The most popular alternative fuel vehicles being researched today are: Gasoline-Electric Hybrids, Electric Cars, Clean Diesel, Biodiesel, Flex Fuel/E85, Natural Gas and Hydrogen Fuel Cells.

The most commonly purchased alternative vehicle on the road today is the gasoline-electric hybrid. Environmentalists love them because they are estimated to reduce emissions as much as 50 percent for carbon dioxide and 90 percent for carbon monoxide. Drivers who care about fuel economy love them because they are fuel efficient.

"But," you ask, "what is a hybrid and how does it work?"

Describing hybrids is a daunting task because not all hybrids are created equal.  The one thing all gasoline-hybrid electric vehicles have in common is that they are motorized by combining the typical gasoline engine with an electric motor powered by batteries. This is where the similarities end.

To simplify the differences I will break them down into Mild hybrids and Full hybrids. These two categories then break down into subcategories, but for ease of understanding and lack of space I'm not going there. 

A Mild Hybrid is powered by the traditional gasoline engine and the electric motor is on standby alert to provide extra power to the engine when higher speeds are needed. Instead of your engine gulping down the extra gas needed when passing on the highway or accelerating quickly, it would instead use electricity provided by the special batteries to give you the extra power needed and this is where the majority of gas savings come in.

Some mild hybrids can also save you gas by shutting off the engine at stoplights and in stop-and-go traffic. But the battery can only power the vehicle in very short bursts or up to a few miles per hour. The overall fuel savings are only 10-15 percent and it does not reduce emissions by much.

A Full Hybrid is probably what you are thinking of when you hear the word hybrid. In a full hybrid, the gasoline engine and the battery powered electrical motor work as partners. They both can supply power to the transmission to move the vehicle. If stopped at a traffic light the gasoline engine will turn off, and when it's time to move forward the electrical motor takes over providing the power for the car to move around town up to 25 mph. Once you go over 25 mph the gas engine will automatically take over. (This can vary by manufacturer, for instance the newest Ford Escape actually remains in electric mode up to 35 mph.) This makes full hybrids great for bumper-to-bumper commuter traffic and stop-and-go city driving and explains why many hybrids get great fuel economy over a similar pure gasoline-powered vehicle.

Depending on the make and model, the batteries are recharged in a variety of ways. Some recharge when the gasoline engine takes over, others use the electric motor to act as a generator to charge the battery, and then there is the "regenerative braking system." Hit the brakes and the electric motor functions as a generator which captures the "kinetic energy," converts it to electricity and recharges the battery pack. How cool is that!

One of the main concerns I hear people asking is how long the hybrid batteries will last. Good news is that the manufacturers are standing behind their products. The typical warranty is for 8 years/100,000 miles and there are plenty of hybrid batteries that have gone way beyond the warranty period without a failure. If you've driven your hybrid for eight to nine years and the rest of the car remains in good condition, it would still be reasonable to invest the money in the battery. A thousand dollars is cheaper than purchasing a new car. Plus, the manufacturers are spending a lot of money on researching new and improved batteries that could be installed.

At my shop we have invested in hybrid training, equipment, and tools. We are seeing that the cost of regular maintenance is about the same as that of a conventional car. There are enough differences in hybrids and regular vehicles that I highly suggest you take your hybrid to a certified trained hybrid technician or back to the dealer for any kind of service or repair.

Hybrids are very popular. Manufacturing for hybrids has tripled in the last four years in the United States alone, with production expected to double again this year.

Are hybrids worth the price? That is something you will have to answer yourself based on which model you choose, your driving environment, your driving habits, and your desire to help the environment. You can visit www.hybridcars.com for lots more information. I feel strongly that the most important aspect of supporting hybrid vehicles is that you are supporting a technology that is focused on creating a cleaner mode of transportation.

All My Best,
Amy Mattinat
www.amysgarage.com/blog


Amy Mattinat is on the advising board of AskPatty.com. Her career in the automotive industry began at Auto Craftsmen Ltd., an independent Import Dealership located in Montpelier, Vermont. Over the years Amy has done almost every job in the place. From cleaning lady to mechanic's helper, bookkeeping and marketing, to salesperson and service advisor; from part-time to full time, she took on more and more responsibility until she became so integrated in the life of the business and the customers that she was asked to become a business partner. Amy is passionate about creating Automotive Excellence within her business and feels that good communication is the essence of being able to explain, suggest and fix any problem her clients may have.