It has become increasingly difficult to find reliable information out about hybrids. Not that there isn’t any out there, quite the contrary, instead there seems to be too much, most of it often contradictory. For every article about how it’s not worth it to buy one, there’s one testimonial about saving thousands. Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy answer, and finding the right information and being armed with it can be the difference between being the proud owner of a hybrid, and a disappointed owner of one, or even owning one at all. After just over a year of ownership of a hybrid, I’ve heard a lot of information, some very good, and some very bad.
Regardless of your situation, if you’re even thinking about getting a hybrid as your next vehicle, you should always start with doing the research. There isn’t a standard Hybrid, each company has a different system, a different approach, and vastly different vehicles, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. But, that’s getting ahead of the game.
Hybrids 101: Terminology
HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicles. All hybrids currently on the market are HEVs. They use a combination of gas and electric motors to drive the vehicle, either one or the other, or both together, depending on the circumstances. The electricity is self-generated via regenerative braking and in certain circumstances, the gas engine. You don’t plug it in.
PEV: Plug-in Electric Vehicles. GM’s EV1 was such a vehicle, and there were many experimental designs in the 1990’s and later, they use a completely electric drive, no gas. They were plugged in.
PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. The idea behind the PHEV is a marriage of the HEV and the PEV, to have a vehicle that had a limited electric only range, like a PEV, once that battery was drained, would run like a normal HEV vehicle with a second battery. Then you could plug it in and recharge PEV battery. There are currently none in the market, though there may be one as early as 2008.
EV: Electric Vehicle Mode. Sometimes called stealth or cloaked mode by owners, this is when the HEV is operating without the gasoline engine. All movement is generated by the electric motor, which runs silently. Most hybrids operate in EV at low speeds, at stops, and when they’re slowing down.
ICE: Internal Combustion Engine. Nothing tricky here, the ICE is the conventional gasoline engine that we’re all used to.
IMA: Integrated Motor Assist. One of the two hybrid systems, it uses the electric motor to help out the gasoline engine. This is the approach Honda uses on their hybrid vehicles.
HSD: Hybrid Synergy Drive. One of the two hybrid systems, it uses the gasoline engine to help out the electric motor. This is the approach that Toyota and Ford use on their hybrid designs.
Many of the Hybrids have their own abbreviations that you may see frequently in hybrid discussions:
FEH: Ford Escape Hybrid
MMH: Mercury Mariner Hybrid
HiHy: Toyota Highlander Hybrid
HCH: Honda Civic Hybrid
HAH: Honda Accord Hybrid
TCH: Toyota Camry Hybrid
The Toyota Prius and RX400H, and the Honda Insight aren’t usually abbreviated.
If a sea of mixed information wasn’t bad enough, there are a lot of hybrid myths out there confusing people as well. The first question I’ve been asked, universally, is “Do you plug it in?” The answer is no, you don’t plug it in. All the hybrids on the market use a combination of regenerative braking and the gasoline engine to replenish the charge of the battery, no plugs, no external power sources. The regenerative braking system works by using a generator instead of conventional brakes to slow the vehicle down. As you apply brake pressure to the pedal, the electric motor works in reverse, taking forward movement and reconverting it to electricity. Your brake pedal doesn’t feel any different. The harder you brake, the harder the generator works, the slower you go, and the more electricity you generate. Hybrids also have conventional brakes, which they use in an emergency with the regenerative braking system to stop you, or when you come to a complete stop. In fact, during/after a rainstorm, you may find your hybrid vehicles brakes get grabby when you stop. When the conventional brakes kick in, they’re not friction dried like normal brakes and wet brakes are grabby. In addition to the regenerative braking system, there’s also the ability to use the gasoline engine as a generator. When you let off the gas pedal, for instance, the power that the gas engine is generating is diverted to the electric battery as the engine ramps down to meet the decreased power demands. If you’re stuck in traffic, and the battery charge runs low, the gasoline engine will kick on, and recharge the battery. With both of those systems, the battery maintains its charge, and doesn’t need an external source to power it.
Speaking of the battery, one often debated point is the battery lifespan. Most batteries are designed to outlive the vehicle, though that’s not to say that something could go wrong. As a buyer, you are protected with an 8 year, 100,000 mile automatic warranty on all hybrid components. (10 year/150,000 in some green states) So far, we don’t know what it would cost to replace the batteries, as most models don’t have a vehicle that old.
The other major demon out there is the mileage conundrum. Many people expect that owning a hybrid is sufficient, and in most cases it is, you will get slightly better MPGs driving a hybrid than its conventional equivalent, but that’s really the tip of the iceberg. If you’re willing to re-learn how to drive, how to utilize driving techniques that really help the hybrid technology shine, you can achieve some fantastic mileage. Driving 85 MPH with a ladder on the roof isn’t one of them, and so you shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t get good mileage if you try to do that. Driving slower, anticipating stops, using techniques like the double tapping the brakes as you slow down or shifting into a braking gear to get your engine off sooner, gentler accelerations to maximize electric starts, just minor changes like that can result in you beating the EPA MPGs by a considerable margin. (And when was the last time your vehicle even met the EPA MPGs?) Just for example, my Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD is rated by the EPA at 31 mixed. I have had two tanks above 37 MPG, and a lifetime average of over 33 MPGs (Michigan Winters bring my average down while Summers bring them back up). Now, I’m not saying that every hybrid owner can beat the EPA, or even by such a large margin; instead, that by using the hybrid to its optimum efficiency, you can really make these vehicles shine. Often tying in with the mileage question is the investment question. Arguments of breaking even, or cost effectiveness often come into play, especially in the media. First of all, ask yourself, when was the last time a V8 paid for itself? Or that upgraded stereo or rims? Secondly, if you own your hybrid for more than 5 years, and drive it to get good fuel economy, you can see tremendous savings, especially as fuel prices rise. According to a spreadsheet I keep, I’ve saved $1426 in fuel by owning a hybrid rather than a conventional 4WD Escape in just 1 year. With an initial price difference of $3800 more for the hybrid than its gasoline equivalent, it will take some time, but I will come out ahead, especially over a decade even without the tax deduction or gas prices continuing to rise. Generally, the more miles you drive, and the longer you own it, the better off you are with hybrid technology. And ask yourself, do you think gas prices will go up or down over the lifespan of your next vehicle? Then ask yourself, would you rather your money go to a car company, or to nations that hate America?
Buying a hybrid is a unique experience; it seems like common sense really. Most people who buy them knowing what they’re buying, who are willing to get the most out of their vehicle get a lot back in return. My own experiences tend to be rather different than the norm, I didn’t go looking for a hybrid. I was the owner of a ’95 Ford Explorer that was starting to show its age in 2005, and was looking at the Ford Escape as a replacement vehicle. While I was waiting to pick up the Explorer from its latest round of repairs, I was in the new car section looking around. Frustrated that I wasn’t helped, I went online, and to another dealer. I had found the Escape Hybrid, and read up as much I could, from actual owners as much as possible. After a test drive, I was sold. 1 year later, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Your mileage may vary.
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