Hybrid cars offer various features which
make them beneficial to the buyer. These benefits include various financial
incentives and environmental benefits.
Possibly the biggest benefit of owning a
hybrid car is the increased mileage. Due to their increased fuel efficiency,
hybrid cars are able to travel much further than fossil-fuel driven cars on the
same amount of petrol. These cars can manage nearly 1,000 kilometres on one
full tank of fuel, in stark contrast to fossil-fuel driven cars which can only
achieve approximately 450 kilometres on one full tank. With the ever increasing
price of petrol, this equates to huge savings for the consumer.
Also, hybrid cars are extremely beneficial
for the environment. Harmful emissions, known as greenhouse gases, released
through the exhaust pipe of any car, contribute to the greenhouse effect,
forming a ‘blanket’ of gas around the earth. This causes an increase in the
earth’s average temperature, an effect known as global warming, which would
increase evaporation, leading to more rainfall and erosion – not to mention
more extreme weather such as tropical storms and flash floods.
From a financial perspective, owning a
hybrid car is very rewarding. Currently, the US government is offering citizens
who own hybrid cars a once-off, $2,000 deduction on 2004 and 2005 tax returns.
They are also allowing owners of hybrid cars to access certain toll roads for
free.
Back: Fast Facts