So you want to drive an eco-friendly car but aren't quite ready to commit to the plug-in lifestyle. Maybe a hybrid is a good starting point. What should you know? If you're comparing it to a comparable non-hybrid, you presumably already know it'll save you gas. However, there are a few things you may not know.
1. Acceleration could feel weird.
For the most of their existence, gas-electric hybrids had a disadvantage in the shape of unusual acceleration. What makes it unusual? Characteristics include a delayed or muffled reaction when pressing the accelerator pedal. Drivers also reported some jerkiness when the engine switched on, and maybe off, as it figured out its relationship with the electric drive motor. The most efficient hybrids also lacked the traditional shift sensation since they did not utilize conventional gearboxes. Toyota and its premium brand, Lexus, employed a power-split technology, which is akin to a continuously variable automatic gearbox. This is what causes some of the surprising sounds, but we'll go into that in No. 3 below.
This composite downside was similar to our traditional perception of cough medicine: in order to work, it had to taste unpleasant. Or, in this example, to get remarkable mileage, the acceleration had to be a little quirky. It was true that other manufacturers experimented with hybrids, and although they accelerated faster, they lacked the amazing mileage of a Toyota Prius.
Fortunately, most of what I've detailed above has improved. Toyota has updated its hybrid system to increase responsiveness and smoothness, despite the fact that the underlying concept remains same. Other automakers, who struggled at first, have managed to employ normal step-gear transmissions and other tactics in their hybrids, making them seem much more natural while still providing adequate mileage. They aren't ideal mates, but they have gone a long way.
It doesn't hurt that many non-hybrids now have CVTs, so the sensation of a traditional hybrid isn't as strange as it previously was.
2. Braking could feel weird.
All hybrids use regenerative braking, in which the drive motor or motors function as generators, capturing the car's inertia while braking, coasting, or moving downhill and storing it in the battery pack for reuse. Without this feature, hybrids would not be as efficient as they are; yet, it makes braking feel strange and, in many circumstances, inferior than a well-executed traditional braking system in a non-hybrid. Under greater braking, the regeneration must at least convert to traditional brake pads, which might result in a more grabby pedal sensation. The pedal may also feel mushy and fake.
But, like No. 1, braking has improved with time. Many drivers will not perceive a difference between driving a new hybrid and a used one, and, interestingly enough, non-hybrids are headed toward brake technology similar to hybrids (for reasons we will not discuss). Similarly, the gaps between hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles in braking continue to shrink.
3. It may make unexpected sounds.
Hybrids don't sound like ordinary gas-powered automobiles for a number of reasons.
First, you normally begin with electric propulsion alone, which is whisper-quiet. Whatever happens, the difference when the engine starts will be noticeable.
Second, the constantly variable nature of certain gearboxes (or power-split devices) enables the gas engine to rev higher than a standard automobile would under the same conditions, without the customary respite of an upshift and subsequent rpm decrease. The powertrain's purpose is to provide the maximum power when necessary while keeping the engine in its most economical rpm range — not to sound like a typical automobile. People find this quite bothersome, just as they do in non-hybrids with CVT.
Third, since this is a hybrid, it must optimize EPA ratings because everyone is paying attention. If given the option of losing 0.5 mpg or becoming a bit more unpleasant, engineers will always select the latter.
Fourth, in the same line, high mileage results from a variety of factors, one of which is low weight. Do you know what is heavy? Noise insulation. Historically, the drive for greater mpg resulted in several loud hybrids.
Fortunately, these things are improving. More contemporary hybrids have been developed to address noise problems, while the expanding crop of conventional gearbox vehicles handle the problem naturally by shifting as intended.
Be on the watch for electronically synthesized pedestrian warning noises, which are nationally mandated safety equipment in hybrid and fully electric cars. others are louder inside the cabin than others, and others sound, well, odd.
4. Hybrid car Mileage Drops in Colder areas According to the EPA, hybrid car owners in colder areas see a 30% to 45% decrease in mileage between 20 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Why? There are several explanations, but only a handful are connected to the car's hybrid technology. Non-hybrid cars are likewise less efficient in cold weather (by 10% to 20% in the circumstances described above, according to the EPA). Here are some more reasons why mileage lowers in the winter:
Colder lubricants and other fluids cause increased friction.
Winter grades of gasoline have less energy per gallon.
Slick pavement reduces traction and wastes gasoline.
Engines run longer or at faster rpm, or both, to keep themselves and important pollution controls, such as catalytic converters, at the proper temperature.
This final one significantly reduces hybrid economy since the engine cannot idle for as long as it would normally. Running cabin heat rapidly depletes the engine's typically considerable stock of waste heat, hastening its startup. Furthermore, a cold battery has less capacity than a warm one, resulting in less space for regenerative braking storage and reduced overall efficiency.
Echoing some previous discoveries, the issue may be greater with hybrids, but it is also more visible here since hybrid owners are more concerned about their total mileage.
5. You may need fewer brake jobs.
People who purchase hybrid cars want to save money on petrol, but they may also save money on periodic brake maintenance. Because regenerative braking employs the electric motor or motors as generators to slow the car without friction, the brake pads or shoes have significantly less contact with the discs or drums than in a non-hybrid. As a consequence, these components will endure longer.
However, we didn't get here without learning some things. In older hybrids, less often utilized braking systems were prone to corrosion because they did not move sufficiently and did not heat enough, vaporizing moisture. In this scenario, brake repairs were clearly required. Some manufacturers have adjusted their designs to account for the various circumstances seen in hybrid and electric vehicles, hence extending the life of braking components.
6. You will get a long powertrain warranty.
Maybe it originated with dread of the unknown 20 years ago, but thankfully for hybrid purchasers, substantial powertrain warranties still exist. Take a look at any manufacturer's model-year 2024 offerings, and you'll see that hybrid cars provide eight or ten years, or 100,000 miles, on hybrid system components, independent of the coverage provided to non-hybrids by the same brand. Toyota extends the battery pack's warranty to 150,000 miles.
Though some customers are still concerned about a fully dead battery and a costly replacement, warranties should alleviate their fears, and experience has shown that this is quite unusual. It is usual, even anticipated, for batteries to lose around 20% of their capacity during their lifespan. This translates to a corresponding reduction in range for EVs or a notable (but not catastrophic) decline in efficiency for hybrids.
Comments
Post a Comment