Demographics
of an Average
Hybrid Car Consumer
by SolveYourProblem.com
More
and more people in the market for a new car today are considering
the advantages of purchasing a hybrid. The number one reason
hybrids are gaining in popularity is due to their smaller,
fuel-efficient engines. As prices at the gas pumps continue
to soar, many people see the many benefits to driving an “alternative-fuel”
vehicle (also known as alt-fuel). According to a recent survey,
approximately 88,000 hybrid vehicles were sold in the United
States in 2004. This number is projected to more than double
to amounts close to 220,000 by the end of 2005. However this
is only a small fraction of the amount of new vehicles (more
than 15 million) that are sold in the United States on an annual
basis. Many people believe that these cars that run on half
gas and half electric power are not front and center in the
public eye, as they should be.
Who
is the typical hybrid consumer and what makes them tick? Let’s take a closer look.
Many environmentalists are of the viewpoint that a car that
requires less gasoline to run it is a good investment indeed.
This idea is catching on with consumers as well. The combination
of the two powers, electric and gasoline, give hybrid vehicles
the same and/or a greater range of fuel efficiency than do
traditionally run gas engines.
What do hybrid consumers demand of their fuel-efficient vehicles?
Not only do they have smaller and more fuel-efficient engines
but also hybrids are equipped with other things that allow
for the best mileage possible. Smart consumers look for the
traits listed below in their hybrid vehicles.
Energy
in a hybrid vehicle is allowed storage in the battery. This is how the process works- the faster speed your car is
traveling at, the greater level of kinetic energy it contains.
When you step on the brake, energy is displaced. Hybrid vehicles
are equipped with the unique ability to store up energy in
the battery to use at a later period of time. This is defined
as “regenerative braking.” In other words, the electric motor
in the vehicle works in combination with the brakes to slow
and eventually stop the car. The electric motor plays the role
of a generator and aids in charging the car’s battery as it
is in the act of slowing down.
Hybrid
cars are constructed with an alternate power source, by
way of batteries in the vehicle and the electric motor. When stopped at an intersection the hybrid vehicle has the
option of turning off the gas engine to conserve energy.
Drag
is reduced by the use of advanced aerodynamics with regard
to hybrid cars. Aerodynamic drag is the force that is used
to move your car through the air and /or down the highway.
This drag force is not a good thing and can be reduced in a
number of ways in hybrid cars. One way it is done is by constructing
smaller front ends of vehicles. To give an example, SUV’s have
much larger front ends and need a much larger area to push
through the surrounding air than do smaller, more compact sports
cars. Drag can also be reduced by placing covers over wheel
housings. This has a tremendous effect on airflow.
Consumers
who purchase hybrids are concerned about the environment. Pollutants in the air are one of their primary pet peeves.
Hybrid cars are helpful in reducing both air pollution and
global-warming pollution. It has been proven that the excellent
design of the hybrid makes it possible for smog pollution to
be reduced by ninety percent or more, in comparison to the
cleanest non-hybrid car on the market today. To give an example
of this, the Toyota Prius when compared to the national average,
achieves a success rate of ninety percent in smog reduction.
Not only helpful in reducing air pollution, but hybrid vehicles
are beneficial in cutting down on global-warming pollutants
in the air due to the reduced amount of fuel that is required
to keep them on the roads. The first hybrid cars manufactured
were successful in reducing harmful global-warming pollutants
in the air by approximately a third to a half. The forecast
for the future is that more advanced hybrid models will be
able to cut emissions even more.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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