Hybrid cars are one of the latest developments in the motor vehicle sector and are accepted to replace gasoline cars (Anderson & Curtis, 2010). Most people believe that hybrid cars are better than their old gas models (Bonnie, 2011); however, gas cars are still more advantageous despite the push for hybrid cars.
Unlike conventional gas cars, hybrid cars have two motors; one which is powered by electricity and the other by gasoline (Boschert, 2006). Though most people consider this as an advantage, they forget that such added parts increase the complexity of the cars and subsequently the likelihood of breaking down (Iqbal, 2010). This therefore means that hybrid cars have higher maintenance costs in terms of repairs and breakdowns than other conventional gas cars.
The electric motor in hybrid cars is limited to speeds below 40 mph (Linde, 2011); this means that hybrid cars still rely more on the gas powered motor as most times people drive above that speed (Jones, 2011). For a person to be driving at such a speed they are either stuck up in traffic or having a leisurely drive which is not the case for most drivers. This therefore means that most hybrid cars though fitted with the electric motor end up using almost a similar volume of gasoline as conventional gas cars (Swanson & Mullay, 2011; Povey, 2006).
Also, as most drivers would point out cars consume more gas when being driven at high speeds and hence the gas consumption is still high in hybrid cars (Hantula, 2009).
As can be seen in the above discussion, hybrid cars fail in two fundamental areas as compared to conventional gas cars: they have higher maintenance costs and also still consume high volumes of gasoline. For most people, buying hybrid cars is meant to reduce these costs and the gas consumption; however, as has been seen this is not the case. So, it is better to have a gas car than a hybrid one.
References
Anderson, J. & Curtis, D. (2010). Electric and Hybrid Cars: A History. New Jersey: Jossey- Bass
Linde, A. (2011). How your car works. New York: OUP
Boschert, S. (2006). Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that will Recharge America. New York: Prentice
Iqbal, H. (2010). Electric and Hybrid Vehicles: Design Fundamentals, 2nd Ed. New York: Pearson
Swanson, J. & Mullaly, G. (2011). How Hybrid Cars work. New Jersey: Wiley
Hantula, R. (2009). How do Hybrid Cars Work? Kentucky: Wadsworth
Bonnie, J. (2011). Hybrid Cars. Washington: Norwood
Jones, O. (2011). Hybrid Cars, Sports Cars and Accessories. New York: Prentice Hall
Povey, K. (2006). Hybrid Cars (Our Environment). New Jersey: Wiley
