An Overview Of Honda Hybrids

By: Gregg Hall

Honda has become one of the top car manufacturers when it comes
to the latest craze in the automotive world - hybrid vehicles.
Honda has followed in the footsteps of car manufacturing
companies like Toyota and Ford who have created a number of
their car models in hybrid form.

But what is the difference between hybrid cars and the gasoline
powered cars we have become accustomed to in the past? Hybrid
vehicles run by combining sources of power to fuel the vehicle.
Today's hybrid vehicles combine gasoline with electric power to
run. By not relying solely on gasoline as fuel power to power
the vehicle, hybrid vehicles use less gasoline and omit fewer
fumes into the already damaged atmosphere.

With global warming becoming more and more of a concern, hybrid
vehicles are growing in popularity. Hybrid cars use gasoline
combined with an electric motor powered by batteries to fuel the
vehicle. When the vehicle is being used in typical day-to-day
driving scenarios where there is a lot of stop-and-go traffic,
hybrid vehicles rely heavily upon their battery power. When use
of the gasoline engine takes place, or when the car slows down
or brakes, the electric battery pack is able to recharge itself,
readying itself for more use powered by the electric engine
rather than the gasoline engine.

In recent years Honda has put models of some of their most
popular vehicles on the market as hybrids. The Honda Acura,
Honda Insight and Honda Civic, some of the company's top selling
vehicles can now be bought as standard gasoline-powered cars or
as hybrid vehicles. Honda began its sale of hybrid vehicles in
2005, the same year as many other car manufacturers. However,
now Honda is predicting at least double the sales of their new
2006 hybrid models. That may seem like lofty prediction to make
but for many Americans; the rising prices at the gas tank make
hybrid vehicles the perfect idea.

Honda's hybrid vehicles will surely save money at the gas pump,
getting approximately thirty miles per gallon for city driving
and thirty seven per gallon on the highway. The typical Honda
vehicle powered solely by gasoline gets approximately twenty one
miles per gallon for city driving and thirty one miles per
gallon on the highway. That is a considerable difference for
people who find themselves filling their gas tanks three of four
times a week at prices nearing three dollars per gallon.

The price for Honda hybrids does raise some. When comparing the
standard Honda Acura to its hybrid counterpart the hybrid cost
approximately $4,000 more. However, for many people who purchase
hybrid vehicles, the initial price seems to even out when
considering the money saved at the gas pump and the
environmental safety the hybrid vehicles bring.

That's right; gas prices are not the only reason that makes
hybrid vehicles a smarter choice. With a growing need for
environmentally safe vehicles, Honda's hybrid vehicles have
become more and more popular. Places in the United States that
have been plagued by heavy pollution, like the state of
California; have seen a growing trend in the purchase of hybrid
vehicles over regular vehicles. In fact, millions of Americans
are currently living in areas that have poor air quality.

Hybrids could provide the beginning of a solution to this
problem. Without a doubt hybrid vehicles will provide somewhat
of a reprieve from dire air quality. Since companies such as
Honda have worked so hard to develop effective hybrid models,
hybrid cars have become a glimpse of the future available today.
Many engineers and car manufacturers believe that hybrid
vehicles will eventually begin to gain significant ground in
sales.

Although the vehicles keep becoming more and more popular
amongst American consumers, it is believed that it will be short
time until the hybrid vehicle becomes the standard. In fact,
companies like Honda that have been conducting research on
hybrid vehicles for years have known that this technology would
be coming. Honda's hard work over the past few years has
undoubtedly paid of, putting them at the top when it comes to
hybrid competition. And without a doubt the research will
continue to provide society with an even more practical way of
getting around.

About the author:
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online
and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16
year old son. Get new car prices and
reviews at http://www.newcarpricesandreviews.com