3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars

Due to the rising cost of fuel and the environmental damage it causes to our planet, many car owners or buyers are looking for an alternative way to save money. Let's face it, fuel supply is finite and the prices of gas is only going to rise higher and higher. That is where a hybrid car has its advantages
Hybrid cars have been gaining in popularity in recent years. With lower cost of production and new hybrid car technology being developed, owning a hybrid car is becoming affordable to everyone.
Hybrid Cars Saves Gas
The obvious advantage of using hybrid cars is that it saves gas. Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon. One feature of hybrid cars is that the gasoline engine is shut off automatically when the car stops. This also helps in saving fuel. That is also the reason why hybrid cars are so quiet why it is stationary. The gasoline engine is automatically turned on when you step on the accelerator pedal.
Hybrid Cars Are Environment Friendly
Hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned. It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you do not know, carbon dioxide is one of the primary reasons for rising global warming. For example, the Toyota Prius can reduce tailpipe emissions by up to ninety percent and the greenhouse gas emissions by as much as fifty percent.
Tax Incentives For Hybrid Cars
Due to world political pressures around the world to reduce greenhouse emissions, President Bush signed an agreement in 2005 to provide huge tax relief to hybrid car buyers. The tax incentive varies by model and are based on two factors
1. How fuel efficient the hybrid car is compared to a conventional car in 2002 with the same weight class.
2. How much gasoline the hybrid car can save in its lifetime compared with an equivalent conventional car
For example, a Honda Accord hybrid car have reduced tax credits of $600 while a Toyota Prius has a tax credit of $3150. Do note that the tax credits do expire after 2010 for most hybrid cars.

5 Buying Tips For Hybrid Cars

With the rising cost of gas, it is getting less and less affordable to own a car these days. As a result of this increase in cost, car manufacturers have lately been very aggressive in promoting their line of hybrid cars designed to save fuel.
While a hybrid car in general does saves you some money on gas, you may want to bear these points in mind when looking to buy a hybrid car.
1) Hybrid cars generally are more expensive than conventional gas powered cars. The price difference can be as much as $10,000. Hybrid cars are still new to consumers and may take a while before prices drop.
2) The batteries used in a hybrid car is different from a conventional car. The prices are much higher. They are about $2000 more expensive. However, hybrid car batteries have a longer life span as well.
3) The government has a tax deduction for hybrid cars owners. The hybrid car tax deduction varies from year to year but in general, you can save at least a couple of thousand dollars.
4) The cost of maintenance for a hybrid car is also higher. Also it has more complex systems and engine, a normal mechanic may not know how to repair it. In most cases, you need to send back to the hybrid car manufacturer for maintenance and repair and the cost is not cheap.
5) Hybrid cars use special tires that are wore out more easily than conventional cars. These hybrid car tires cost more and need to be replaced around 25,000 miles.