What Is a Hybrid Car?

Fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles have been around for more than 25 years. Now, more and more automakers are engineering hybrid vehicles, including sports cars and SUVs. When you’re looking for a great vehicle that saves you on gas money for Hartford and Watertown drives, we encourage you to take a look at a new MAZDA CX-90 Hybrid (a plug-in hybrid). But what exactly is the definition of a hybrid car? Having a hybrid car means you’re essentially getting a vehicle that mates an electric motor with a gasoline engine. Using the hybrid car definition, both the electric motor and gasoline engines work together to provide the best fuel economy possible in the city and highway. The electric motor basically runs at lower speeds.

Hybrid cars are great for Torrington and Bristol commutes without constantly stopping at the pump. We’re going to go over what it means to own a hybrid in-depth. Our team also answers “What is a hybrid car?” We’ll also go over the different types of hybrid powertrains.

Types of Hybrid Cars

Before choosing a hybrid vehicle for your Waterbury adventures, you’ll want to learn about the different types of hybrid cars. Let’s take a look at the different hybrid powertrains available to car buyers:

Parallel Hybrid

A parallel hybrid is the most common hybrid vehicle on the market today. The parallel hybrid car definition indicates the electric motor and gasoline engine are connected to the same automatic, manual, or CVT transmission. Parallel hybrids blend their two power sources to propel the vehicle forward, and they switch back and forth between both powertrains automatically.

Series Hybrid

Series hybrid vehicles also have electric motors paired with a gasoline engine. The difference is the electric motors are directly paired with the transmission. It’s the sole power source of the vehicle. The gasoline engine in a series hybrid vehicle simply acts as a generator for the electric motors and its only job is to provide power to the gasoline engine.

Plug-In Hybrid

A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is similar to a parallel hybrid in that the electric motor and gasoline engine are connected to the transmission. However, what makes plug-in hybrids unique is that they have increased battery packs and offer the ability to drive farther on the electric motors alone. You can also choose to drive on the electric motor until it runs out of juice and then the gasoline engine kicks in. If you regularly drive short distances, like on your daily commute, you can drive on pure electric power, come home, and plug the hybrid vehicle in (similar to an electric vehicle) to recharge the battery packs. They typically charge easily overnight in your garage in a few hours.

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Cars

Hybrid Cars and SUVs represent human advancement and achievement in the field of cleaner fuel technology. While we champion these breakthroughs, hybrid vehicles are different from your traditional gasoline-powered vehicle. Modern Mazda believes that you know when it’s time to make the switch to cleaner transportation for you, your family, and for our planet. Let’s jump into the pros and cons of hybrid vehicles.

Pros of Hybrid Cars

So, what makes hybrid cars special? Learn more about their perks, below:

• Energy Efficiency: Hybrid vehicles utilize both electric-drive technologies and traditional internal combustion engines to maximize fuel economy. Systems like regenerative braking recapture energy typically lost during braking. This results in less fuel consumption, fewer emissions, and less money spent at the gas pump.
• Ownership Costs: You find hybrid cars in a wide range of price points and configurations based on what fits your lifestyle. Many states offer tax incentives to sweeten the deal even more. Plus, every hybrid vehicle includes a battery warranty to protect your investment for the long run, sometimes up to 100,000 miles.
• Diverse Variety: Hybrid cars used to be more compact and with lower power. But modern technology has progressed over the past 25 years. You can find high-performance hybrids, high-powered SUVs, and any other configuration you could want for daily commutes, weekly errands, and weekend getaways to the Catskills.

Potential Cons of Hybrid Cars

Before buying a hybrid car, consider a few drawbacks.

• Price: Hybrid cars typically cost more upfront than gas-powered vehicles. Of course, you can compensate for the cost in fuel savings and possible incentives. You can expect a higher sales or lease price.
• Maintenance Costs for the Battery: Hybrid cars often require less maintenance than gas-powered cars because there are fewer moving parts. Hybrid car maintenance costs can be higher if the battery needs to be replaced. A new battery for your hybrid car can cost around $2,000 or more, depending on the model you have.
• Hybrid Emissions: Hybrid vehicles are more eco-friendly than gas-powered cars. However, they aren’t zero-emission vehicles like EVs. If zero-emissions performance is your main goal, consider an all-electric alternative.

Mazda Hybrid Models

Look at the hybrid models currently available from Mazda. We’ve already talked about the MAZDA CX-90 Hybrid. There’s also the MAZDA CX-50, a model that comes in a hybrid format for some trims. Both are SUVs, giving you and your family easy and convenient drives, no matter where you go.

Test Drive a New Mazda Hybrid Today!

You’ve read more about our hybrid vehicles. Now, it’s time to get behind the wheel. Contact us or call 860-484-7718 to schedule a test drive with us. We look forward to getting you behind the wheel of a hybrid vehicle waiting for you at Modern Mazda. We’re happy to help in any way we can!