fuel economy, boosting performance, or providing electrical power to auxiliary loads such as power tools.

HEVs are primarily propelled by an internal combustion engine, just like conventional vehicles. However, they also convert energy normally wasted during coasting and braking into electricity, which is stored in a battery until needed by the electric motor. The electric motor is used to assist the engine when accelerating or hill climbing and in low-speed driving conditions where internal combustion engines are least efficient. Some HEVs also automatically shut off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restart it when the accelerator is pressed. This prevents wasted energy from idling.

Unlike all-electric vehicles, HEVs now being offered do not need to be plugged into an external source of electricity to be recharged; conventional gasoline and regenerative braking provide all the energy the vehicle needs.

The federal government is currently offering tax incentives for HEVs and other alternative fuel vehicles. Some states also offer incentives.
Hybrid Vehicles. Hybrid Cars.
Gas prices are higher and higher. Purchase a hybrid in order to save money. Compare hybrids. Hybrid cars are fuel efficient and will save money on gas.

Size/Market Segment: Hybrid vehicles range in size from compact economy sedans to nine-passenger full-size SUVs. The largest population of hybrids resides in the midsize sedan segment.

Price: As a rule of thumb, hybrid vehicles are about 20 percent more expensive than their all-gas counterparts. The cheapest hybrids are in the low-$20,000s while the most expensive luxury model costs well over $100,000. New hybrids are being planned by almost every manufacturer, so waiting a year or two will probably drive down the price while increasing the options in terms of manufacturer and vehicle type.

Engine/Fuel Economy: Hybrids break up into two categories: fuel-efficient hybrids (getting from 35-50 mpg) and more performance-oriented hybrids (getting from 20-30 mpg). The latter category still offers relatively good fuel economy, but the emphasis is on performance. That performance might come in the form of outright speed, as with the hybrid luxury sedans from Lexus, or in the form of pure functionality, as with the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, which is designed to be as rugged and off-road-capable as a regular Tahoe.

Safety: In general, hybrid vehicles are as safe as all-gasoline cars, but concerns have been raised about accidents that damage or expose the batteries for fear that electric shocks are possible. However, hybrids have been on the market for eight years now and accidents of this kind have not been reported. Additionally, manufacturers say they have taken steps to educate emergency responders so they can help accident victims without risking injury.

Luxury Features/Convenience: Most hybrids are slightly more upscale than their corresponding gasoline counterparts. This is due to an effort by manufacturers to justify the premium that buyers pay for the privilege of saving gas. Upper-level luxury models feature the latest in electronic gadgetry and amenities.

Passenger Capacity/Interior Space: Early hybrid vehicles were limited in interior space because the batteries took up room behind the backseat or in the cargo area. Newer models have gotten better at maximizing interior space, so this is no longer an issue for hybrid buyers. Toyota's Highlander Hybrid, for instance, can seat up to seven passengers, while the hybrid Tahoe and GMC Yukon can accommodate up to nine.

Cargo Space: Some hybrids are not as flexible in their use of cargo space because the rear seats do not fold down, while batteries tend to eat up trunk space. Likewise, hybrid SUVs usually lack anything in the way of under-floor storage because the battery pack is located here, and payload capacity (the amount of weight you can safely carry inside or on top of the vehicle) may be slightly reduced. In most cases, though, hybrid vehicles are nearly as practical in this regard as normal cars and SUVs.

Operating Costs: Some drivers of early hybrids reported accelerated tire wear because of the narrower tires that offered less rolling resistance for improved mileage. But tire wear on today's hybrid vehicles should be approximately the same as that of a similarly sized vehicle with a conventional drivetrain. Other operating costs, such as oil changes and routine maintenance, are comparable to normal cars. In some cases, brakes last longer due to hybrids' regenerative braking systems. Manufacturers offer longer warranty coverage for the hybrid-specific components, usually eight years, so you're covered if something goes wrong with the batteries or electric motor. One of the few unknowns is the cost of replacing the hybrid batteries, though manufacturers contend the batteries are designed to last for the life of the vehicle.

More Information About Hybrids

Sales of hybrid vehicles jumped 140 percent in the past year, and auto manufacturers have finally gotten off their tuchuses and taken notice. More and more models are being offered with hybrid power plants, and many more will be coming in the next few years.

Whether consumer demand will keep pace with the increasing supply isn't known. Much depends upon the price of a gallon of gas in the coming years and whether other, better technologies emerge and mature.

