Electric and Plug-In Hybrid cars

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Electric and Plug-In Hybrid cars Powered By Docstoc
					by Abe Niang,

Hybrid cars have both an electric and a gas motor to run it. A common misconception
is that they need to be plugged into an electric outlet to recharge the batteries, but the
modern hybrid cars and trucks are now built to recharge themselves.

The term "hybrid" of course simply means a mixture of 2 different forms; in this case
electric and gas power.

The gas engines in today's electric cars are smaller than in standard vehicles. The
hybrid can run on either engine, but hybrid drivers will use both to conserve on fuel.

Most hybrids primarily run on the gasoline engine, and the electric motor kicks in
when more power is needed.

A neat feature in that they are designed to instantly shut off whenever the vehicle
stops and restart when the driver hits the gas

pedal again. In the interval, the battery keeps the lights, radio, AC/Heat and other
appliances on.

Hybrid cars are virtually silent because the gasoline engine cuts off and on. This will
confuse new owners who may not pay attention to the indicator lights and think the
car is off when it is actually on.

Of cource, the main benefit of the hybrid car or truck is the tremendous fuel savings
(up to 60 miles per gallon). This makes the hybrid a very popular choice these days
and this trend will continue for years to come.

Another benefit is that they emit much fewer pollutants into the air; up to 90%cleaner
than non-hybrid vehicles. Their engines are a lot more efficient and they produce
fewer exhaust emissions.

Besides the government tax incentives, you may benefit from free parking at many
parking lots in more environmentally 'conscious'

cities and businesses

Hybrid cars and trucks are primarily made of aluminum and plastic, which makes
them much lighterand more efficient and that allows them to run efficiently on smaller,
lighter engines.

But these materials don't make them any less safe than conventional cars; the
manufacturers use strategically placed special panels that reinforce the impact points
thus allowing the car to better resist impacts.

Honda and Toyota are the 2 major hybrid manufacturers, but US manufacturers are
catching up fast. Honda and toyota started exporting hybrid vehicles into the US in
2000 with the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius. Both cars were commercial

The trend now is to introduce hybrid sport utility vehicles that will have the power of
conventional SUVs, but will be more efficient and environmentally friendly. These
are expected to be very popular with today's gas prices and high maintenance costs of
regular trucks and SUVs.

Hybrid vehicles are here to stay. they are much cleaner, easier to maintain, more
environmentally friendly, cheaper to operate and their cost is very similar (cheaper in
some cases) to conventional cars and trucks.

Get additional info on hybrid cars at my blog