YouSustain

Action - Hybrid Vehicle

Hybrid vehicles are typically much more efficient than their gas-only equivalents. They generate electricity while driving, often during braking. This energy is then used to power the vehicle, typically while stopped and at low speeds.

Most manuafacturers now offer at least one Hybrid model. The best overall fuel economy for 2007 is the Toyota Prius at about 55 mpg but there are many other excellent models from Honda, Ford, Lexus, Mercury and others. Use caution when selecting a vehicle as certain vehicles are still tuned for performance and don't achieve a significant fuel economy improvement.

In-depth guide: hybrids

Known benefits and costs

Annual CO2 Savings1,500 - 3,600 kg
 3,300 - 7,920 lbs
Annual Cash Savings$500 - $1,800
Initial Cost$2,000 - $8,000
Time to pay for itself1.0 - 16.0 years
CO2 saved per year per initial dollar invested0.19 - 1.80 kg

* These values were taken from many sources including product documentation, published reports, and the referenced material below. The ranges are due to differences in methods of achieving this action.

Reference Links

The site admins voted these articles very good references

Hybrid Vehicle - Wikipedia

This Wikipedia article has a lot of good information about hybrid technology.

Recent Related Links

Links that were recently submitted related to this solution

Gas Pains: Mileage Myths and Misconceptions

Examining some tips for saving fuel

Mythbusters Electric Cars vs. Gas Vehicles

Great article, by one of the Mythbusters, on a real-world comparison of gas vs. electric motors and vehicles.

Drive Smart: Fuel Savings Add Up

A list of fuel saving tips for your car.

The Future of Oil

This article has a very interesting graphic (called "Burning Through Oil") with great stats about oil consumption and American commuting habits.

Top 9 Gas Savings Tips to Help Save the Environment and your Wallet

This is a good list that contains more than the standard tips that show up in every other article.

Top 10 2008 Hybrids

A great ranked list of the top hybrids for 2008. Includes cost/benefit comparison as well.

Emission Facts: Average Annual Emissions and Fuel Consumption for Passenger

Figures on emission rates of various by-products of gas-powered vehicles. Includes yearly averages per vehicle. Stats are from the year 2000 but are relatively unchanged.

Walk Score - How much is within walking distance of a property

Walk Score shows you a map of what's nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property.

Calif. Court Rejects Lax SUV Mileage Rules

A federal court in California yesterday rejected the Bush administration's new fuel economy standards for light trucks and SUVs, ruling that they failed to take into account the effects of carbon emissions and their possible link to global warming.

In Copenhagen Bicycles Overtake Cars

As a result of half a century of planning, Copenhagen has achieved a fabulous cycling goal - during the morning rush hour more bikes and mopeds pound the inner city streets than personal cars and buses.

All related links