A Guide To Hybrid Cars

Hybrid Car Comparison

The search is on for the car that can provide the best gas mileage. With the price of gas skyrocketing, everyone wants a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Hybrid cars are obviously the best choice for lower fuel costs with the added benefit of lower polluting emissions. Are all hybrid cars alike? In some ways, yes, they are. Basically, a hybrid car is a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor. The technology uses an electric motor to store energy and conserve energy that traditional engines cant do. For example, during braking the energy that would normally go un-harnessed is stored as electricity in the battery for later use. The electric motor aids in acceleration or other needs for power and provides all the energy at low speeds, thereby saving gas because a smaller engine can be used. When the car stops, the engine is shut off automatically and restarted when you press the accelerator, saving energy and gas from idling. Each car has these basics, but the fine-tuning will be a little different accounting for the variations in gas mileage. Using a hybrid car comparison guide like this one, you can choose which would be best suited to your needs.

In the midsize category, the Toyota Prius wins hands down in fuel economy and emissions control. Using regular gasoline instead of the higher priced premium, the Prius is rated to get 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway. That even beats out the best compact hybrid car. This dynamo will cost an average of $880 a year in fuel. Many people that are commuting are paying close to half of that a month right now. The icing on the cake is the rating in greenhouse emissions. The Prius ranks as the best on the www.fueleconomy.gov websites scale.