Hybrid Jungle

With every promising technology that arises you will see fear, uncertainty, and doubt associated with that technology. Hybrid cars are starting to enjoy widespread adoption, however I wonder how many people have made decisions not to buy a hybrid vehicle based upon erroneous comments. I have noticed that there are many myths associated with hybrid cars and I hope to clear up some of these myths for you in the following article.

Myth 1: Hybrid batteries lose their charge over time and need to be replaced.
Batteries typically lose there charge after the constant charging to 100% and discharging. Automakers keep the battery charged somewhere in between 40%-60% and never let it reach 100%. This really limits the potential for battery degradation. The batteries are designed to last the life of the car, and most hybrid warranties are good for 80,000+ miles and 10+ years.

Myth 2: You need to plug-in a hybrid car.
Conventional hybrid vehicles are never plugged in. The engine and regenerative braking help keep the batteries charged. In the future a new breed of hybrid cars will be available called plug-in hybrids. Plug-in hybrids will be able to operate purely on the electric motors for many miles and then when the batteries run out of juice the car will operate as a conventional hybrid. The idea is you can charge these cars at night and potentially not use any gas on short commutes. These hybrids will have the benefits of both a conventional hybrid and an electric car.

Myth 3: Hybrids are more expensive to maintain than a conventional car.
This is a myth that you will hear time and time again from hybrid haters. This is simply not true and you can make an argument that the opposite it true, since there will be less wear on the engine and on the brakes because of the hybrid technology.

Myth 4: Hybrids are not a proven technology and are just a fad.
Hybrid cars are here to stay in one form or another. They are a proven technology and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the future has in store. Hybrid sales have been increasing significantly over the last five years and Toyota plans to sell over one million hybrids in the year 2010 alone and other automakers are rapidly developing new hybrid vehicles to keep up with demand. In addition, states like California are requiring a certain number of hybrid cars to be sold by the manufacturers over the few years. Hardly seems like a fad to me.

Myth 5: Hybrids are too slow and small.
This may have been true at first, but now you can get anything from the ultra fuel efficient Toyota Prius, to a very sporty and fast Lexus GS450h. There are all different types of hybrid vehicles available, compacts, SUV’s, trucks, and sports cars. Many more makes and models are due for a hybrid variant in the next few years.

Myth 6: They are dangerous to first responders.
Car accidents are dangerous, and first responders have been trained on the precautions that they need to take when working with a hybrid or electric car. You can make an argument that a gasoline car is also dangerous to first responders, but this is why they undergo vigorous training.

Myth 7: All hybrid cars are fuel efficient.
Just because a car is a hybrid does not make it fuel efficient. Electric motors can provide instant torque so some automakers have used this technology to actually boost performance. The hybrid system can give the performance of a V8 and the fuel efficiency of a V6, but this doesn’t make it a fuel efficient car.

Myth 8: Hybrids will soon be replaced by hydrogen.
I recently wrote an article concerning hydrogen vehicles that you can find here. In a nutshell, they look great on paper, and they are a promising technology, however there are many major obstacles that need to be overcome. While this may happen someday, we are talking decades or maybe even never.

Myth 9: Hybrid vehicles have only been around about a decade.
While the modern hybrid cars have been around for about ten years, hybrid cars have been around for a long time. All the way back in 1917 there was a hybrid car called the Woods Dual Power. In 1969 GM built a plug-in hybrid called the XP-883 which went 0-40 mph in 12 seconds and had a top speed of 60 mph.

Myth 10: Hybrid vehicles are worse for the environment than Hummers.
This myth comes from CNW Marketing Research. They released a paper in 2007 titled “Dust to Dust: The Energy Cost of New Vehicles From Concept to Disposal” This study has been debunked for multiple reasons, but in a nutshell the study was flawed, based on bad science, and they selectively manipulated the data. You can find additional details here.

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