Contents
What Is a Hybrid Car?
How Hybrid Cars Work
Types of Hybrid Cars
How to Understand Automakers’ Gas Mileage Claims
Will a Hybrid Car Save You Money?
Environmental Benefits of Hybrids
How to Buy a Hybrid Car
The Hybrid Driving Experience
Hybrid Car Gasoline-Saving Tips
Hybrid Car Maintenance
The Future of Hybrid Cars
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The Hybrid Driving Experience
You won’t need any special instruction in order to be able to drive a hybrid—in general, driving a hybrid is just like driving a conventional car. Hybrids have the same driving components as conventional cars, and current hybrid models are as fast and powerful as most other cars in their classes.
That said, there are some differences in the driving experience of hybrid cars that might strike you as odd the first time you drive. These include the engine operation, quietness of the ride, braking, handling, traction, and shifting of gears.
Engine That Turns On and Off
The biggest difference between hybrids and conventional cars is that a hybrid’s engine shuts off when the car is idling or driving at slow speeds. Though you probably don’t notice that a conventional car’s engine continues to hum and vibrate even when the car has stopped moving, you will notice the lack of that hum and vibration when the engine in a hybrid shuts down. Some first-time drivers of hybrids worry that the whole car has shut down when they feel the engine turning off, but don’t worry—the car itself, and the electric motor, are still operating normally. Once you put your foot on the accelerator, the engine will turn back on immediately.
Quiet Ride
One common misconception about hybrid cars is that their manufacturers sacrifice build quality for fuel economy, which makes some people think that hybrids don’t offer a particularly quiet ride.
In fact, the opposite is true. Most hybrid cars are so much quieter than conventional vehicles that some first-time hybrid drivers find the silence a little unnerving at first. There are two main reasons why hybrids drive so quietly:
- The electric motor is almost noiseless: The electric motors used in today’s hybrids are extremely quiet. When the gasoline engine is off, such as while idling, most drivers won’t hear the motor at all over the sound of the heater or the radio.
- The engine is smaller: Because hybrid cars have smaller engines, the engines make less noise when running than the larger engines of conventional cars.
One thing to be aware of as you drive a hybrid is that many pedestrians tend to listen for oncoming cars: some pedestrians may not look to see whether a car is coming unless they hear one approaching. As a result, driving a hybrid near pedestrians can create dangerous scenarios. As you drive your hybrid, pay attention to pedestrians and don’t assume they’ll know you’re coming.
Slightly Jerky Braking
Early hybrid cars, such as the first Toyota Prius models, didn’t brake smoothly, even when drivers applied the brake gently. This jerkiness results from the regenerative braking technology that hybrids use to recapture braking energy and recharge the batteries (for more on regenerative braking, see How Hybrid Cars Work).
Hybrid manufacturers have since worked hard to make the brakes feel less jerky without sacrificing their battery-charging function. The most recent hybrid cars brake much more smoothly than the first models did. Nonetheless, sensitive drivers may still notice a braking difference between hybrids and conventional cars.
Improved Handling
In most hybrids, the battery pack is located in the rear of the car. This additional weight in the back helps to balance out the weight of the engine, which is located in the front of the car. Distributing the weight more evenly between the front and back helps hybrids to handle more smoothly, especially when braking or during emergency situations.
The even weight distribution of hybrids also reduces wear on front tires—a bonus for owners who decide to keep the low rolling resistance tires (explained below) that come with most hybrids.
Reduced Traction
Traction in hybrid cars may not be as strong as traction in conventional cars due to the low rolling resistance tires that come with most hybrid cars. These tires create less friction with the road and therefore improve overall fuel economy. Low rolling resistance tires are somewhat controversial:
- Proponents argue that the tires bring better fuel economy and that their traction is as good as that of conventional tires.
- Detractors claim that the tires get less traction and complain that the tires need to be replaced more often.
If you live in an area that experiences extreme winters, or simply find that their low rolling resistance tires don’t provide enough traction, you can replace them with the conventional radial tires used on most gasoline-powered cars.
Smoothly Shifting Transmission
Most hybrid cars, and some conventional vehicles, are sold with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). CVTs have infinitely variable gear ratios, which to the average driver means that automatic shifting is so smooth that it’s hardly noticeable. When driving a conventional car you’ll hear the transmission rev and shift as you accelerate, but since CVTs shift so smoothly and quickly, you may not even notice how fast you’ve picked up speed.
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