oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
This post is full of idiocy.Hybrids are such a stupid idea. Carrying around batteries subtracts from the useful load of the car.
Disadvantages of a Hybrid Car
1. Less Power: Hybrid cars are twin powered engine. The gasoline engine which is primary source of power is much smaller as compared to what you get in single engine powered car and electric motor is low power. The combined power of both is often less than that of gas powered engine. It is therefore suited for city driving and not for speed and acceleration.
2. Can be Expensive: The biggest drawback of having a hybrid car is that it can burn a hole in your pocket. Hybrid cars are comparatively expensive than a regular petrol car and can cost $5000 to $10000 more than a standard version. However, that extra amount can be offset with lower running cost and tax exemptions.
3. Poorer Handling: A hybrid car houses an gasoline powered engine, a lighter electric engine and a pack of powerful batteries. This adds weight and eats up the extra space in the car. Extra weight results in fuel inefficiency and manufacturers cut down weight which has resulted in motor and battery downsizing and less support in the suspension and body.
4. Higher Maintenance Costs: The presence of dual engine, continuous improvement in technology, and higher maintenance cost can make it difficult for mechanics to repair the car. It is also difficult to find a mechanic with such an expertise.
5. Presence of High Voltage in Batteries: In case of an accident, the high voltage present inside the batteries can prove lethal for you. There is a high chance of you getting electrocuted in such cases which can also make the task difficult for rescuers to get other passengers and driver out of the car.
First, I am not a "fan" of hybrids simply because the initial cost doesn't really offset the savings if you are after it for the economics alone. However, the same could be said for diesels after a certain period, depending on model/brand/comparable gasoline fueled version/etc.
However, the weight of the battery in the grand scheme of things is negligible.
Hybrids do not necessarily have smaller, weaker gasoline engines... not sure where you pulled that from, but that is absolutely NOT true.
Some hybrid versions of vehicles accelerate BETTER than the non-hybrid version.
Short term PM costs are a wash, long term it depends on a lot of things. Yeah, we see 10+ year old Priuses in here with wallet crushing repairs needed every day, but most folks who buy a new RX450h are not ever going to see anything substantial break on it during the time they own it any more or less than they would with a regular RX350.
We have a shop full of people who can service them... there isn't anything mystical about them. They have OBD just like everything else, and are held together with nuts and bolts just like everything else.
Electrocution is a non-issue. If you are dumb enough to do that, you should never have air tools or a lift that can allow you to walk under a 3000+ pound car. In fact, you should probably just stick to bagging groceries. There are 100 other things around the shop that can hurt you too.
In the event of a crash, I do not know of a single hybrid that does not switch off the high voltage supply (which is done AT the battery), so there is never any high voltage just floating about anywhere , that is a myth. A stray spark igniting fuel or airbags (that use a version of solid rocket propellant, did you know that? Seatbelt pretensioners too!) can also cause a lot of harm.
You can hate on hybrids all you want, but don't make things up. Seriously, a Prius (any of them) are AWFUL cars to drive. They don't need any embellishment to make a reason NOT to want to drive one. But they are still statistically reasonably reliable within the range most people keep a car and deliver reasonably good [city] fuel economy. If you can stand to drive one, and you can justify the cost, they are not that bad otherwise.
Other hybrid cars, the Avalon, the GS, the Fusion, heck even the short lived Jetta hybrid, are actually pretty nice to drive.
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