Hybrid Cars
What Is A Hybrid Car?
A hybrid car uses both petrol and electricity to power the car. Petrol is used when more power is required and the electricity is used when less power is required. For example when you start the car, are sitting idle at traffic lights or are decelerating, the car uses electricity.
What are the Benefits?
There are several benefits for driving a hybrid car:
-
Cheaper to run as they use less fuel. According to Toyota, you can save up to about 50% on your fuel bill compared to similar size petrol car
-
Better for the environment, as they use less fuel and emit fewer harmful emissions
-
Saves you time as you don’t need to stop for fuel as often
Leading Brands in Hybrid Vehicles
There are several models on the market in Australia. The Toyota Prius was the first to launch here and is the most popular Hybrid sold. Many of the car manufacturers around the world are investing enormous amounts of money to develop cars that use an alternative fuel to petrol so we should expect to see a growth in this market over the next few years.
Some hybrid cars available (as at January 2008) in Australia include:
| Make/Model |
Price* |
Lexus RX 400H
|
|
Toyota Prius |
$37,990 |
|
Toyota Prius i-Tech |
$46,900 |
|
Honda Civic |
$32,990 |
|
Lexus RX 400H |
$95,300 |
|
Lexus GS 450H |
$121,964 |
|
Lexus LS 600HL |
$233,000 |
|
* excluding on-road costs
|
|
