The Hybrid Car

2011 Hybrid cars are the future of personal transportation; they are fuel efficient and reduce the amount of pollution that vehicles put out into the atmosphere. If we were in any doubt that hybrid vehicles were nothing more than a fad, the shocking fuel prices of 2008 taught us that traditional engines now have a very limited future. The new Toyota Auris Hybrid arrives hot on the heels of three decades of Toyota hybrid development with two million hybrid models sold worldwide so hybrid technology is certainly proven and reliable.

High fuel prices that will become a permanent fixture in the not too distant future will force people to either move to hybrid propulsion vehicles or abandon their cars altogether.

Vehicle Types

There are currently two slightly different types of hybrid vehicle available, one uses a regular petrol or diesel engine to not only power the car but also to charge batteries which can also power the vehicle thus reducing the total amount of fuel used, this is known as a Series hybrid.

The second type of hybrid is a straightforward electric car; it does not have a traditional fuel engine but instead uses battery power alone to propel it through city streets without ever using a drop of petrol.

Battery Technology

Battery technology is racing ahead with many international corporations experimenting with batteries that can store more power for longer and are more efficient in delivering that power back out to the car's wheels.

Transport Revolution

We are now at the beginning of what will over the next few years become a revolution in road transport. Hybrid power will become the norm not a quirky gimmick. Hybrid vehicles will within a short period come to dominate our motorways and in particular our urban streets.

Hybrid is the future, and the next generation will marvel at the thought that we used horribly polluting and expensive to run petrol engines. The future Hybrid cars from manufacturers like Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Mazda will truly help in the reduction of CO2 emmissions.