You may think that the hybrid technology is a recent idea. The truth is, hybrid electric cars have been around longer that you would have guessed but commercial production did not hit mainstream since the need for economical vehicle was really not a priority then as fuel prices were not as high as today. One proof of that is the production of muscle cars during the 60's and the 70's with big engines and heavy fuel consumption.
Now, as oil prices are soaring as high as we never imagined 3 years ago, the need for more fuel efficient cars becomes a must. And there couldn't be better timing for hybrid cars to hit the mainstream than today.
Ten years after Toyota released its first commercially available passenger hybrid car, the Prius, hybrid became synonymous with fuel economy. Still the Toyota Prius is the most fuel efficient car on the road with 46 miles to the gallon. But others are not lagging behind.
The hybrid version of the best selling passenger car, Honda Civic, can run 42 miles on a gallon of fuel. The Ford Escape Hybrid, which is the most fuel efficient SUV on the market can run 32 miles to a gallon of fuel. The Toyota Camry hybrid can run 33 miles to a gallon of fuel. All these numbers are definitely higher than their gasoline engine counterparts.
Moreover, with the growing concern on the depletion of the environment, the need for means of transportation that doesn't emit noxious gases is inevitable. Hybrid cars are relatively cleaner and greener than most cars powered by combustion engines. Gases like hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter (diesel), and formaldehyde are all released by gasoline (diesel) engine vehicles contribute to global warming.
So reducing the emission of these gases with the use of hybrid vehicles may not totally solve the problem but will certainly be one of the solutions. Soon there will be more hybrid cars to hit the road. And slowly but surely, hybrid cars can help clean the environment as they replace combustion engine vehicles.
Finally, the technology we had 20 or 30 years ago cannot produce batteries that are powerful and small enough to drive the car forward and fit into the car at the same time. Manufacturing a hybrid car back then would have cost a considerable amount of money. It is just recently that technology has caught up with a timely demand for more fuel efficient cars.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
| 
