Quote:
Originally Posted by DAVES
My two cents worth. A hybrid is an electric gasoline engine combination. Far more complex than the 2008 gasoline car. Batteries have a service life based on not just use but time. Replacing batteries in a hybrid or one of the fully electric cars is expensive.
The life of the batteries is at best 7 years. They are not worth much used for that reason. As far as advertised miles per gallon. That 40 mpg highway. Does not include stopping for tolls, traffic, bathrooms, food, or the 100 pounds of luggage etc. Actual mpg depends on your driving style as well as the car weight and performance. More weight, faster acceleration needs more power-it does not matter if it is gasoline, electricity or a combination. Actually with a hybrid, weight-part of the weight is the batteries that you are carrying as well as the electric motor and the electronics to control it.
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Respectfully, I disagree with Dave's comments on battery life and MPG. I'm not sure where you're getting your information...but I own a 2010 Prius and was just told by the dealer my batteries are fine, and as long as I drive it regularly, I can expect the batteries to last a long time yet. So that's ten years now and batteries still good. As for mpg, we routinely get 45-55 mpg overall driving. But we don't drive like maniacs...we don't jack-rabbit start and we anticipate braking before we run up on a situation that requires brakes. You have to be mileage minded and adjust your driving to get the best mileage.