Hybrid Car Faq
One of the most often posed questions about hybrid cars is whether they need to be recharged by plugging in. The answer is that it depends. The situation used to be such that the electric motors were either recharged by the gasoline engine, or through regenerative braking and other means. However, there is a category of hybrid cars that have electric motors which can be recharged through plugging in the car. You should thus always make sure the category of car you're purchasing. Another frequent question about hybrid cars is whether maintenance of the hybrid cars is more expensive that with conventional cars. On average, it has been estimated that maintenance of a hybrid car does not cost more than that of a conventional car. In fact, there may be less costs due to decreased wear and tear to the gasoline engine, as it is used less in a hybrid vehicle. To maintain the long warranties in most hybrid cars, it is recommended that you use authorized dealer service centers to do the maintenance, which often charge a little more to independent mechanics. Finally, another frequent question about the hybrid cars are whether they can handle the same range of conditions and temperatures as traditional vehicles. As for the cold, Honda's operating manufal for the Integrated Motor Assist system indicates that it should operate normally in conditions to as low as 22 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit). As for heat, one of the experts in maintenance of hybrid cars, hybrid technician Craig Van Batenburg, has reported on interviews that nickel metal hydride batteries will function normally to temperatures up to 140 degrees (Fahrenheit).
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