While the first few hybrids to reach the U.S. market, the Prius and Honda's Insight, were designed as hybrids from the ground up, the trend now is to add hybrid technology to existing models — the Honda Accord, Toyota Highlander, and the Ford Escape, for example. In a few years, it may be just another engine option. The salesman may ask you, "Would you like the four-cylinder, the six-cylinder, or the hybrid? OK, how about a five-year protection plan for your fuzzy dice?"

We'd take this increasing availability as a sign that the technology is maturing, and owning a hybrid no longer puts you in with the pocket-protector-wearing, recumbent-bicycle set. Hybrids no longer call attention to themselves, and drive pretty much like any other vehicle.

Hybrids are proof that you can have your tofu cake and eat it, too. Once you've swallowed the purchase price premium, it's a relatively painless way to do your part to reduce your impact on the planet — and save on gas costs, too.

How Do Hybrids Work?

Hybrid vehicles combine power from a gasoline engine and a battery-powered electric motor. The batteries that power the electric motor, or motors, are charged by the gasoline engine when it's running, and a little bit by energy captured while braking. So, unlike an electric car, you never, ever have to plug it in. Adding the power of an electric motor means you can use a smaller gasoline engine and still get decent performance. Most hybrids also incorporate an "engine shut-off" at idle. So the gasoline engine automatically stops running when you stop at a light, and then instantly restarts when you touch the gas pedal to move again. The result is a significant increase in fuel economy — especially in stop-and-go driving — and a substantial decrease in pollution. Brilliant, or what? We think so.

Different Kinds of Hybrids

A computer decides which source of power to use — and it's quite seamless. You never notice it switching back and forth. Toyota uses a system in which the car is powered by the electric motor in stop-and-go traffic. If you accelerate quickly, which calls for more power, the gas engine will come on, regardless of the speed at which you're driving.

At higher speeds or when you stomp on the gas, the gasoline engine automatically — and instantly — joins with the battery-powered motor, which gives it the juice to pass or merge with highway traffic. Ford's current system is licensed from Toyota, so it works how? Just the same way.

The Accord Hybrid is different. Both the gas engine and the electric motor get you moving from a stop, meaning that the car never operates on electric power alone. The Accord also uses something Honda calls Variable Cylinder Management, shutting down half of the V-6's cylinders at light engine loads to improve mileage and cut pollution. The new Civic Hybrid, however, starts out on its conventional engine, which is then augmented by the battery power when a boost is needed. Once it reaches cruising speed, it runs on the electric motor.

Because a computer takes care of divvying up the work between the gasoline engine and the electric motor, the experience of driving a hybrid is pretty much like any other car. If you didn't have the multi-colored lights on the dashboard telling you what was going on, you wouldn't know there's anything special happening.

What makes the electric motor such a good partner for a gas engine is the fact that electric motors are really, really good at making torque, which is the force that moves you. The Civic Hybrid's electric motor, for example, produces a measly 20 horsepower, but 76 lb.ft. of torque (that's a lot, for such a small motor). That adds substantially to the torque provided by the gasoline engine. Most gasoline engines are as big as they are to give good acceleration, and need only a fraction of their available power while cruising; a hybrid's gas engine can be more efficient — just big enough to keep the car at cruising speed on the highway.

At first, there was just one kind of hybrid, the kind designed to wring the absolute maximum mileage out of each ounce of gasoline. The power of the electric motor was used to augment a little gasoline engine, giving both good gas mileage and reasonable performance. The result was cars like the Toyota Prius, which is rated by the EPA at 60 mpg city, 51 mpg highway and can get up to 650 miles between fill-ups (Note — your actual mileage will suck more than this. Most Prius owners report mileage in the 40's, which is still very good). It gets its best mileage in the city because it spends more of its time operating on battery power alone.

"Mild" Hybrids

Recently, however, car makers then discovered that they could use a hybrid gas-electric powertrain to increase power, at the expense of some of the efficiency. So while getting slightly better mileage, they could better the acceleration of their non-hybrid models. The result was cars like the Lexus GS350H, which can zip from 0-60 in 5.2 seconds, about a half second faster than the V8 GS 430, while getting thirty percent better mileage. The Accord Hybrid falls into this category, too ' its powertrain is rated at 253 horsepower, nine more horsepower than the standard Accord.

We're disappointed with this approach to using hybrid technology. Honda and Toyota seem to be catering to the power mongers, instead of leading the way out of the darkness. Instead of making a more powerful GS for example, we wish Lexus would offer an GS-H. All it would take is a smaller engine, and a little reprogramming of the computer, and you'd have a luxury hybrid that gets great mileage. We'll be right here, waiting.

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