What Are the Benefits of Hybrid Cars

There are many benefits of owning a hybrid car. To maximize it, you first have to buy one but if you are still hesitant, here are some things you should know.

Hybrid cars use gasoline and an electric motor. This means one of the benefits of using a hybrid car is lower carbon emissions and better mileage. This means you may not need to go to the gasoline station and refuel every 4 or 5 days. As a result, you get to save your hard earned dollars for other expenses.

Aside from saving money on gas, you also get incentives for owning a hybrid car. This varies from state to state and to give you an idea, here are a few;

In California, hybrid car owners are allowed to use the carpool lanes and are exempt from parking fees in certain parts of the state.

If you happen to live in Colorado, you get a tax credit.

For those in living in Connecticut, people who decide to purchase a hybrid car with a fuel economy rating of 40 miles per gallon or higher are exempt from paying a sales tax.

In Florida and Georgia, owners of hybrid cars are allowed to use the carpool lanes regardless of the number of passengers in the vehicle.

Residents of Maine are eligible for a tax rebate of $500.00 while people in Maryland are offered a tax rebate of $1000.00

In New Mexico, those who have hybrid cars don't have to pay motor vehicle's excise tax.

For those who live in the Big Apple or New York City, you are given $5000 worth of tax rebates.

To know what incentives you get, it is best to check with the local authorities.

The first hybrid cars that came out used an electric motor similar to what is used in a golf car. This had to be plugged in to an outlet so it can be fully charged. The good news is that you don't have to that anymore thanks to regenerative braking technology which allows you to recharge your batteries every time you step on the brake.

Another benefit of hybrid cars is the long warranty. Two of the best sellers in the market happen to be Toyota and Honda who have been selling hybrid cars in the US since 1999. If you buy a car from them right now, you get an 8 year/100,000 miles per year or 36,000 mile warranty whichever comes first and this already includes the car's battery.

You know that you can switch power from gas to electricity and back when you drive a hybrid car. But did you know that the vehicle automatically shuts off its combustion engine when idling? There are not a lot of people who know that and the benefit of this is to help conserve gas and reduce the wear of the engine.

Studies have shown that although a car's resale value goes down after so many years, the hybrid cars seem to keep their value. Just how much you might ask? Well a hybrid car retains about 75% of its resale value over 5 years compared to a conventional vehicle that retains only about 60% its original value.

That is a difference of 15% and if you do the math and you will realize that this is another benefit of owning a hybrid car.

A small benefit of owning a hybrid car is the fact that there are only a few of them on the road. The reason for this is the price which is three or four thousand dollars more expensive than conventional cars but owning one will surely make you stand out when you drive around town.

So the question now will be which hybrid car should you get? Based on mileage reports, the best vehicle to get is the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic or Honda Insight. These are the only vehicles in the market that will let go above 40 miles per gallon in city or highway driving which translates to huge savings. US made cars need a lot to improve on given that you can only get 35 miles per gallon.

If you are still driving an SUV, perhaps you should consider trading it in for hybrid car. In the long term, you save money, protect the environment and get certain incentives. So instead of just reading about the benefits of hybrid cars, why not avail of it?