Introduction
Did you know that hybrid cars are more expensive to buy and maintain? The greenfootsteps.com website notes that the hybrid cars are very expensive, challenging to handle, and have relatively low power. By a show of hands, how many of you think otherwise? There are many disadvantages of hybrid cars which I intend to address.
Being a proud owner of a Prius hybrid and the regular gas-powered Civic cars, I feel knowledgeable to talk about this topic. By the end of this speech, you will realize that hybrid cars have more disadvantages that the regular gas-powered cars.
Disadvantages of hybrid cars
Less power
Although hybrid cars have enough power to the benefits of their users, the power output is generally lower than the same car model that is powered by gas. The lower power could be due to the modifications due to the need to create engines that conserve power and emit lesser emission into the atmosphere.
For instance, the Prius hybrid car would go for 1,000 miles within 22 gallons. On the other hand, the Civic model consumes an average of 34 gallons for the same distance (Barron, 2012). The difference in the fuel consumption is due to the differences in the engine structure. On the road, the Civic model would be faster since it has more engine power than the hybrid counterpart (Frankle, 2013).
Cost aspects
The hybrid cars are generally more expensive than the exclusively gas-powered cars. The hybrid cars are made within the concept of ‘clean driving’. The concept has been modified to embrace the aspect of status which comes at a price. Although the hybrid car may have same specs or even lower power than the gas-powered car, the cost of hybrid car is higher. For instance, the Prius hybrid would cost $20,000 while the Civic model would sell for $14,000. The two cars have same specs with the hybrid having lower fuel consumption (Kinicki, 2013).
However, from an economic perspective, the Civic would be more economical even after three years. Since the hybrid model consumes twenty two gallons for every one thousand miles and averages twelve thousand five hundred miles per year, the number of gallons it will consume in three years would be “12,500 miles x 3 years x 22 gallons for every 1,000 miles= 825 gallons. Since it gallon retails for $4, the total gas budget for the Prius hybrid would be 825 gallons x $4 per gallon= $ 3,300” (Kinicki, 2013, par. 6).
In comparison, the Civic model, which is not hybrid, consumes an average of thirty four gallons for every one thousand miles and averages twelve thousand five hundred miles per year, the number of gallons it will consume in three years would be “12,500 miles x 3 years x 34 gallons for every 1,000 miles= 1275 gallons. Since it gallon retails for $4, the total gas budget for the Civic model would be 1,275 gallons x $4 per gallon= $ 5,100” (Kinicki, 2013, par. 7). From the above calculations, it is apparent that the hybrid car would save about $1,800 in gas for its owners when the two cars share similar distance in three years.
I know you may think that the Civic model consumes more fuel than the Prius hybrid. Look at it again! The cost of the above hybrid car is $20,000, which is $6,000 higher than the cost of the Civic car which is not hybrid. Therefore, it is apparent that the owner of the hybrid car will have spent an average of $20,000(buying) plus $3,300 (gas) which totals to $23,300. On the other hand, the owner of the non-hybrid car will have spent $14,000(buying) plus $5,100(gas) which totals to $19,100. In summary, despite similar performance and same operational history, the owner of the non-hybrid car will only spend less than $20,000 to buy and operate the car for three years.
Maintenance cost
Unlike the non-hybrid cars, the hybrid cars are more complex in engine structure. Therefore, it would be more challenging to repair a hybrid car since the concept is still as new as it was more than a decade ago. The hybrid cars have not penetrated the market as was expected. Thus, have fewer qualified maintenance centers and mechanics as compared to the non-hybrid cars (Hantula & Voege, 2009). Due to the complexity of the engine, it would cost the owner of a hybrid car more money to repair his or her vehicle when it has the same mechanical problem as the non-hybrid model.
For instance, in the region of Delaware, there are only 11 maintenance centers for the hybrid cars. Within these maintenance centers, the mechanics trained in maintenance of the hybrid cars are estimated be 6 in number in each center. On other hand, the maintenance centers for non-hybrid cars within the Delaware region are more than 100 besides numerous backyard garages spread across the neighborhood (Hunting, 2013). The number of mechanics specialized in the non-hybrid cars are many.
Thus, the owner of a hybrid car within the Delaware region will have to seek for specialized services from the 11 centers. In the event that the six hybrid car repair specialists in each center are committed, the owner may have to book a repair hour. If the car was not hybrid, it would be easy to just move to the next garage and get the services instantly. From the above analysis, it is in order to state that the hybrid car is complex to repair as compared to the non-hybrid cars. The higher costs are as a result of the complex engine, few specialists, and few maintenance centers (Hunting, 2013).
Difference in handling
Hybrid cars are made in a way that their body structure is light in weight. The light weight concept is meant to lower the fuel consumption. However, the light weight may have compromise the handling of the hybrid cars. Although the challenge may be minor, the hybrid car may not be as easy to handle as the regular car which is gas-powered. For instance, a regular gas-powered Civic car weights 2.1 tons. The hybrid Prius weights 1.7 tons. The difference in the weight makes the hybrid car a little bit challenging to handle especially in high speed. Although the hybrid car may go at a speed of more than a hundred miles per hour, such speed may compromise the ease of handling it (Randall, 2012).
Conclusion
To sum up my speech, I am convinced by the above evidence that hybrid cars are very expensive to buy, operate, and maintain. Besides, the hybrid car has power due to modifications in its engine. In addition, the light weight may compromise its handling. Do not buy a hybrid car if you have an alternative! The cost of buying and maintaining a hybrid car is not pocket friendly, especially to young people.
References
Barron, B. (2012). Disadvantages to hybrid cars. Web.
Frankle, N. (2013). Why I’m not buying a hybrid ever again. Web.
Hantula, R., & Voege, D. (2009). How Do Hybrid Cars Work? New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.
Hunting, B. (2013). Five disadvantages of hybrid cars.
Kinicki, B. (2013). Hybrid car: Disadvantages you may want to consider. Web.
Randall, C. (2012). What are the advantages and disadvantages of series hybrid designs?.Web.