Hybrid Cars: Good v. Bad

It was brought to my attention that the cons that I presented in my first blog were only things that could go wrong with the car if the driver was not responsible. So I decided to research somethings that were wrong with the vehicle it self. One con, which was given to me was the cost it takes to replace the battery, which ranges from $5,000 to $8,000. Also, hybrid cars tend to accelerate at a slower speed than a gas powered vehicle, this means you can't attain your expected speed within the same time period in a hybrid car. In a article, Sorting Out Hybrid Brake Issue: Safety Issue or a Different Feel?, it is stated that some hybrid vehicles have issues with accelerator pedals sticking, which caused a massive recall of 4.5 million Toyota vehicles. It is also said that hybrid vehicles often have higher fuel consumption and the battery life of these cars only range from 80,000 to 100,000 miles, therefore replacement of the battery pack is on a hybrid happens more often than that of a gas powered car. Are you really saving?

Hybrid Cars: Good v. Bad

In my first post, I explained the pros and cons of the hybrid car. It was brought to my attention that the hybrid car may be able to pay itself off along the way. After doing some research, I found this to be true. Some cars will pay off faster than others, but any owner of these vehicles will get their money worth. As stated in an article, Hybrid Cars Pay Off Quicker with Gas Prices High, some brands of these cars can pay themselves off in as few six years, while others may take as long as ten years. The author also goes on to explain how the increase in gas prices makes it easier for hybrid cars to pay off by stating that, "for every $1 increase at the pump, the time to pay off a hybrid's premium falls by about twenty-five percent." Hybrid cars will eventually be paid off, but how long will it take?

Hybrid Cars: Good v. Bad

I'm sure many individuals have heard of or seen a hybrid car and thought to themselves "hey I need one of those, gas prices are sky high"; however these vehicles are not what they appear to be at all. Although there are many positives about these cars, there are plenty of downsides to these "small gas saving cars."

A few of the pros about hybrid vehicles, as indicated on suite101, are 1) the most obvious it saves on gas, which also reduces the amount of pollution in the air. 2) They perform better in cooler weather than gas powered cars. 3) People that purchase a hybrid car receive tax incentives . 4) Also some insurance companies, such as Geico, will offer discounts for hybrid drivers in some states.

The many cons that come with the hybrid cars are: 1) they are far more expensive, than non-hybrid cars. 2) You ONLY save gas if you are a careful driver; for instance if you accelerate too quickly, the gas engine will kick in, this will eliminate your gas savings. 4) there is a high risk of being exposed to a high-voltage battery or its wires during a crash, which was brought to my attention while reading a Buzzle Article. 5) most importantly, some insurance companies will not cover hybrid cars because they are more likely to need repair because that are still fairly new. Now that everyone has been exposed to what a hybrid car really is, are they still worth buying?