While hybrid cars have become the talk of the car enthusiasts around the globe, their life cycle has not been properly analyzed. Car enthusiasts, critics and experts analyze two main points of hybrid cars: their fuel efficiency and their life cycle. The first can be easily tackled as a hybrid car is more fuel efficient then a conventional car. Estimating the life cycle of hybrid cars is an unresolved issue. The reason is quite simple; hybrid car technology is very new and green. The earliest production model hybrid car is the Toyota Prius and it only came in the market eight years ago. Other cars from major car makers have also joined the hybrid car line up, but it is too early to analyze their life cycle.
The life cycle of hybrid cars depends on the technology used; whether the car is a full hybrid or a mild hybrid. A full hybrid utilizes the electric motor power to deliver power at low speed, like in city driving. At a higher speed, the petrol engine kicks in and takes over. It is like employing a different power source when cruising.
The electric motor battery is used when the car is driving at a low speed, while the batteries get recharged at high speed by the petrol engine and by regenerated braking power. In mild hybrid cars both the power sources, electric and petrol are used simultaneously. The batteries of the electric motor are recharged by the petrol engine and regenerated braking power.
The biggest myth of hybrid cars is regarding their battery life, as these are the power sources for the electric motors. Toyota, Lexus and Honda have an eight to ten years warranty of the car batteries. In the UK a car needs to clear an MOT after three years. Very few car owners keep a car for more than five years or till they have paid the full value of the car and want to invest in a new car.
The analysis of the use phase demonstrated that carbon dioxide emission of a hybrid car was two times less than an electric car and half less than the gasoline car. It was further found that electricity from natural gas was much better but still not as good as the hybrid and the cleanest by far was the EV with hydro-electric power.
The costs of the battery in a hybrid car are a major part of its premium. There are many types of batteries available to be used for the hybrid cars; however, you will have to select the one which is most suitable for you. The most common types of batteries used in a hybrid car are Nickel-Metal Hydride, Lithium Ion, and Zinc/Silver. These three types are beneficial for the high energy applications.
The Nickel-Metal Hydride, generally known as NiCad or NiMH batteries, is normally used in the hybrid cars. Not only these types of batteries have the lowest density but they also have low cost. They are the cheapest ones to install. There are very few cars that have Lithium Ion batteries. Because of this aspect of batteries, the used hybrid cars are equally good in performance as the new hybrid cars.
In all these cases the hybrids cars are clear winners. As the petrol engines are smaller, and they use start/stop technology, they will last longer and require less servicing and maintenance costs. Some of the hybrid cars deploy more than a single electric engine; therefore buyers do not have to worry about replacement of equipment like carbon brushes of the electric motors.
Discover more about Lexus Hybrid Cars, visit the Lexus website for more information and to book a test drive.