Common Contentions about the Ecological Benefits of Hybrid Cars

While there are attractive benefits of hybrid cars, among the most publicized is their relative environmental friendliness. What follows is a quick review of some of the ecological benefits that may come with driving a hybrid car.

Traditional cars still rely on the same basic internal combustion engine technology that has been used for the last 100 years or so. Whether they burn diesel fuel or pure gasoline (or even ethanol), all traditional cars emit several tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per yea —in addition to releasing other hydrocarbons and particulate matter that end up polluting the atmosphere.

On the other hand, most hybrid cars use one or two electric motors, in conjunction with an internal combustion engine (ICE), to provide the power to move the car. The electric motor(s) in a hybrid car helps reduce overall emissions in at least two ways: 1) they can allow for the complete shut-off of the ICE at idle and low speeds; 2) their extra power capacity allows for a smaller ICE to be used; this means reduced emissions at higher speeds, compared to a traditional car with a larger ICE.

Plug-in hybrid cars, many of which also continue to employ ICE technology, have the ability to reduce atmospheric emissions even further. Using their advanced batteries, they can be fully recharged from an overnight connection to the household electrical grid. Therefore, on short commutes that require only light acceleration, they can operate on electricity/battery power exclusively and thus considerably increase the number of zero-emission miles driven.

Hybrid cars provide another long-term ecological benefit: they use less fossil fuel than a traditional car, which could eventually lead to a lower number of oil wells, rigs and tankers that impact the environment.

All vehicles (including hybrid cars) contribute a harmful overall impact to the environment, considering their level of recyclability, noise pollution, energy use and emissions. However, if you want to reduce your overall carbon footprint, you may want to consider driving a hybrid car.