Pay Less at the Pump: The Hybrid Revolution
(Page 4 of 8)
October/November 2005
By John Rockhold
Owning a hybrid should be a worry-free experience — don’t believe naysayers who claim they come loaded with extra maintenance costs. Their regular maintenance needs are no different than gasoline-only vehicles, and the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius have earned the highest ratings for reliability and owner satisfaction from Consumer Reports. In a now-famous quote within the hybrid community, Toyota mechanic Gus Heredia told the Los Angeles Times, “I’d go broke if the Prius was all I worked on.”
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Hybrids also are backed by the same warranties you’d expect with any new automobile. Additional warranties cover the hybrid systems and typically last for eight years or 100,000 miles. The hybrid components do not require any routine maintenance, and the batteries will work for about 200,000 miles or more. When they do expire, they can be recycled.
Tune-ups and routine service for hybrids probably should be handled by a dealer-based mechanic — unless you know and trust an independent mechanic with hybrid experience. Dealers’ higher rates probably are worth paying to keep your hybrid in knowledgeable hands. Expect, though, to save some money on brake maintenance — regenerative braking reduces the use of mechanical brakes, extending their life.
In terms of safety, hybrids pose no more danger in a collision than any conventional vehicle. In fact, many hybrids offer the best in newer safety technologies, such as stability control, anti-lock brakes and side air bags. Here’s more good news: given those safety features, you may even save money on insurance for a hybrid, especially if you’re upgrading from an older vehicle and have a good driving record.
DRIVING A HYBRID
Initially, some hybrid owners find that their actual gas mileage doesn’t live up to what’s advertised. For many, the effort to improve their fuel economy becomes a diligent pursuit. Once drivers understand how hybrids work, they can adjust their driving habits to improve their mileage — for example, learning just when to press and release the accelerator to maximize coasting on the electric motor helps improve miles per gallon.
Consider, though, that the advertised fuel economy numbers may be slightly exaggerated. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses a 30-year-old methodology for calculating fuel economy. The tests do not account for modern influences on gas mileage such as air conditioning and speeds greater than 60 mph. The final numbers can be inflated by as much as 10 percent. (See Green Means Go.)
Properly driven hybrids, though, will match their EPA-rated fuel economy more closely than nonhybrids, according to Amory Lovins, senior author of Winning the Oil Endgame and chief executive officer of Rocky Mountain Institute, an independent, nonprofit think tank devoted to energy and resource efficiency.
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