So many gas hybrid cars like the Toyota say many good things about their cars but fue company's tell how?

Question

long the cars battery and othe parts may last, and just how cost effective is it to replace a battery that may cost $4000 dollars and a 5 year old car only costing $19.000 new, so many things left unsaid about these new cars and their possible usable life span, when a 4 cyl diesel car can get almost the same MPG and the true life span of the cars are well known and documented to be well in exess of 300.000 miles if not more with proper care and maintenance, so tell us what you think of gas/elc-cars and the new 4 cyl diesel cars coming from most all the car companys, these cars have been sold in other countrys for years and have proven them selfs, what are your thoughts about this and what solid infor can you give about the gas/electric cars, and the diesels they will be in the sales wars with here in the U.S.A, thanks for your time.

Answer 1

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The current crop of hybrid cars will soon be obsolete. These first-generation hybrids (known as 'parallel' hybrids) are still designed to be principally gas-burners, so the efficiency gains are modest. Here's the future of hybrids:
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http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01/07/detroit-auto-show-its-here-gms-plug-in-hybrid-is-the-chevy-v/
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The Chevy Volt is a 'serial' hybrid. Unlike a parallel hybrid, where both the electric drive and gas drive connect to the same wheels, in a serial hybrid, only the electric engine drives the whhels. The gas engine just charges the batteries.
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Why is this better? Because the electric motor doesn't even need a transmission to drive the wheels, the mechanical construction of the car is now far simpler and more reliable. Since the gas engine runs just to charge the batteries, it can run only at its most efficient speed. And best, of all, you can now plug the car in to charge off of grid electricity.
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Because of the greater efficiency of pure electric drive, driving on grid electricity only costs about a penny per mile!
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For most everyday driving in a car like this, the gas engine won't even be needed - so the wear and tear on those parts will be very low. Electric motors need no maintenance at all - there is only one moving part - and no oil changes, coolant, filters, or anything else. Newer battery designs are good for at least 100,000 miles, so that maintenance cost, while expensive, is offset by savings elsewhere.
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Answer 2

many hybrids have successfully made it to over 100,000 and some over 200,000 miles and those are just the older ones (2000-2003). The newer ones wil definitely outlast those. Manufacturers like Honda and Toyota certianly wouldn't put cars out on the road that couldn't live up to their excellent reputations. Batteries currently cost in the range of $3000 to replace, but very few have had to be replaced, and Honda is currently covering most of the cost for those replacements, covering the replacement until 150,000 miles. Hybrids still provide equal and superior fuel economy to diesels, as well as vastly lower emissions. You may not even be able to buy a diesel in America in 2007, because they don't even meet the minimum standards for emissions that all other passenger cars have to follow.

Answer 3

Consumer reports have said that the cost of buy a hybrid is not worth it, and you would not recoupe the money until gas hit $3-$4 a gallon, and stay for a long while, along while, for it to economical to purchase. I also heard the to replace the battery is almost 1/3 the cost of the car and that doesn't sound economical to me.

Answer 4

the fact is that the hybrid cars haven't been road tested so all the information they have comes from lab testing. it will take a few years before the owners can help the makers improve on the hybrids by pointing out problems that happen in real-life conditions.

hybrids are not just for fuel efficiency, the point is to reduce emissions as well. diesel engines still release greenhouse gases.

Answer 5

in the long run the diesel will be a better buy you would have to have your gas elec car for 25yrs to mack up the for extra cost of the car

Answer 6

they are good for local driving,,not sure on long distance