When a Car is Needed - Drive Green, Drive Hybrid

New urbanists promote walkable communities that cut down on vehicle pollution. But what about those times when the car is needed for an event or when (God forbid) public transit is not available to get you to distant locations?

Obviously we drive when we need to and for many of us that is every day.  So since modern life dictates our need for a car, any steps we can take to reduce the pollution we create is not only great but essential. Enter the hybrid car.

I just had a discussion with a good friend who told me she had just purchased a hybrid car that allowed her to get an extra 20 to 30 miles per gallon. That got me thinking about my gas guzzling mini-van and why my next purchase is going to be a hybrid car.

Hybrid cars are powered by gas and electricity - a gas powered engine and a battery powered electric motor. Many of the major car companies are providing hybrid car options for their most popular models.

According to the website www.allabouthybridcars.com

Hybrid cars blend the best of the conventional car with the best of electric cars for a winning combination. Uniting the cleaner energy of the electric motor with the long-range power of the gasoline engine yields a hybrid automobile with lower toxic emissions with better fuel economy-sometimes up to 30 miles a gallon or more than conventional cars. And the good news is these HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) perform as well if not better than non-hybrids and are as safe, reliable and comfortable as any traditional car.

The Toyata Prius is considered one of the best hybrid cars out there. But what about US automakers? Well Time reports that GM has finally come around to making their “green” car a priority.

After dismissing them for years as a niche unworthy of attention, GM will release an average of one new hybrid model every three months for the next two years, beginning with the industry’s first full-size hybrid SUVs late this year. (Time.com report by Brian Walsh)

I sure do remember when hybrid cars were thought to be odd little novelties for tree huggers and other non-conformists. Now it is the hip car to get. I’m just happy it’s catching on the way it is. Popular Hybrid cars start at around $20,000 (US).

Tags: New Urbanism