Disadvantages Of Hybrid Cars
April 28th, 2010
Disadvantages Of Hybrid Cars
Hybrid cars are great and have a lot of advantages no doubt about it. Hybrid cars save you gas therefore keeping your wallet thick! These cars also have less contribution to the greenhouse effect than conventional cars. These are the two biggest pros of a hybrid car. But we all know if something has advantages it has disadvantages too!
The Price
The biggest disadvantage of hybrid cars is definitely the price! For instance the 2008 Toyota Camry costs about 19000 while the hybrid version costs almost 25000. That is approximately a 6000 difference which is a lot of money. Another example is the 2008 Honda Civic with a base price of 15000 while the Civic Hybrid is costs 7000 more. On average the hybrid version of a car costs between 2000 and 4000 more than the non hybrid version.
Dangerous in Accidents
Although the electric engine gives you more mileage and helps you save gas it can be also dangerous in a collision. Most hybrid cars use metal hydride batteries and the high voltage that they store can be really unsafe when the wires are exposed thus there is a chance the driver will get electrocuted when involved in an accident.
The Battery
As mentioned above the batteries in hybrid cars can kill theoretically. There are some other issues with the battery. Hybrid car manufacturers include warranties to cover the batteries for 80000100000 miles. The carmakers also say the car’s battery will last forever. But what if something unforeseen happens and the car’s batteries are not under warranty anymore? Unfortunately batteries cost a fortune! The other problem with the batteries is that it needs to be recharged at least every second week. So if you go to vacation you might need to find a “carsitter” to take care of your car. Some hybrid car owners also report problems with the battery in cold weather.
Performance
No offense but most hybrid cars are slow! They have slower acceleration and a lower topspeed than conventional counterparts. If you are in need for speed hybrid cars won’t satisfy your needs! Hybrid cars will make you drive slow which is actually not a bad thing!
Despite all these drawbacks hybrid cars are the way to! Car manufacturers are working to eliminate these disadvantages. I am pretty sure hybrid cars in the near future will be lighter safer and provide better performance!
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To read more about the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid cars go to Hybrid Car Freak The Most Useful Hybrid Car Resource Website.Related posts:
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