How to Buy a Hybrid

How to Buy a Hybrid

After weighing your options and letting your curiosity get the better of you and start researching the Hybrid’s potential to increase fuel economy and reduce emissions… you start to hunt and shop around. Yet, the internet and printed dealer brochures, car reviews and owner opinions only tell you part of the story.

ALSO NOTE: It is a fact that there are a wide range of what is put under the umbrella or identifier ‘hybrid’ that simply is not! NOT ALL are created equal.

HYBRID CAR FACT: HYBRID vehicles being marketed as hybrids, do not all utilize and leverage the full spectrum of hybrid technologies that are available.

If the environment is a personal priority and selection criteria for you, ensure that you know what you are getting and what really is under-hood, past the hype and marketing lingo.

According to online sourcing and research regarding Hybrid vehicles, there are currently FIVE TYPES of hybrid technology available to automakers:

• Idle-off capability. The engine turns off when the vehicle is stopped in traffic or at a light, and turns back on when you move your foot from the brake to the gas pedal.

• Regenerative braking. The electric motor helps slow the car, and functions as a generator to convert some of the energy typically lost during braking into electricity (thereby recharging the vehicle’s battery).

• Power assist and engine downsizing. The electric motor helps propel the car, in particular during acceleration. Because the motor and engine share the power load, the engine’s size can be reduced, saving even more fuel.

• Electric-only drive. The electric motor can power the vehicle by itself at low speeds and when first starting the car.

• Extended battery-electric range. The car runs solely on electric power for 20 to 60 miles before engaging the gasoline engine. You have to recharge the car’s battery by plugging it into an external electricity source.

http://www.allaboutlongisland.com