Auto Trends

When people discuss hybrids a lot of time they are lumped into one single class, when the truth of the matter is there are several hybrid models out there that researchers are working on in hopes of becoming the next Pet Rock… or Slinky!

Two hopefuls are of course the HEV and PHEV. The difference between a PHEV and HEV is that a PHEV is basically a battery run electrical car, just like the HEV, but instead of needing a conventional combustion engine to provide electricity for the electric motor, it can simply be plugged in to a grid to provide enough electricity to run for many miles.

The primary advantage of the PHEV is its effective increase over fuel efficiency to its HEV brother, since it can actually run without the engine from the get go. Of course if you would ever find yourself in a situation where there were no electricity, the PHEV also utilizes a combustion engine for just such occasions.

While government studies have shown that PHEV’s are not only more economical to run, getting as much as 120 MPG for one single tank of gas, they also produce considerable less greenhouse gases into the air. These studies have shown that the PHEV could reduce these gases by as much as 36% or more, while the HEV’s only by 22%.

While HEV’s are becoming a common site on the road, the PHEV’s have not yet been manufactured, although GM and Toyota are feverishly in the race to see who gets there first and which one is going to be better. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks and the United States is an 18 year old Labrador Retriever.

This is why by the year 2015 the government will have only mandated vehicles to reach the 35 MPG… when in fact we could all be enjoying 100+ MPG right now! But even an old dog knows to sit when you wave a turkey sandwich in his face…

And a 120 MPG sandwich might seem mighty tasty once gas prices reach the $5.00 a gallon mark!