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Helpful Tips for Hybrid Car Owners

Be a true proud owner of a hybrid car! Here are some tips to make sure you have a good car that works for the long haul:

Hybrid Car Maintenance Tips

  • Batteries: Battery packs designed for hybrid vehicles are built to last the life of the car. This can be as long as 150,000 to 200,000 miles and more, although battery warranties are generally between eight and ten years and vary by manufacturer.
  • As more and more mechanics are learning how to properly service and repair hybrid vehicles, fewer owners are having to take their cars to the dealership for service. The maintenance costs of hybrid cars are generally the same as those of other vehicles, and may even be lower, since the wear of this type of engine is considerably less than that of conventional gasoline engines.
  • One of the best ways to avoid having to repair your car for any reason is to have it serviced regularly.
  • If you don’t plan to drive your hybrid car for more than three months, experts recommend starting the vehicle for about half an hour every 90 days. Leaving the car idle for more than three months may require a professional mechanic to charge the battery.

Tips for driving with energy savings

  • Maintain your speed: Maintaining a constant speed, without accelerating unnecessarily, allows for the best fuel efficiency. Energy is used every time you accelerate, energy that is also wasted when the car brakes again.
  • Slow down: It’s a proven fact that the faster you go, the more aerodynamic drag there is on a car, which essentially slows it down and makes the car work harder and use more energy. Speeds at 50 mph or about 81 kph have a drag force that is half what it would be at 70 mph or 113 kph.
  • Avoid stopping abruptly: Stopping abruptly in a hybrid vehicle primarily uses the power of the brakes. However, if you allow ample braking time, you give the electrical part of the motor a chance to recover some energy while slowing the car down, energy that can then be reused.
  • As with any vehicle, suddenly accelerating is a waste of energy and a hybrid is no different. Most hybrids will stay in an “all-electric mode” until the car reaches about 15 miles per hour. If you accelerate slowly from there, the car can stay in that energy-saving mode for up to 30 mph, saving gas and avoiding harmful emissions to the environment.

The vast majority of people drive on residential streets, from city to city on roads that have speed limits below 35 mph. By avoiding sudden accelerations and decelerations, you can help the car run as efficiently as possible, without unnecessarily using the gasoline engine for power.

Security issues

  • Towing – It is generally recommended to use a dolly when towing a hybrid vehicle, as many hybrid vehicles, including the Toyota Prius, require the front wheels to be off the ground. Some hybrid cars indicate that nothing should be towed behind the vehicle, although there are some that clearly indicate their specific towing capacity, which of course must be strictly adhered to for safety reasons.
  • Several hybrid vehicles come standard with airbags, but it’s always a good idea to check with the manufacturer to see if the specific types of airbags you’re looking for are offered on the model you’re interested in.
  • Crash Tests – Most hybrid cars have fairly high safety ratings compared to other vehicles of similar weight and they also have an impressive customer satisfaction rate.

Also be sure to check with your tax preparer in your area about any tax incentives or exemptions you may be eligible for as a hybrid vehicle owner. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States has allocated a lot of money for tax credits, however, as their popularity increases, the amount of tax credits decreases. For example, a Toyota Prius purchased before September 30, 2006 earned its owner $3,150 in tax credits and $1,575 if purchased between October 1, 2006 and March 31, 2007, but the same car purchased after October 1, 2007 is not eligible for any tax credit. absolutely.

Quick facts about hybrid cars

  • When a hybrid stalls, the gasoline portion of the engine shuts off and the electric motor takes over.
  • Hybrid cars are lighter and generally more aerodynamic than conventional cars.
  • Hybrid tires are typically stiffer and more inflated than normal car tires.