5 Less Commonly Known Ecological Benefits of Hybrid Cars

Everyone knows that it is cheaper to plug in your car than put gas in at $3 a gallon, but there's more to benefits of hybrid cars. With all the talk about 'going green', one of the main ways people can have an impact on the environment is to drive a hybrid car. While they are still relatively new to the market, the response from the public has been less than favorable. Though their popularity has been increasing in the last 2 years with the latest batch of environmentally friendly cars. Here are some lesser known facts that may just help you ditch the gas guzzler in favor of the more earth-friendly hybrids.

Pollution Reduction

The first and most basic benefit to driving hybrids would be the reduction of pollution caused by gas engine emissions. According to the Department of Energy, a hybrid car can go 10,000 miles on 263 gallons of gas, while a traditional gas engine would use 344. While hybrids do produce carbon emissions, they produce much less than gas engines. The significance of this would be less air pollution in major cities, less gas consumed, and less fossil fuels needed to make that gas.

Less Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide is the leader of all the greenhouse gases that are believed to cause global warming. All vehicles, hybrids included, produce some kind of pollution. However, the vehicles that run on gas or diesel are producing about 450 or more grams of carbon dioxide per mile versus a hybrid that produces 294 grams per mile.

Reduced Greenhouse Gases

A few other of the known greenhouse gases are hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide. Hydrocarbons are responsible for creating the smog seen around large cities, and they are also carcinogenic. Hydrocarbons are known to cause cancer. Nitrogen oxide also contributes to smog production, and is the leading cause of acid rain. Hybrids reduce these and 3 other types of greenhouse gases that are not only toxic to breathe, but cause the pollution around our cities and lead to lung cancer.

Alternative Fuels

The most promising versions of the hybrids to date are the alternative fuel options, meaning these cars run on renewable fuel. Such fuels as biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oil; ethanol which is derived from corn; and even a vehicle that runs on hydrogen. These are other viable options that will benefit the environment by playing a huge part in greenhouse gas reduction of emissions, lower the consumption of fossil fuels, and provide an alternative to gas powered vehicles.

Tax Credit

In order to jump start the hybrid economy, the government has offered a one-year tax credit for the purchase of a hybrid. The more of a demand there is for them, the more money the car companies will make as well as put back into researching and developing the hybrid technology. With the innovation and competitive spirit of the world's economy, the technology will not be behind the gas engines for long. The reduction of the worlds dependency on fossil fuels is a necessity. The hybrid has been proven in the assistance of greenhouse gas reduction of emissions that in turn will help to slow or eliminate global warming.