Monthly Archives: January 2009
Used Hybrid Cars And The Rechargeable Battery Pack
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to buy new or a used hybrid cars, either way you should be aware of what’s actually under the hood. Some don’t give it much thought, but as a owner of a hybrid car, you should. Hybrid cars have battery-powered motors and it’s a good idea for you to get familiar with the hybrid car battery pack.
Here a some facts for you to look at in regards to the battery pack of new and used hybrid cars.
Let’s start off with the issue of the battery needing to be replaced. The battery packs of these cars do not need to be replaced. As a matter of fact the batteries are covered under the warranty for a time period that last between eight to ten years. If you want to know how long that is in mileage, the life span is 150,000 to 200,000 miles, but is expected to last longer than that.
Environmentalist have been making sure that the materials used in the batteries won’t harm the planet, so the vehicles use NiMH batteries. The NiMH batteries are fully recyclable, unlike the rechargeable nickel cadmium batteries.
The batteries of the hybrid cars have hundreds of cells. which usually means that there is a lot of complexity going on under the hood. Don’t worry, the warranty covers the battery, so there’s little to really worry about.
Research has shown that there have been a very low failure rate on the battery pack of these hybrids. Toyota has reported that some of the original Prius models have gone over 300,000 miles.
For those of you who watch the news reports that these batteries cost nearly $9,000 and say that it’s not worth the investment, I’m here to say that these batteries are built to last. If by the off chance the battery does fail, again it’s covered under the cars warranty. The Department of Energy looked into hybrid vehicles, but stopped its test when the capacity was “just like new” after 160,000 miles.
As time goes on and the technology evolves, the next generation of hybrid batteries will have more power, last longer and cost a whole lot less.
So when you start looking to buy eco friendly cars, take comfort to know that the batteries aren’t really an issue.
Used Hybrid Cars – 5 Myths
Over the last couple of decades we’ve been talking about hybrid vehicles and the issues that come along with them. Some think that the hybrids are the best thing for many different reasons, while others say that it’s really not worth it. There are a lot of used hybrid cars on the roads today and they de-bunk many of the myths that are being floated out there to discourage the advancement of these vehicles. With all the things that have been thrown at you, how do you separate truth from myth? We’ve listed many of the hybrid myths that are out there.
Myth #1
Hybrid cars are the same as electric cars
One has nothing to do with the other. Hybrid cars are fuel-powered for the most part. Hybrids have what is referred to as battery assisted. The assist is done with a nickel-metal batter pack that is rechargeable.
Myth #2
You are guaranteed to save money with a hybrid car
It doesn’t make a difference if you are doing city driving or you’re doing highway driving, you may or may not save gas. There are too many factors involved to really get a solid answer on that.
Myth #3
A hybrid cars battery can run out
The battery of a hybrid car does not run out while you’re driving it. Since the engine in a hybrid does not idle when stopped (for a red light or in heavy traffic). At those times the hybrid car recharges it’s battery. There is no need to worry about “running out”.
Myth #4
The hybrid cars rechargeable battery only lasts for 2 years
One of the most expensive part in a hybrid is the battery, so if that was the case, the hybrid car would not be worth purchasing. The Battery typically comes with a eight -ten year warranty.
Myth #5
If I run out of gas, I can keep driving on the hybrid car battery
As I stated in myth number one, the battery is an assist, which means the hybrid car still needs gas to run. If you do run out of gas, you might make it to the nearest gas station, but that’s about it.
The Future Of Used Hybrid Cars
Since the beginning that hybrid cars hit the market, it’s been said that their future is etched in stone. In 2000 the first Hybrid rolled off the assembly line and since then the sales of these vehicles have been selling like crazy. Even today they still sell quite well and the used hybrid cars that are for sale have been doing the same thing. The resale value have held up just as the conventional cars if not better, but what’s to come of these vehicles in the future?
For decades the United States wanted a more fuel efficient. The price a gas as gone up to unbelievable levels in 2008 and I’m sure even with the price coming back down, it won’t stay there for long. You would think that with the fuel economy issues at hand, the future of the new and used hybrid cars would be safe. We will have to see.
It’s being speculated that eco friendly cars will outpace sales of other cars, including pick-ups, SUV’s, luxury models because of the fuel efficiency. Many of bosses of the automakers are making dreams of accomplishing this within five years. Opponents believe that it’s impossible to see that far ahead with the uncertainty of the price of oil. We also don’t even know if the big three in Detroit will be around in five years.
With all the uncertainty and without stable numbers, it’s difficult to successfully predict ho many hybrids will be sold in the future. The American people do like their SUV’s, and luxury cars that it may be hard for them to give them up so easily.
It’s also hard to predict the economy in the future. Hybrid cars are expensive and if the economy takes a bigger downturn than it has already, people may not be able to get the good paying jobs to afford a hybrid.
Then, yes, if the economy goes down, car bosses will definitely have put their foot in their mouths when it comes to hybrid cars.
What are your plans that may affect the future of hybrid cars? Are you going to buy new of used hybrid cars?
Used Hybrid Cars – Are They Better?
Everybody wants a great fuel-efficient car that can get great mileage. I’m sure you’ve thought to yourself that there has to be a better, more fuel efficient car out there. You’ve looked at the used hybrid cars that came out years ago and compare them to the newer models like that 2008 Toyota Prius and you see that the mileage of these types of vehicles have gotten better over the years.
You ask yourself where is the car that gets the best mileage out there, better than the hybrids. You think to yourself that maybe the dealer is hiding it in the back of the showroom for those who can pay a little more. I mean this car must surely exist. Could it be that there’s a compact conventional car there that gets better mileage than the hybrids? A small conventional is definitely not more fuel-efficient than a hybrid car because no conventional car is.
Maybe it’s a car that doesn’t run on fuel at all. You’ve seen those you-tube videos showing you someone who has his car running on vegetable oil. You figure that the automakers can do that, so where is that car?
Maybe it’s an electric car that doesn’t use any fuel. You can’t even compare an electric car to a hybrid since one doesn’t even use fuel. So where is this car?
The answer to all the questions you may have on fuel-efficient comparisons is…there isn’t any other car out there in today’s market that can get better mileage than a hybrid car. This is why the hybrid is such a popular car. If you look at the 2008 Toyota prius, you will see that it has a combined highway/city mileage of 46 miles to the gallon. All hybrid cars must get over the 40 miles per gallon mark
So after you looked high and low for any and all new discoveries out there that can compete with the hybrids, you can rest easy knowing that there isn’t one out there that can do it. So if you were afraid that after you purchased any new or used hybrid cars, that you would have found a better one, forget it. in this market, there is none that compare to the hybrids.
Don’t get me wrong though, in years to come there just might be a different type of vehicle that can beat the hybrids on mileage.