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Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars:Behind all the hype - Are their Disadvantages to Hybrid Cars?The answer is - Of course there are disadvantages when it comes to Hybrid Cars. I found it interesting to note that twice as many people seach for the term "disadvantages of hybrid cars" on search engines compared with "advantages of Hybrid Cars". So, why is this? My own theory is that we all face a barrage of publicity and advertising around hybrids, how they can "save the planet" while "saving you fuel bills". But, of course, little is said about the downside of hybrid cars - you have to discover that for yourself! Let's start off with the most obvious disadvantage: Cost! Hybrids are packed with all sorts of new technology that has been developed for just a few cars. For all your savings on MPG and so on - you are still typically paying a lot of money for the development of this technology. Of course, some states and countries offer a tax rebate on the purchase price. But even so, you are paying quite a price premium for being an early adopter of electric car technology. Lower acceleration than gas-powered equivalents: While some hybrids have the electric motors configured to give a boost to acceleration, standard hybrids will offer less acceleration than their standard counterparts. This may not be such an issue in terms of pure performance, but in terms of safety it may present a problem when overtaking. Here is one you may agree or disagree with: Looks! Think of the Prius - you may like it or hate it. The problem is that there is still a narrow range of hybrid vehicles available (compared with what we are used to with standard motors). The final disadvantages that I see are really a whole bunch of small ones: All related to the fact that they involve new technology and are still relatively thin on the road. Potential problems like unproven technology - what happens when the battery pack gives up and you need to replace it. At what cost? Also, if you live in a remote area, the mechanical expertise may not exist near you to fix more complex problems. Spare parts may prove costly and hard to come by. However, these problems are the same with most new technologies and go away with increasing demand and supply of hybrids. So, in summary - there are of course disadvantages that need to be considered when buying a new hybrid car. However, given that the Toyota Prius has been around for quite some time - and it's end of life problems are becoming more obvious AND that there are a whole slew of hybrid vehicles coming on the market over the next year or two - then it seems like the Hybrid car is going a WAY more mainstream. Which, in turn, should make it a lot less risky to go with this sort of technology AND hopefully, A LOT CHEAPER! My preferences for my own transport? I'm going to wait a little while longer (maybe another year) and line up for one of those new Plug in hybrids. With any luck, they will include lessons learned from standard hybrids available on the market up to now! Back from Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars to Hybrid Cars Back from Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars to All Electric Vehicles Homepage. |
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