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Better Gas Mileage With A Hybrid?

Gas is getting more and more expensive, with little sign of slowing down.  Meanwhile, food prices also continue to rise!  Right now, more than ever, you need to be getting better gas mileage.  A hybrid car uses a combination of gas and other fuel resources to power its engine, and its popularity is on the rise.  You see a sleek hybrid zipping along the commuter lane while its single driver basks in the power of regenerative breaking—yep, the government likes these puppies too!

How Does It Work?

Hybrid vehicles are a mixture of two different methods of propulsion.  In the popular Honda Civic and Toyota Prius models, regenerative breaking is drawn electromagnetically to drive a large on-board battery.  That’s right, every time you break, the car is able to store that energy and convert it for later use.  This is thanks in part to the vehicle’s large battery storage capacity, which is one of the crucial differences between hybrid and normal vehicles.  That’s how you score better gas mileage.

Fuel Economy

While conventional internal combustion engines tend to still average out in the high teens as far as mileage, your gas mileage will be better once you convert to hybrid technology.  Prius drivers are currently notorious on the road for their quirkier style of driving; that’s because they’re trying to achieve the best possible mileage for their car.  The Prius actually shuts down its engine when idling, or descending hills!

Hybrid Synergy Drive

To really go for that better gas mileage, the Prius features the hybrid synergy drive, which essentially monitors what the car is doing and decides whether the car needs the engine at a given time.  And if you’re stopped at a stop sign, sitting in line at McDonalds, or waiting for your kid, chances are good that the car has stopped burning fuel for you.

Control, Control, Control

By far the coolest thing about going the hybrid route is that by gaining better gas mileage, you get your control back.  You don’t have to be at the whim of organizations like OPEC, or be too concerned about gas hitting $4.00/gallon.  Sure, nobody’s pleased about what’s going on, but with your hybrid car you can take some of the control over your life back.  With freedom to roam and spare cash in your pocket, you can watch the slow progress of your fuel gauge and feel like the king you know you are.