How much does a hybrid car cost to drive?
When you look only at the price difference of a hybrid car to the same model in gas only versions you may think they cost more. They do, usually a hybrid will cost you about $5,000 more than the others of that same model. The savings of buying a hybrid car come form owning and driving them over a 5 year period. You are not likely to realize any great savings unless you also take advantage of federal tax cut credits when you purchase one.
The cost to own hybrid cars will go down with each year that they are developed and so purchasing hybrid cost today encourages development into green technologies on the road. You can save some today with hybrids like the Toyota Prius but the real benefit is that you are supporting technologies that will lower driving cost over the next decade as well.
The costs to drive hybrids are lower than the gas only cars. This lower cost adds money to your monthly or weekly budget by not having to spend it at the pump. This helps to offset the higher purchase price of a hybrid much like a larger down payment results in lower mortgage payments. The resale price of hybrid cars after 5 years also usually better than other vehicles.
People hear the word hybrid and start thinking about how much they will add to your electric bill and the truth is that a hybrid car is still dependant on fossil fuels and actually captures energy that would normally be wasted. Some hybrids do have options to allow them to charge from household outlets but they are not required to be plugged in. The power they capture comes from a generator that is turned from the gas motor and they also use regenerative braking.
The cost of batteries in hybrid cars is not a significant concern as they employ newer battery technologies that make them last. Usually a battery pack in a hybrid vehicle will last from 80,000 to 100,000 miles. This is accomplished by maintaining a partially charge battery, when they are maintained at about 50% to 60% of full charge they last much longer.
Owning a hybrid car makes good sense for some drivers and buying the right one for where and how you drive will increase your savings. Some hybrids have better fuel economy at higher highway speeds and some are more designed for the stop and go driving of the city. For instance the Toyota Prius rarely uses the gas engine for driving power at lower speeds.
|
