Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Hybrid Cars and Plug-in Hybrid Cars

By Colin Jones

Hybrid cars are on everyone's lips these days. Twenty, forty, or fifty dollars for a tank of fuel? Who really wants to pay that sort of money? But, frustrated, the fuel consumer sighs, but pays up. However, hybrid vehicles are being richly applauded for the small amount of fuel they need to operate, and they are being driven 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. Then, 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 solely on batteries, but they can also run on 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 vehicles must be recharged externally by connecting a plug to an electrical power source. The combustion engine in 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 kinds of hybrid cars are recharged daily.

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

On the other hand, plug-in hybrids are meant to handle commuter-type distances, meaning between twenty and sixty miles. Used in this fashion, the plug-in hybrid does not have to make use of 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 atmosphere. Compared with plug-in hybrids, hybrid cars still have a long way to go as far as pollution is concerned. Since plug-in hybrid cars can run solely on their battery power, they don't have to emit waste fuel emissions at all.

Plug-in hybrids really do reduce 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.

And so there you have it. Those are the main differences between plug-in hybrids and regular hybrid cars. It makes a big difference, but you would be surprised how little that matters at the current moment. And that's only because plug-in hybrids are not being sold to consumers at this present time. But this article should get you excited about the wonderful plug-in hybrid car, coming soon to a forecourt 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.

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