Hybrid+Car

Hybrid Car Factsheet Hybrid Car = car that uses - a gasoline internal combustion engine - an electric motor - a battery that powers the electric motor and stores energy for future use. Example: Toyota Prius, Honda CivicHybrid (HCH), and the Honda Insight. hybrid cars currently on the market cost from $3500 to $6000 more per car than comparable cars with conventional gas engines The cost of hybrid batteries ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, Hybrid cars work by seamlessly integrating a gas engine, an electric motor and a high-powered battery. The battery provides power for the electric motor and is recharged by recapturing energy that would normally be lost when decelerating or coasting. This recapturing of energy is called regenerative braking. If needed, power from the gas engine can be diverted to recharge the battery as well. Because of these charging strategies, hybrid cars never need to be plugged in. Hybrid cars are lightweight because they are made of aluminum and plastic, which improves mileage. Hybrids emit substantially less of the following pollutants: Carbon Dioxide(global warming),Carbon Monoxide(damages central nervous system), sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons(lung irritants, birth defects), lead. The hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine. The hybrid engine currently sold in the Honda Civic Hybrid gets 10 to 15 miles more per gallon than a regular gas engine in the same car. ** Honda Insight: ** City 61 Highway 68 Federal tax credit of about $1000(varies for different vehicles) for purchasers of new, qualifying hybrid vehicles. This federal tax credit is scheduled to be eliminated by Oct 1, 2007. April, 2004. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last week his endorsement of a plan that would allow hybrid electric vehicles to use the state's 1,112 miles of carpool lanes.
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 * Toyota Prius: ** City 60 Highway 51
 * Honda Civic: ** City 50 Highway 50
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