12 Central Pros and Cons of Hybrid Cars

A lot of people are now enjoying the practical features behind hybrid cars. Aside from the efficiency, customers are also attracted to its advanced technology as it produces lesser emissions compared to cars powered by pure diesel or gasoline.

Although accused of being inferior than its gas powered counterparts, it has fast become a myth. This is because hybrid vehicles have now engineered as many similar features as other leading brands powered by gas. Such will include high quality braking system and superb performance steering.

In order to acquire a better understanding about what hybrid cars can or can’t offer, here are a few pros and cons that will guide potential buyers to avoid confusions.

List of Pros of Hybrid Cars

1. It Produces Clean Energy.
Basically, hybrid cars are those with electric motor with an engine powered by gas. This combination will enable better mileage and lower emissions. In other words, it will be able to conserve energy with the power of standard engines. Likewise, it can provide a lot of mileage per gallon as it uses minimal amount of fuel when running.

2. Continuous Performance Improvement.
Hybrids will have the same performance just like normal vehicles due to the introduction of new technologies. With this, they are able to improve efficiency, better mileage, and reduce further emission. Previous issues have also been addressed giving current hybrids much improved performance.

3. Lesser Dependence on Fossil Fuel.
These types of cars will help to eliminate dependence on fossil fuel by acquiring little to none which does have huge impact in the lowering of prices in the domestic level. This is due to the fact that these vehicles are way cleaner and greener than traditional cars as they need less fossil fuel to operate.

4. Uses Smaller Engine.
When a car has smaller engine, it will only mean that this type of vehicle will be lighter. So having little cylinder displacement, its engine does not need to perform as hard. It will even be a lot lighter when the body will be designed to adopt a diminutive figure. However, this doesn’t mean that it will compromise its performance.

5. Suitable for City Driving.
Compared with driving on the highway, the EPA mileage rating of driving a hybrid car is a lot higher when driving in the city. When getting stops, it can create more electricity that can be utilized when driving at lower speeds or likely during quick accelerations.

6. Keeps the Engine Warm.
Mechanics will have to agree about the difficulty of starting up when the engine is cold. In fact, it will produce more engine wear if you always have a hard time getting it to start compared to one that has already been warmed up. Most hybrid vehicles prevent this from happening as it stores coolant equal to a thermos. This will keep fluid warm up to 3 days, which means that you can have effortless engine starts even if you just use this car 3 times a week.

List of Cons of Hybrid Cars

1. Lesser Output Power.
As these cars are built to be economical, they are not relatively fast. Considering the gas engine, it is quite smaller compared to its closest counterpart. If more power is required to improve acceleration, the electric motor will be able to get the car going. Even so, it still has lesser power output than the normal gas powered car.

2. Poor Handling Issues.
In comparison to performance-focused vehicles, hybrids do not handle when it comes bracing and support. This is because manufacturers design these cars to cut on weight to attain fuel efficiency. By doing this, they are not able to achieve favorable results as handling is more dependent on the weight of the vehicle.

3. Center of Gravity Issues.
The distribution of weight and center of gravity has a huge impact on vehicle driving. Although car manufacturers tend to distribute weight around the vehicle, it is difficult to completely mitigate this factor. As hybrids are designed to be front-wheel drive, the batteries are not located in front distributing the weight away. This makes a big impact on performance.

4. Higher Cost of Maintenance.
It costs more on repairs due to the complex nature of the dual compulsion system in most hybrid cars. Also, mechanics are not all equipped or trained to handle hybrids. More so, it will incur larger bills compared to standard vehicles.

5. Lesser Mileage on Highways.
Driving on most highway traffic, it is only expected to reach around mid to lower forty miles per hour. The efficiency can be great, but diesel and compact cars can achieve this type of efficiency when considering highway speeds. This means that the mileage is not that impressive if you try to match that of a conventional vehicle.

6. Not Every Hybrid Is The Same.
There is one mild hybrid that has some limited features compared to a full hybrid. The sad thing is that is has some issues such as shutting off of the gasoline engine when stopping the car. Moreover, it can’t run using the electric motor only. Additionally, the air conditioning and heating systems don’t operate if the gasoline engine is stopped. So when you buy a hybrid, make sure that it is a full hybrid, else you will surely be in trouble.

Final Thought

If you are planning to purchase a hybrid vehicle, perhaps it is good to ponder on some of the issues tackled in this article. Some myths that you might just heard about can be busted especially if it is already clear to you what your heart truly desires when it comes to buying this type of car.

Simply make sure that you have all the information you can get when you buy a hybrid car. See to it that it has some reliable after-sale maintenance upon ownership. There are lots of dealerships that can make you believe that they do have exceptional service. But don’t forget to shop around first before you finally settle for your dream hybrid car.