Many people see hybrids as direct upgrades to gasoline-powered cars because of their low emissions and high costs, but are they faster?
On average, gasoline vehicles are faster than hybrid vehicles. Though hybrids have superior fuel economy, they’re optimized for fuel efficiency and power conservation as opposed to power output. This means they have usually less raw power, accelerate at a much slower rate, and aren’t as capable of reaching high speeds when compared to gasoline-powered cars.
For example, the 2016 Toyota Prius has 121 horsepower — numbers comparable to a mid-range sedan from the 1980s. It has a top speed of 112 mph. Another sedan, the gas-powered 2016 Toyota Camry, has 178 horsepower and a top speed of 137 mph in comparison.
But hybrids also combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, which can provide instant torque and efficiency, sometimes giving them an edge in acceleration.
Gasoline vehicles rely solely on their engine’s power output and driveline ratio, which can be optimized for speed or efficiency depending on the car.
For one example of a hotrod hybrid, the Porsche 918 Spyder, has 0-60 times of about 2.5 seconds. Using this metric, it can edge out a gas-burning monster like a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which can hit 60 in around 3.6 seconds.
The hybrid’s electric boost complements its gas engine for explosive starts.
Though hybrids are slower than gasoline vehicles, they make up for their lack of speed in other ways. For example, they use less fuel, have less emissions, generate less noise, and provide drivers with a safe and pleasant driving experience.
Hybrid vehicles are technically superior to full electric vehicles due to the fact that they have an alternate power source rather than totally depending on full electric power. A hybrid isn’t designed to travel a long distance on battery power alone and won’t go very far at all if the gasoline engine stops working.
While hybrid vehicles aren’t as satisfying to drive on highways and vast stretches of road, they’re exceptional when it comes to urban driving where stop-and-go situations are common.
Both hybrids and gasoline-powered vehicles have their own sets of pros and cons that make them ideal for certain lifestyles.
Hybrid vehicles are powered by both internal combustion engines and electric motors, making them incredibly fuel-efficient.
Hybrid gas engines sometimes use Atkinson-cycle designs that sacrifice some power for efficiency rather than the standard Otto cycle. The Toyota Prius engine, for example, is an Atkinson-cycle engine and as such, it’s less powerful alone but works in tandem with electric power.
These vehicles also use regenerative braking to capture energy generated during braking and store it in the battery.
Gas-powered cars rely solely on internal combustion engines that burn fuel to operate. Unlike hybrids, these cars don’t have electric motors, nor do they switch between gas and electric power.
Don’t be fooled by their lack of power – hybrids have significantly more to offer drivers than speed. There are a lot of benefits and drawbacks that come with driving these vehicles so it’s important to familiarize yourself with them.
Benefits that come with driving a hybrid include their high resale value, infrequent maintenance, and low emissions.
One of the biggest advantages of driving a hybrid is that they’re good for the environment. Because they’re so fuel-efficient and because of their regenerative braking technology, they produce less emissions and release fewer greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere compared to gasoline-powered cars.
Another advantage is that they have high resale values. Because of their unique technology and because they’re good for the environment, they are more unique and less easy to come by. This means buyers are willing to pay more for secondhand vehicles.
Hybrids use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, which helps reduce the strain on a single component. This means you won’t have to bring your hybrid to a mechanic for maintenance as frequently as you would with a gas-powered car.
Some of the drawbacks of driving a hybrid include high maintenance costs, unimpressive performance, and high upfront costs.
Based on the difference between the up front cost of, for example, a Ford Fusion Hybrid versus a gasoline powered Fusion, you’ll need to drive 15,000 miles a year for about 6 years before you’ll break even on the extra money you spent. By that time, you may need a replacement battery, which will put you even farther out of the break-even range.
Batteries always need to be replaced sooner or later, and as the battery degrades, the fuel economy on a hybrid will suffer.
Because of their advanced technology and complex systems, hybrid cars may have high upfront costs.
As mentioned previously, the top speeds of hybrid cars aren’t usually as high as gasoline-powered cars. These vehicles are optimized for fuel efficiency as opposed to speed and power, making them less ideal for drivers keen on reaching top speeds on the highway.
Even if hybrids are capable of delivering torque quickly and effectively, most aren’t designed with performance in mind. An example is the Toyota Prius. Of course, this ultimately depends on the make and model of the vehicle.
Hybrid cars don’t just have high upfront costs – they also have expensive maintenance costs. Though you won’t need to bring your hybrid to a mechanic for maintenance frequently, these vehicles have both gas engines and electric motors. Servicing them requires a certain degree of proficiency and familiarity with both systems, which means higher labor costs.
It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of driving a vehicle that solely runs on fuel. After all, speed isn’t everything.
Some benefits of driving a gasoline-powered car include its powerful performance, convenience, and availability.
One of the biggest advantages of getting a gas-powered car over a hybrid car is its power output. On average, these vehicles accelerate better and are capable of reaching higher top speeds.
Another advantage is that they’re one of the most common vehicle types in the world. It’s easier to find a repair shop if you find yourself in a pinch while traveling. They’re incredibly straightforward vehicles.
Because gasoline-powered cars are common, they’re easy to come across. You won’t have to spend as much money on them compared to hybrids – especially if you’re buying them secondhand.
Most of the disadvantages of driving gas-powered cars are related to their impact on the environment.
Fossil fuels are infamous for being harmful to the environment. Whenever gasoline is burned, greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere. These gases can pollute the air and, according to some experts, contribute to accelerated climate change, negatively impacting the health of the planet and its inhabitants.
On the other hand, water vapor is by far the most significant greenhouse gas. CO2 is what we all breathe out, as do vehicles, and plants breathe CO2 and produce oxygen.
Furthermore, hybrid batteries aren’t good for the environment either due to the need to dispose of used up batteries and the huge strip mining operations required to gather the materials to manufacture the batteries.
The production of lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid vehicles involves mining materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. This process can disrupt ecosystems, consume large amounts of water, and result in harmful waste.
Manufacturing hybrid vehicles requires more energy than producing traditional vehicles due to the complexity of the dual-power systems and battery components. So hybrid vehicles aren’t as totally clean as they might seem.
If you’re looking for a vehicle that’s extremely fuel-efficient and has high MPG, you’re better off with a hybrid. Some gas-powered models are more fuel-efficient than others, but popular vehicles like SUVs and trucks are typically known as gas-guzzlers.
Take note, however, that small diesel-powered vehicles get excellent fuel economy that is comparable to some hybrids. Larger hybrid vehicles don’t do as well on fuel economy as small hybrid vehicles.
The price of oil is volatile and prone to change – especially if supply is disrupted. Some experts say, however, that there is enough fossil fuel in the world to last for hundreds of years, and that the problem with them is mostly political.
It’s arguably one of the biggest selling points of hybrid vehicles is how much better they are for the environment compared to other vehicles. Studies have shown that, on average, they release less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere compared to gas-powered cars.
More often than not, they’re also more fuel-efficient than gas-powered cars. Tests conducted in moderate traffic showed that the hybrid’s electric motor activates at low speeds and reduces both fuel consumption and emissions. It’s estimated that hybrids consume less fuel than conventional gas cars in urban, suburban, and highway traffic, with savings of 56%, 46%, and 26%, respectively.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re always more fuel-efficient. Hybrid vehicles are optimized for short drives in the city, meaning their fuel economy decreases in long-distance drives — especially ones with heavy traffic.
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