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With the gas prices being so high, more and more people are becoming aware of how valuable energy is in our daily lives. Hybrid cars show how energy can be conserved and pollution reduced. The cleanest non hybrid car can put about 90 percent smog pollution in the air versus the hybrid.
The Honda insight was the first hybrid on the US market in 1999. It is electrically powered and can go 61 mpg on city roads and 70mpg on the highway. Then in 2000, Toyota brought the Prius to the market, it goes 52 mpg in the city and around 45 mpg on the highway. The Honda Civic hybrid came out in 2002 with 46mpg on city roads and about 51mpg on the highway. Since then there have been other hybrid models such as, the Chevy Silverado, the Dodge Ram pickup and the Ford Escape SUV.
Hybrids are more efficient for a number of reasons. For one, the battery of a hybrid lasts longer. It is equipped with two energy supplies- the gas and electricity. The car is made of lighter materials, that means less energy is used. The engine in a non-hybrid is heavier so it requires more power to accelerate and to go up an incline. And with a hybrid there are fewer cylinders.
Hybrids have less internal machinery. The energy and time needed to move a cylinder up and down in a non hybrid is greater. To start the car, the non hybrid engine needs more power because it has more cylinders. In addition, each cylinder uses more fuel for cylindrical displacement.
There are some tips to keep in mind when driving a hybrid to maximize energy and mileage productivity.
Drive slowly-Aerodynamic drag increases if you drive fast. If you slow down you will save energy.
Drive at a constant speed- Increasing your spend and then slowing down wastes fuel.
Try not to break suddenly-The motor in a hybrid is like a generator. Energy is lost if you stop abruptly. Try to give you car some recovery time.
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Jackson Porter is a staff writer at Environmental Central and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including Automobile Enthusiast.
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