Tips for Drivers of Hybrid Cars
Maintenance Tips for Hybrid Cars
You will find that hybrid cars tend to have long warranties. The Honda Insight, for example, comes with an 8 year/80,000 mile warranty that includes most of the powertrain, including batteries, and a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty on the rest of the car. The Toyota Prius has an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty on the hybrid and battery systems, and a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty on everything else.
Batteries and electric motors in these hybrid cars don't require any maintenance over the life of the vehicle. The gas engine doesn't require any more maintenance than the gas engine in any conventional vehicle. In hybrids with regenerative braking, the brake pads may last longer than those in other cars.
Battery systems in hybrid cars are pretty spendy with a several thousand dollar price tag. By the time the warranty expires though, that price may have decreased.
Gas Mileage Tips for Hybrid Cars
By using the same driving habits that result in better fuel economy in conventional vehicles, you will achieve better mileage in your hybrid vehicle as well.
Drive slower - The faster you drive, the greater the aerodynamic drag on the car. Drag force at 70 mph is nearly double that of drag at 50 mph. Going easy on the accelerator will increase your fuel economy significantly. If you bought your hybrid to save money on gas, why throw more money away by driving too fast?
Maintain a constant speed - Accelerating uses energy. Some of this energy is wasted when you slow back down. Maintaining a constant speed makes the most efficient use of fuel.
Avoid stopping abruptly - The electric motor in hybrid cars acts like a generator, and uses some of the energy while slowing the vehicle. By giving the electric motor more time to slow the vehicle, it is able to recover more of the energy. By stopping abruptly, the brakes do most of the work in slowing the vehicle and that energy is wasted.
