Today, car makers are at the crossroad of the biggest decision of the hybrid car era. They ask themselves; is it good to go for the increased fuel efficiency, or sacrifice the gas for performance. Since the introduction of the hybrid car in the late 90’s, demand has increased dramatically. As of 2004 there are already 4 brands of hybrid vehicles to choose from. But is it really the way to go? Is hybrid a practical technology that it could someday replace the gas engine and be the standard? Well the answer to that will depend on certain factors and consideration.

Are Hybrid Cars Really Our Future? (Photo by Extra Medium)

Since Toyota pioneered the hybrid car market with its flagship model the Prius, other car companies followed suit. Honda followed with the hybrid Civic, Ford now has a small hybrid SUV and GM is highly considering to come out with one. As for Toyota, they have started to market their Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUV, showing signs that hybrid technology is shifting from the sedan category and going into other car category as well. And with Toyota’s aim of selling” a million hybrid a year”, the market will truly look rosy for this kind of vehicle.

Consumer preference is also gearing towards the hybrids. When this was introduced, it was offered for a niche market. People usually buy it for ideological reason; that is to help save and conserve the environment. But with the 4$-a gallon gasoline price tag people began to take a second look on hybrids.

But could this really be the standard of the future? Hybrids offer fuel efficiency but sacrifices power. Manufacturers usually balance these two aspects when it comes to vehicle design. Usually consumers will not care about fuel efficiency as long as it matches or exceed the standard performance value of existing cars. But in light of the gasoline crunch, consumers are accepting some trade off. Also, when hybrids are driven at highway speeds, fuel efficiency is being sacrificed because of the need for power. It will outperform conventional engines, in terms of fuel efficiency, by 1 or 2 mpg only if hybrids could not make it mainstream, it could help existing cars to be much more efficient. Development could point to diesel hybrid, or even a hybrid powered by alternative fuel. Stop-at-idle technology could be utilized, as well as regenerative braking, for a sedan to be efficient. These advances could easily make a regular sedan do 40mpg.

Today, Hybrid Cars Are Able to Get Over 50 Miles per Gallon. (Photo by elisa)

However which way we look at it, hybrid is just a stop gap solution. It still uses fossil fuel, which is now at “peak oil” levels. World oil reserves are dying, and hybrid just prolongs the inevitable. The real solution is the development of alternative fuel sources. Good candidates for alternative automotive power sources are hydro and solar. Development of plug-in hybrids along with advances in battery storage technology could obtain a 300-400 mpg car. Also an important factor is the change in driving habits of the public. Unless the mindset of “bigger is better” change, we are destined in the doldrums of an oil supply disaster.

The good thing is, hybrid is here, now, and is available. So let us use this the best way possible. What the future holds for hybrid, nobody could tell, but it is certainly efficiently bright.