Many people seek out and buy hybrid vehicles mainly for their environmental benefits and expect a bonus in the form of excellent gas mileage. However, they find they don’t save as much at the pump as they had anticipated.
Automotive trainer Bill Peek, who has taught automotive trainers and technicians for more than 35 years (www.autodataservices.com), says that hybrid owners have to adopt a different style of driving to save more on gas. His driving strategies…
Braking. Hybrid batteries are charged by braking and by the gasoline engine. Stopping recaptures energy for free and stores it in the battery for later use — one reason why hybrids get their best mileage in stop-and-go traffic. Long, light braking works best. Acceleration. Avoid jackrabbit starts. They cause the gasoline engine to kick in too soon. Accelerate slowly to stay on battery power as long as possible. Speed. Hybrids switch from electric to gasoline at 25 to 40 miles per hour (mph), depending on the model — sooner if you are driving uphill. Try to stay under that threshold in local driving. Trip length. You won’t get good mileage if you drive only short distances. The gasoline engine, the catalytic converter and, in some models, the heater need to warm up before the hybrid system kicks in. Tire pressure. As with conventional cars, tires create drag. Hybrid cars use stiffer tires that are inflated to a higher pressure than conventional tires, causing only about half the drag. Keep tires inflated to their maximum recommended pressure. Watch the monitor. Hybrids show whether the car is running on the battery or gasoline. This feedback has definitely changed my local driving habits.Besides the fuel-saving and environmental benefits, there are other incentives to buying a hybrid…
Tax credits. A federal income tax credit of up to $3,400 is available to the hybrid’s original owner. Credits begin phasing out when the manufacturer sells 60,000 hybrid vehicles. (Toyota’s and Honda’s have already expired, and Ford’s are being phased out). Chevrolet and Nissan still have credits available. Look up the tax credit status of each automaker at the US Department of Energy Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid.shtml.Some states, such as Colorado and Oregon, offer their own tax credits.
Sales tax exemptions. Some states, including Connecticut, exempt high-mileage vehicles and hybrids. (Some Connecticut exemptions expire this year.) High-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes. Certain highways allow hybrids to travel in HOV lanes even if they are not carrying passengers. Check with your department of motor vehicles. Parking discounts are offered by various hotels (for example, the Kimpton chain) and other businesses. Auto insurance discounts. The main insurers are Travelers and Farmers. As hybrids become more common, some concerns have surfaced. In an accident, a hybrid’s high-voltage cables, which connect the battery pack to the motor, could become exposed, creating an electrocution hazard to emergency personnel. Experts say that hybrids are no more dangerous than conventional vehicles so long as rescuers follow standard procedures, such as making sure that the ignition has been shut off. Concerns also have been raised about electromagnetic fields (EMFs). It is unclear whether hybrids expose occupants to greater EMFs than traditional vehicles — or whether any vehicle’s EMF contributes to health problems.
