Why hybrids are better

If you drive mostly in the city, you may save enough to warrant the extra cost. Remember the gas motor turns on to charge the batteries if you use the electric motor all the time which offsets some of the advantage. Heavy long-distance commuters and lead footers will see fewer savings.

Then, there is always the environment - always worth thinking about. The tax incentive in the U. Better act fast, however, to get the model you want: the tax break only applies to the first 60, vehicles produced yearly by each manufacturer.

Experts think in the end, hybrids are probably a transition technology. Hydrogen or methane fuel cell powered cars are probably the cars of the future. As for the environment, there are many ways to reduce emissions - using public transport, car pooling, riding a bicycle and even walking. Even just buying a smaller, fuel efficient car makes a big difference.

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The content is provided for information purposes only. Researchers harness higher order protein catenation for the development of artificial antibodies 17 minutes ago. Calculating force on a syringe plunger for a viscous fluid? Nov 11, Using Monopods for city travel utilizing linear induction motors Nov 10, Wood as a carbon neutral biofuel Nov 06, The 41 second clock failure syndrome Nov 02, The motor is powered by a self-charging battery pack that recovers power from braking and deceleration.

Depending on the model, the electric motor may just give the gas engine a boost when needed, or may be able to power the vehicle on its own for a few miles at a time. Fuel savings run from modest to pronounced, depending on the model.

The downside is that a hybrid is typically priced higher than a comparable conventional model, and an owner may not be able to recover the added cost over a normal ownership cycle in gas savings. Also called a PHEV it stands for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle , a plug-in hybrid uses a larger battery that enables all-electric operation at longer distances than a standard hybrid. As the name implies, however, the battery needs to be tethered to a wall socket at night to reach a full charge.

Once the battery is depleted to a certain level a PHEV operates like a conventional hybrid, with the electric motor assisting the gasoline engine. Both are primarily powered by an electric motor, but each includes a small gasoline engine that operates a generator to run the motor after the battery becomes depleted.

Unlike a full electric car, PHEV owners never have to worry about being stranded at the side of the road with a dead battery. PHEVs are pricier than standard hybrids. Full electric vehicles EVs produce zero emissions and typically cost less to operate than a gas-powered vehicle.

They tend to be peppy performers since an electric motor delivers percent of its available torque instantly. Once the battery is drained the car will stop running. That precludes their use for long-distance road trips unless one plans a route specifically around where public chargers are located.

Some PHEVs can be made to use their petrol engine to fully charge the battery while being driven, however this is not a very efficient way to charge the battery. Think of the battery-pack as a fuel tank for electricity, so the bigger it is, the further you can travel.

In plug-in hybrids, in EV mode the use of the electric motor is prioritised until the battery is depleted, after which the car works more like a regular hybrid, with petrol engine and electric motor working together more frequently for propulsion and to keep a minimum charge in the battery.

Got your back. Saves money. US studies have shown that using household electricity to charge a PHEV costs substantially less than the fuel a HEV requires to recharge their much smaller battery packs — though PHEVs usually cost a lot more to buy in the first place.

Save more money. PHEVs allow the driver to control when the electric motor operates, to preserve charge for when it is most beneficial running in EV mode, such as in built-up areas or during traffic jams. Not just around town. EV charging infrastructure is growing rapidly across Australia, meaning PHEV owners are increasingly able to use their vehicles without the engine security blanket if they so desire. Price shock. Even more to go wrong.

The added complexity of a larger and heavier battery pack, combined with extra electrical engineering for the plug-in technology, means more to service and repair over the longer term, on top of the engine and motor combination. Purchase price. Battery costs. Charging inconvenience. Using a regular household outlet requires around six to eight hours depending on the PHEV, while obviously a HEV requires no plugging-in hassles. Charge it or lose it.

This removes the need for a conventional alternator and separate starter motor, saving weight, and brings the ability to give the petrol engine a boost under acceleration.

Range-extender or REx hybrids only have an electric motor driving the wheels, but they carry an on-board small petrol engine that is there solely as an electricity generator to recharge the battery pack. Both were well packaged and good to drive but short on range and too expensive, with the latter was also criticised for providing disappointing additional extended petrol range, while being markedly noisy when the extender engine was running.

No range-extender hybrid is currently sold new in Australia, though Mazda has indicated it may introduce one in Hybrid on a budget, PHEV for that all-electric experience but with a petrol engine back-up for extended journeys and no range anxiety. If using considerably less fuel and creating fewer emissions are important to you, then definitely. Hybrids are usually more affordable than full electric cars, and often more responsive to drive than their petrol-only equivalents.

They cost more to buy, and may cost more to service. Some PHEVs can also charge the battery all the way up while driving. Yes, just as you would a normal-engined car, but the extra weight of the electric bits would mean it would use more fuel than a non-PHEV equivalent.

HEVs rely on fuel to run as their all-electric range is only about 2km before the petrol engine kicks in.