TOP 10 HYBRID MYTHS (series)

Myth # 1:

You need to plug in a hybrid car.

As soon as the word "electricity" is spoken, you think of plugs, cords, and wall sockets. But today's hybrid cars don't need to be plugged in. Auto engineers have developed an ingenious system known as regenerative braking. (Actually, they borrowed the concept from locomotive technology.) Energy usually lost when a vehicle is slowing down or stopping is reclaimed and routed to the hybrid's rechargeable batteries. The gas engine is also used to transfer energy to the batteries. The process is automatic, so no special requirements are placed on the driver.

Ironically, while car companies used to spend time and money explaining that hybrids need not be plugged in, a growing number of the major automakers (as well as activists and politicians) are pushing for plug-in hybrids. The ability to plug a hybrid into the electric grid overnight to charge a larger set of batteries would mean that most city driving could be done without burning a single drop of gasoline.

For Myth # 2, visit us again tomorrow!

Rick Hendrick Toyota Scion