Analyzing the Benefits of Hybrid Cars


With climate change and gas prices seemingly always in the news, many car owners have taken an increasing interest in the benefits of hybrid cars. A comparison of hybrid cars to their more traditional gasoline driven counterparts shows that there are several benefits of owning a hybrid car. This article will look at some of them.The Environmental Benefits of Hybrid CarsHybrid cars are powered by a combination of a conventional gasoline engine and an electric motor. The electric motor is recharged when the gasoline engine is running and the car switches between the two according to whether there is enough charge in the battery to power it using the electric motor. This results in the car using much less gasoline and emitting fewer greenhouse gases than a non-hybrid car. A hybrid car can get anything up to 65 miles to the gallon in the case of the best selling Toyota Prius, though not every hybrid car offers that big a fuel advantage. The Prius leads in fuel economy because its gas mileage isn't just due to the advanced hybrid technology in its engine, but also to its unique aerodynamic design.Of course, it is possible to overstate the environmental benefits of hybrid cars. According to a paper by Bert Van Wee, Henri Moll and Jessica Dirks published in 2000 by the academic journal Transportation Research, between 15% and 20% of a car's emissions are produced during its manufacture. Hybrid cars alone will not solve this problem, auto makers need to adopt cleaner, greener manufacturing techniques too. The Financial Benefits of Hybrid CarsThe benefits of hybrid cars aren't just limited to the atmosphere. Hybrid cars have benefits for your wallet too. The aforementioned fuel economy means that you won't have to fill up nearly as often, sparing you much pain at the pump. But there are also tax benefits for hybrid car owners.The Energy Policy Act of 2005 created a tax credit of between $450 and $3100 for qualified hybrid vehicles, varying according to the year and model purchased. Generally speaking, American made hybrid vehicles get a bigger tax credit than foreign ones, in order to encourage people to buy American. This is something of a double edged sword, since Japanese hybrids tend to be more fuel efficient than American ones (and, like all Japanese cars, to peak down less often as well), so when buying a hybrid, you will need to weigh the tax credit for the model you intend to purchase (available on the IRS's website) against the savings you will make further down the line when analyzing the benefits of a hybrid car to your overall financial health.