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With rising fuel costs and the environmental damage car emissions cause to the planet, many car buyers are looking for alternative way to save money and be more “green”. We all know that fuel supply is not infinite and the prices of gas is going to rise higher and higher. This has lead to more interest into the advantages and benefits of  Hybrid cars.

Hybrid cars have been increasing in popularity in the past few years. Lower costs of production and new hybrid car technology being developed, means that owning a hybrid car is becoming affordable for everyone.

Hybrid Cars Save on Gas

The most obvious advantage of using a hybrid car is that it saves on gas. Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon. One feature of hybrid cars is that the gasoline engine is shut off automatically when the car stops. This helps in saving fuel. That is also the reason why hybrid cars are so quiet why it is stationary. The gasoline engine is automatically turned on when you step on the accelerator pedal.

Hybrid Cars Are Environmentally Friendly

Hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned. It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you do not know, carbon dioxide is one of the primary reasons for rising global warming. For example, the Toyota Prius can reduce tailpipe emissions by up to ninety percent and the greenhouse gas emissions by as much as fifty percent.

Tax Incentives For Hybrid Cars

Due to world political pressures around the world to reduce greenhouse emissions, President Bush signed an agreement in 2005 to provide huge tax relief to hybrid car buyers. The tax incentive varies by model and are based on two factors

1. How fuel efficient the hybrid car is compared to a conventional car in 2002 with the same weight class.

2. How much gasoline the hybrid car can save in its lifetime compared with an equivalent conventional car

For example, a Honda Accord hybrid car have reduced tax credits of $600 while a Toyota Prius has a tax credit of $3150. Do note that the tax credits do expire after 2010 for most hybrid cars.

Hybrid car manufacturers are continually researching for more ways to reduce fuel consumption and better fuel efficiency. Also as more hybrid cars are being adopted, the cost of hybrid cars will reduce making it more affordable for everyone.