Dealers usually charge a little more for service on the hybrids, however classes are popping up to teach independent mechanics about hybrids. These newly trained mechanics should be readily available when the warranties on cars purchased this year run out. The hybrid battery packs are designed to last the entire lifetime of the vehicle but the nickel metal hybrids batteries are fully recyclable and pose no environmental hazards. Hybrid buyers may be saving on gas, but they are sporting a much more expensive battery. The cost of hybrid batteries ranges from $1,000 to $2,000. The hybrid cars currently on the market cost from $3500 to $6000 more per car than comparable cars with conventional gas engines. This means that the amount of money you save by buying a hybrid is very much dependent on gasoline prices. If gas is priced at $1.80 per gallon, it could take the average driver (15,000 miles per year) between ten and fifteen years to amortize the $3500 increase in the initial price. However, the higher gas prices go, the less time it takes to make up the higher price tag.
Almost every car company from Ford to Lexus, Chevy, or even Saturn has a hybrid or two set to come out in the next few years. The majority of hybrids are coming from exiting car models. For example, the Honda Civic is available as a hybrid. The Toyota Prius, with ninety percent fewer harmful emissions can go 500 miles on a single tank of gas, and the Honda Insight, with an additional 10-15 miles more per gallon has the ability to go 700 miles on one tank, are both available as hybrids. Many truck and SUV models are currently in the works including a Dodge Ram with 15% better fuel efficiency and better performance. There are two types of hybrids, a typical parallel hybrid and a series hybrid. In the parallel hybrid, the fuel tank and gas engine connect to the transmission. The batteries and electric motor also connect to the transmission independently.
