Going Green - Hybrids

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

We’ve covered a lot of ground in our Going Green stories over the years. A lot of it has involved environmentally-responsible products and green living, but for this one, we literally want to cover a lot of ground. And the only way we’ll be able to do that is by driving.

There has been a lot written about hybrid cars...and even more has been said about how they are the wave of the future. They’re environmentally-friendly, they get great gas mileage, and, contrary to what our grandfathers assume, they don’t run on potato skins and grass. It’s possible that there are viable options out there for people who only want to drive solar-power vehicles and/or those who want to drive a car that runs on lawn clippings, but we’re a little more realistic. Plus, we’re firm believers that change happens gradually. Rather than go straight for the electric and solar vehicles that cost a fortune and have major limitations, we thought we’d explore hybrid cars.

The hybrid car is, according to CNGCar.org, sometimes called an electric-hybrid “because it uses both an electric motor or generator, and a gas-burning engine...The high-powered battery provides power for the electric motor. This electric motor is continuously being recharged from recaptured energy that would normally be lost when the car is running. This process...is officially known as regenerative braking. Once needed, energy from the fuel engine is diverted to recharge the battery. In effect, a hybrid vehicle has no need for being plugged in.”

But there are several different types of hybrid cars and it can be confusing to sort them out if you’re looking to make the move to an environmentally-friendly vehicle.

First, there’s the full hybrid.

It’s stated on CNGCar.org, “In full hybrid cars with fuel-assisted engines, the integration of the electric motor, gas engine, and the battery is complete. In this arrangement, the electric motor is able to operate on its own, provided that particular conditions while driving are met. Certain hybrids, for their electric motors to operate, need situations where low speed driving is possible. For hybrid cars with this arrangement, the gas engine starts to take over once the vehicle reaches a higher speed level. During acceleration, the gas engine and the electric motor can work simultaneously to produce the needed power.”

GoGreenResources.org has information on the other types of hybrid cars: the parallel and the series hybrid.

The parallel hybrid car has “a fuel tank that gives gasoline to the engine. During this time, batteries give power to a motor that is electric. The two motors give off energy that works to propel the car forward.

“In a series hybrid car a generator is turned on by a fuel engine. And the generator does one of two things. It can either work as a charger for the motor or charge batteries. In turn, these batteries work to give energy to the electric motor that propels the transmission. This means that this type of hybrid car never needs to use the fuel engine to get power, at least not directly.”

Now for the benefits. If you’re looking to buy a hybrid car, chances are you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint. Or, you’re trying to be trendy. Either way, your purchase of a green vehicle could help you with more than just your social status.

For instance, hybrid cars save on fuel. It’s not just hearsay—it’s the truth. “When a hybrid car uses electricity more often than gasoline, the driver can expect an absolute savings,” says CNGCar.org. “This is due to the fact that the reduction in gasoline consumption is fixed at a certain amount, but the electricity used by a hybrid motor is self-replenishing. Research shows that hybrid car drivers have reportedly been consuming an average of 54 percent less gasoline. By the same token, this is equivalent to a near absolute savings of 54 percent on fuel costs.”

Another great reason to purchase hybrid vehicles is for the tax break. Our government is looking to encourage everyone to reduce their dependency on oil resources, and as such, they’ve granted a number of tax incentives for those in environmentally-friendly cars. It’s mostly reflected in your payable taxes, but there are always new incentives being proposed.

Plus, because hybrid cars today are not as rare as they once were, the assumption that they cost a lot in maintenance is simply not true. Again, CNGCar.org says, “Statistics show that the cost of maintenance required by a hybrid car is about 23 percent less than the average gasoline conventional car. And to top this off, hybrid car electric batteries are on 8-year warranties, which means that if the batteries are faulty any time within the 8 years, a total replacement will ensue.”

There’s also discounted insurance packages as reports are being published indicating hybrid cars are less prone to accidents. This might have a lot to do with the types of drivers who own hybrid cars, but it’s still an incentive when you think how much money you spend on car insurance every year.

And finally, perhaps the most compelling reason for getting a hybrid car is that you are absolutely, 100 percent, no questions about it, reducing your carbon footprint. Most hybrid cars run on electricity when they drive below 40 miles per hour. And most of our driving is done in an urban setting (i.e. the city), where most speed limits aren’t much above that. So if almost all of your driving is done in the city, you’re using very little gasoline and your car is not producing any fuel emissions.

There are several pros to hybrid cars and a few cons (they are pricey). But the benefits outweigh the cost in this scenario. Now it’s up to you to decide if and when a hybrid is right for you.

Sources: www.cngcar.org; www.gogreenresources.org/types-of-hybrid-cars

Article appeared in our 27-5 Issue - December 2010