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.

Some researchers feel that the main variable in the trend of car sales is the rising prices of gasoline. While most consumers are complaining about their gas guzzling cars and sport utility vehicles, it is questionable whether car sales will be affected by the high prices. There is a group of experts that believe that even though gas prices are higher than ever, they are still not high enough to influence car sales substantially. They argue that consumers love their large vehicles so much that although they are complaining, they will still continue to drive them and purchase more like them. They estimate gas prices would have to increase to prices above $4 for there to be a substantial effect on the sales of hybrids.

Other experts however reveal that their studies show that at least one in six buyers have changed their minds about planned vehicle purchases due to rising gasoline prices. These studies suggest that the sales of vehicles that require less gasoline will raise at least enough to mimic this study’s findings. The experts on this side of the argument think consumers are most likely motivated to purchase hybrids by gasoline prices and are acting logically.

Manufacturers are likely to agree with those thinking hybrid sales will increase this year. The main determining factor for manufacturers is the fact that there are waiting lists already for new hybrid vehicles. The Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic hybrids are among some of the most popular and have extensive waiting lists. With the addition of several sports utility models to the list of hybrids available, there is no doubt in the minds of the manufacturers that hybrid sales are destined to rise. Some manufacturers have even been so bold to predict sales doubling.

The fact is that at this time however, trucks are still selling much better than cars. Hybrid models of sports utility vehicles and truck models will have to completely blow everything else out of the water to even catch up with regular truck sales. So far there has been no evidence this will happen.

Researchers do agree however that each year there will be increases in the sales of hybrids. The argument is not over whether or not there will be increases really, but about how much of an increase will be present. Some researchers feel with incentives being offered to consumers that buy hybrids, there is more expectation of an increase in sales. With more states offering free parking and tax incentives for hybrid owners, the appeal for hybrid purchases are greater than ever.

Another factor swaying sales is the passage of clean-air laws in many states. These laws will turn consumers to truck alternatives, whether they like it or not. Last year hybrids only accounted for 0.5 percent of the market, however most experts are forecasting that by 2012 they will account for at least 3.5 percent of the market.

Most of this change is expected to come from the West Coast of the United States. The West Coast tends to be more aware and involved in environment issues than other areas, as a whole. Therefore, it is likely that most of the increases will come from consumers in this area. The increase is likely due to the effort by government to focus on the benefits of hybrid vehicles.

With more hybrid alternatives being offered to today’s consumer, it is only logical to think hybrid sales will increase moderately. Not taking gas prices into consideration, it is likely the increase in environmental education is having an impact on many consumers. If a consumer can feel great about a vehicle that saves them money and is sensitive to the environment, they are more likely to buy it. If the government is also offering tax and parking incentives, they will definitely buy it.

The concept behind the creation of hybrid vehicles is to get as much fuel efficiency out of a car made of lighter materials with a smaller engine as possible. No one wants a gas guzzler of a car eating up all of his or her hard earned cash and that’s where the hybrid comes in. The hybrid vehicle answers the call for helping save dollars at the gas pumps.

It is estimated that depending on their model, hybrid cars can give drivers anywhere from 20, to 30 and in some cases even 60 miles per gallon more than the standard non-hybrid vehicle. Hybrid vehicles have as good a performance, if not better than traditional vehicles and the ride is smooth. Gas guzzler it is not. Many drivers are uttering the words, “Hello hybrid!” more and more these days.

Automakers chose to build a car that was considered very complex to both improve gas mileage and also to reduce emissions from the tailpipe. In the United States carmakers are mandated by law to meet what is known as “Corporate Average Fuel Economy” standards (or abbreviated to CAFÉ). The current standard dictates that all new vehicles sold to consumers must have an average mileage of 27.5mpg (or if you go by the metric system, 8.55 liters per 100 km). To put it another way, this means that if a car company is able to sell one hybrid car with an average mileage of 60 mpg (better than the average standard) or 3.92 liters per 100 km, then this is good news for them because they can then turn around and sell four, large and expensively priced luxury cars that get a great deal less out of the mileage (20 mpg or 11.76 liters per 100 km).

Let’s take a closer look at how a hybrid most definitely does not fall into the category of being a gas guzzler. In order to get the best mileage possible, there are many tricks of the trade that automakers rely on. Three that we will focus on include the reduced weight of the hybrid, the small, efficient engine, and the advanced aerodynamics.

