Hybrid Cars and Plug-in Hybrid Cars

By Colin Jones

Hybrid cars are on everyone's minds these days. Twenty, forty, or fifty dollars for a tank of gas? Who really wants to pay that sort of money? But, frustrated, the petrol consumer sighs, but pays up. However, hybrid vehicles are being richly applauded for the small amount of petrol they need to operate, and they are flying off the forecourts of car dealerships each and everyday in ever increasing numbers.

But what about a plug-in hybrid? Most consumers have heard that these cars are fantastic as well. So, someone might be asking him or herself, what exactly a plug-in hybrid is? How do they work, and what the difference between a plug-in hybrid and a regular hybrid is?

Plug-in hybrid cars are able to run just on batteries, but they can also use petrol also. These types of hybrid cars have some of the features of hybrid vehicles. They are also very similar to all-electric vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid cars must be charged externally by plugging them into an electrical power source. The combustion engine of plug-in hybrid vehicles is engaged only as a back up. These cars can run only on batteries if desired, but it is expected that these types of hybrid cars are recharged daily.

Hybrid cars travel just as many miles as a conventional car. Designed to go the extra mile where fuel-mileage is concerned, hybrids can be driven on the highway, in cities, or wherever else a person needs to drive.

On the other hand, plug-in hybrids are designed to handle commuter-length distances, meaning between twenty and sixty miles between destinations. This way, the plug-in hybrid does not have to use its back up combustion engine, but plug-in hybrids can go further using fuel as well.

Hybrids help to minimize pollution, but they still pollute the air. Compared with plug-in hybrids, hybrid cars still have a long way to go where pollution is concerned. Since plug-in hybrid cars can run solely on their battery power, they don't have to emit waste gases. That means that plug-in hybrids don't need to pollute the atmosphere.

Plug-in hybrids really do cut total greenhouse gas emissions and plug-in hybrids use virtually no oil at all, imported or not. Studies have shown that electric hybrids emit at least 67% less greenhouse gases than diesel cars. Since the product used to power plug-in hybrids is completely renewable, the difference in greenhouse gas emissions may be even greater than the study showed.

There you have it - the major differences between plug-in hybrids and regular hybrid cars. It could make a big difference, but you would be surprised at how little it actually matters at the moment, but tht's only because plug-in hybrids are not being marketed to consumers yet! But this article should make you excited about the fantastic plug-in hybrid car, which will be featuring soon on a dealership near you.

And it's going to be a spectacular debut too. People already really like regular hybrid cars, but they haven't seen anything until they see the new plug-in hybrid cars. However, for now, maybe they should just be satisfied with what they have, because who knows? Before plug-in hybrid cars come out, something even better might be introduced onto the market. - 21396

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