do you like hybrid cars???

Question

what are the advantages and disadvantages of having one??? do they ever stall?? what kind of gas do you use??? is it E85 ??? does the effect hybrids have really make a difference?? are they worth it??? have you ever used a hybrid taxi or bus??? what are your feelings on em??? do tell darlings

Answer 1

For the hybrids that were available in 2006 for these studies, Intellichoice found that they are cheaper to own over a 5 year ownership period than their conventional gasoline counterparts, while Consumer Reports only found that true of the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid (once they fixed their calculation error which was in the print edition of the April cars issue...).
http://www.intellichoice.com/press/Hybrid-Survey-2006
http://www.intellichoice.com/carBuying101/HypeOverHybrids
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11637968/

The problem is that not all hybrids are created equal. There are different hybrid technologies, depending on manufacturer. Even among the same manufacturer, you can find one model tuned for performance (power and acceleration) with only a slight fuel efficiency improvement, compared to another tuned for fuel efficiency and emissions. (See the Honda Accord Hybrid vs. Honda Civic Hybrid, or the Lexus hybrid models compared to their sister Toyota hybrid models...)

There is more to vehicle ownership besides initial purchase cost and the amount of gasoline used - there is also the costs to maintain and insure it, and also depreciation costs.

However, the societal costs for emissions are not included. The hybrids tend to be at worst an ULEV, with many an AT-PZEV. Some are only sold in CA-emissions states. (Compare that to the often suggested VW TDIs, which cannot be sold new in CA-emission states because of their poor emissions.)


So far, no commercially-available hybrid is a flex-fuel vehicle (run on E85, or 85% ethanol). There have been no long-term studies done regarding use of E85 in a current hybrid, but some short-term study by the Creed Project has been done on the Prius which give it a check engine light, higher cold-start emissions, and reduced MPG. http://www.greenenergynetwork.com/media/studies/prius-e85.PDF
E10 should be just fine, however.

What kind of gasoline to use, again depends on the hybrid. Hybrid Toyotas in the US use regular 87 octane ((R+M)/2 method), while their Hybrid Lexus cousins tend to use premium...

I've seen Prius used as taxis or airport shuttle service sedans for quite a while now, in many major cities (Boston, NYC, London, Vancouver, etc.) There are also quite a few Ford Escape hybrids in use in the NYC taxi fleet (and even a Toyota Highlander hybrid or Lexus RX400h too!). Most city buses I've seen in Boston or NYC have been either hybrids or CNG. Nothing all that different regarding a hybrid taxi/bus to warrant a question about it, though.

For some people used to listening to the sound of the vehicle's engine, it may SOUND like a hybrid is stalling, but in fact it is not - that's just the vehicle shutting down the gasoline engine (since it may not be required to propel the vehicle, or provide charge for the hybrid battery, or provide climate control) as it is designed to do. I have not heard of a hybrid in actuality stalling, though.

Advantages/Disadvantages to hybrids:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylv=3?qid=20060901093048AAvvBZj

Answer 2

We have a Prius, we've had it about two years. I think it's a great little car. I was worried it might be 'gutless' but it has plenty of pep, and is easy and fun to drive. Because of the layout under the hood it's taller than most cars, so there's plenty of room in it, including a very comfortable and roomy back seat. We get between 45 and 50 mpg, which is better than my motorcycle. It does better in town than on the freeway!

All Japanese cars do 200,000 miles, and it's too early to tell if ours will really save us money because the batteries are only guaranteed for 100,000 miles. There are many batteries (25, I think. Something like that) and they will fail one at a time. They cost something like $100 each to replace, but they could be cheaper in a few years when they actually start failing. So it's hard to say how much money we will save (if any) in the long run.

But suppose next year all the cars sold in the US were hybrids. In 5 or 6 years. gas consumption would drop by at least a third. Just imagine!

The next generation of hybrids will be electric-only for short trips, but the gas engine will kick in after, say, 100 miles. This means they are essentially electric vehicles for commuting, shopping, etc. but you can still take them on a long trip if you need to. This will mean even greater savings on gas.

Our Prius is not e85 but I don't see why one couldn't be made that way. Also yes we do have hybrid buses here (and Priuses being used as taxis).

Answer 3

I love the Prius....it's an awesome car. The hybrid battery pack is designed to last the life of the car...it's extremely rare that it will ever need any attention. The Prii that have 220,000 and 320,000 miles on them are on their original battery pack with no problems.

No, it never stalls. Prii are very easy to own. Most of the maintainance items or repairs other cars need don't even apply on the Prius. They just might be the most reliable cars on the road.

I run on 85 octane regular gas. E85 isn't all it's cracked up to be. No, the Prius can't use E85 (which is fine).

I average over 60 mpg (I run higher tire pressure).

The big benefit is the very low emissions. The engine only runs when it needs to and there are numerous other features to reduce emmissions.

I can't see any disadvantages at all, other than a slightly higher purchase price.

Answer 4

The advantage is that the gasoline engine can then be quite small, since power is obtained from not one but two sources. When you consider that at highway speeds the average car requires only 20 horsepower to keep it running, a large gasoline engine makes little sense except for pulling heavy loads.

The disadvantage is...........

If you replace the batteries after the warranty expires, it will most likely cost several thousand dollars. Toyota claims prices will drop as hybrids become more popular; battery packs currently run around $4900.

However the pack contains 38 modules that can be replaced individually for $138.00 each. Honda's Insight and Civic hybrids have an 8-yr./80,000-mi. warranty on most of the power train, including batteries, and a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on the rest of the car.

The Prius has an 8-yr./100,000-mi. warranty on the battery and hybrid systems, plus a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on everything else. The electric motors and batteries don't require maintenance over the life of the vehicle.

Also you as the owner will never be able to work on it yourself, nothing at all.

You will be married to the dealer for life and the sad thing is that there are a lot of dealerships that still do not know how to fix these vehicles.

Lastly, there have reports of technician's that have been killed while working on these vehicles due to the large amount of voltage.

Answer 5

I love the concept of them, but I won't buy one.
These cars are definitely more about saving the enviroment than saving you money. Yes, the mileage is much better (if you drive in the city), but it would take years before you make the money back on the gas you use.
You need to remember that these cars cost a few grand more than their straight gasoline counterparts and repairs are much higher. I think I just heard those battery packs are around $4,500!
I don't think I'd buy a used one if I were you.
As far as gas, they use regular gas. I don't think there is an e-85 option yet. If Chevy made one there would be. And about the enviroment, it does make a big difference when more and more people drive these cars.

Answer 6

I love hybrid cars, they make the world a better place