Hybrid cars have been around for years, but they have become more and more popular recently with the rising cost of crude oil.
The most popular brand has been Toyota, more specifically the Prius. Toyota has been the leader of the production and technology of hybrid cars. But Honda is quickly catching up. One of the technologies that in environmentally friendlier cars that has been extensively researched in the last decades is the hydrogen car. Honda has recently come out with a new model, Clarity, which in the US, is only available in California. There are a couple of Clarity models available, but they can only be rented and run for about $600 a month for three years. It cost Honda around one million dollars to produce one Clarity. Honda is investing in the future.
Toyota sees that hybrid cars are simply a transition to get to the hydrogen cars since instead of emitting carbon dioxide they emit water vapor, which, of course, is a lot more environmentally friendly.
The government believes that hybrid cars will positively impact the nation, which is why they have published the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It basically says that tax payers will receive tax credit on any hybrid car that is found on the government’s list of pre-approved cars. There are some catches, though. Full credit is only available for the first 60,000 cars per brand and year.
Since the government has encouraged the buying of hybrid cars, many people have purchased them. But are they worth it? Many complain that they do not have the same ability for speed. Hybrid cars are most efficient in cities, but not necessarily when it comes to the open roads. Another concern is the cost. They are usually a couple thousand bucks more. Take the Honda Civic, for example. The starting price for a 2008 Civic Sedan is $15,010. The starting price for a 2008 Civic Hybrid? $22,600. But the cleaner Civic GX, which does not run on gasoline at all, but on natural gas, starts at $24,950. This is a price difference of almost $10,000. That is why when buying a hybrid car, buyers should research the car and see that it is the one that will best fit their needs.
More and more car companies are investing money on researching alternate fuels. They understand that this is the future. Profits are in the long term plans. But many American companies such as GM and Ford are investing very little money in the hybrid industry. Instead, they are buying the hybrid plans from others, especially Toyota. This is to Toyota’s advantage, of course. But American car companies have been falling behind during the hybrid revolution. Many have chosen not to participate because of low profit margins. The hydrogen car will not go mainstream until at least another ten years, meaning that profits will not be realized until then.
Hybrids are now being considered just a transition. Fuel cell technology is being developed. Simpler motors are part of this technology. The fewer parts and movement of the motor, the less energy is wasted. Fuel cell technology is the future of hybrid cars.
The automobile industry is on the verge of a dramatic change, as is the case with other industries. Everything is changing, and we have yet to see the start of it.