In the making of most hybrid cars, a lightweight aluminum body as well as structure is used to cut down tremendously on the weight of the car. Together the lightweight body and smaller, lighter engine allow for the excellent performance that is expected of all cars, hybrids or not. For example, the Honda Insight doesn’t even begin to tip the car scales at less that 1,900 pounds (or 862 kg). This is only a fraction of what traditional gas guzzler types of cars weigh. Other materials often used to make hybrids include composite materials such as carbon fiber and other lightweight metals such as magnesium.

A small, efficient engine goes a long way in saving on mileage in hybrids. Big engines expend more energy when they accelerate and in particular when they accelerate up hills or inclines. As well big engines are equipped with more cylinders and require more work from the cylinders to allow them to do their job properly. All these things contribute to the need to buy fuel for your car more often. The hybrid vehicle’s smaller, more fuel-efficient engine doesn’t have this problem. To use the Honda Insight as an example once again, its engine weighs a mere 124 pounds (or 56 kg) and contains a very small 1.0 liter three-cylinder that makes it possible for the car to produce approximately 67 horsepower at 5,700 rpm. Plus the VTEC system and lean burn technology are incorporated into the car to make fuel efficiency even more of a reality in this hybrid.

The hybrid car is not a gas guzzler for a third reason- it uses advanced aerodynamics to help reduce drag. When you are driving along a busy freeway the majority of the work that your engine needs to do involves the force needed to push the vehicle down the highway (or through the air). This force is given the name “aerodynamic drag.” This aerodynamic drag can be reduced in two different ways- first by constructing smaller frontal areas on hybrid cars and secondly, by limiting and/or reducing disturbances around items that protrude from the car. For example, airflow is smoothed tremendously by placing covers over the wheel housings and drag is also reduced. On some hybrids tiny cameras are placed where mirrors are generally positioned on conventional cars.

Buying a hybrid is becoming quite an investment. The hybrid, which operates on both a gasoline engine and an electric engine, is offering much more than a decrease in gasoline cost. It also offers consumers the ability to directly help the environment. Hybrids are known to emit very few pollutants, especially when compared to conventional vehicles. It is stated that hybrids are up to 90% cleaner to the air than normal cars. This something the government is willing to reward hybrid drivers for.

Tax incentives for hybrid owners are one of the newest things offered. Hybrid owners are ecstatic about the new bill passed that gives them as much as $3,400 back. President Bush passed the bill as a new Energy Bill. The bill focuses on the environment but also on the fact that hybrids save on oil use. This directly affects the country’s dependency on foreign oil. When a consumer purchases a hybrid, they are directly helping break the control many radical Islamists have over the United States through oil. These are the same individuals who hate the United States. Therefore, it is only logical the United States would want to reward hybrid owners for their smart purchases.

Many consumers find this new bill difficult to understand. The average consumer may joke that it takes an accounting degree to figure it all out. The formula used for the tax incentive involves the fuel efficiency numbers for 2002 vehicles. It works a little like this: If your car is between 25 and 50 percent more efficient than the average 2002 vehicle model, then the buyer will receive a $400 credit. The credit can grow as high as $2,400 if the new car is even more efficient.

The trick of the bill is that is also offers a combination of a conservation credit. This involves knowing a formula that tries to project how much fuel the car will save over its lifetime. The combination of the first half of the calculation and the second half of the calculation gives the tax benefit total. There are a few restrictions however that some consumers may not be aware of. One of the restrictions includes a credit cap for each automaker until 2010, which is set at 60,000 at this time. Other restrictions as described also restrict inclusion of certain hybrid models, especially those that are SUV hybrids or those purchased after 2005. All in all however, hybrid owners in general will profit from this tax benefit.

The bill may seem a bit confusing and limited at this time, but hybrid owners will likely benefit greatly from this tax incentive. Just leave it to your accountant to figure out the details and sit back to claim the reward. After all, not everyone understands every aspect of their personal taxes each year, but they still pay and collect on them. By giving hybrid owners this great incentive, the United States is not only rewarding current hybrid owners, but they are encouraging consumers that do not own hybrids to go out and purchase one.

The government is showing that hybrids not only help the consumer individually but they also help the country as a whole. If every car driven on the roads of the United States was a hybrid car, then the United States could potentially cut their oil needs down by 15%. This is an enormous number considering that the United States currently imports more than 11 million barrels of oil a day. Overall, the United States would be less dependent on oil for normal day-to-day activities and the cost of oil would be affected.

If you want to lower your personal gasoline costs then you should consider a hybrid. If you are interested in ways to help preserve the clean air of the environment, then you should consider a hybrid. If you are interested in the disadvantages of the dependency the United States has on foreign oil, then you should consider a hybrid. And most of all, if you are one that loves great government incentives, like the new Energy Bill that gives hybrid owners tax incentives, then you should certainly consider buying a hybrid.