The Fuel Efficiency of Hybrid Cars

Since hybrid cars hit the American auto market, there have been questions regarding EPA fuel efficiency ratings, with some claiming they are disappointed with actual hybrid gas mpg versus posted EPA estimates.

For example, Consumer Reports magazine claims the Toyota Prius typically gets 44 mpg, rather than the 55 mpg claimed by the EPA. This has apparently offended some purchasers of the vehicle whom expected to get 55 mpg.

What's the Real Deal?

First, lets get a couple of things straight. The EPA ratings are a guesstimate. In fact there are a number of factors which make EPA ratings almost sure to be incorrect, such as assuming the top speed limit is still 55. Yet, according to most experts, the typical driver, of any car, can expect to get about 75 percent of what the EPA estimates.

Does this mean that hybrids are not that much more efficient than standard, internal combustion powered autos?

No! Perhaps the hybrid Prius only gets 44 mpg, instead of the 55 mpg estimated by the EPA, but the Ford Taurus or Chrysler 300 is also only getting 75 percent of the gas mileage estimated on their EPA sticker as well.

In reality, the facts are quite clear. Hybrids achieve significantly better fuel efficiency than standard autos, PERIOD.

Second, driving habits are very important in determining fuel efficiency, and with hybrid cars, driving habits have even more impact on efficiency, and possibly, your choice of which hybrid to purchase.

For example, Toyota's Prius Hybrid Car excels at city driving, or stop-and-go traffic - unlike standard combustion engines which function their poorest in such conditions. Additionally, stop-and-go traffic results in the greatest amount of pollution. Again, something the hybrid Prius excels at reducing in such conditions.

This is due, in part, to what is called regenerative breaking, which actually creates power for your Prius hybrid car as you slow and break during traffic, saving fuel and SIGNIFICANTLY reducing pollution. This type of power is also created by Ford's Escape Hybrid SUV.

On the other hand, if highway driving is more comparable to your habits, perhaps, the soon-to-be released Honda Accord hybrid is more your flavor. The Accord hybrid actually achieves greater efficiency on the highway, rather than in stop-and-go traffic.

Still, the Prius and Escape hybrids achieve significantly better efficiency overall, compared to standards autos, regardless of the driving conditions.

In fact, if standard combustion engines were rated by the EPA in terms of stop-and-go traffic, the benefits of hybrid cars would be even more significant.

More important, however, is the fact that the hybrid car is not just about fuel efficiency, it is about the future.

While Detroit has wasted valuable resources improving the significant safety problems of the highly profitable, gas-guzzling SUV - including countless lawsuits - they have done little innovation to secure future automobile market share.

Many times Detroit has pointed to the "hydrogen economy" as the future, and a reason not to invest in hybrid technology.

Yet, hybrid cars propel automotive technology towards the hydrogen economy. The batteries used by hybrids, for example, were intended for fuel cells - an essential component of the hydrogen economy. Therefore, investing in hybrids is also an investment in hydrogen.

Unfortunately, Detroit and the mainstream auto press seem to forget this fact in their short-sighted quest for immediate profit at the expense of the future.

In just decades we have transitioned to a world where we have to buy filtered water and air purifiers to clean the filthy air we breathe - not to mention terrorism, oil wars, and global warming. The excessive waste and pollution created by the auto industry is simply no longer excusable.

Buying a hybrid goes beyond economics, beyond politics and nationalism. It is a revolution of people concerned about the future and about the welfare of their children. These people, by-and-large, are choosing to use their most powerful voice - to put their money where their mouth is - by making consumer choices that help make the world a better place, rather than just making a few rich people richer.

Join the hybrid revolution!