The big question that this article addresses is: “Are hybrid vehicles practical?” Read on to find out.
Let’s first take a look at some safety issues related to the new technology involved with hybrid vehicles. After all, if a car isn’t safe, how practical can it really be as an investment?

First, let’s dismiss a fallacy: the safety of hybrid vehicles has no bearing on whether the car runs on both electricity and gasoline. Know that each and every hybrid car undergoes a variety of tests over and over again to gauge their safety. If anything, the smaller size and increased maneuverability give hybrids a leg up in terms of avoiding collisions. Fact is, most hybrids rank higher in safety than other cars in their weight class.

However, hybrid cars may present a few singular risks potentially if and when they’re involved in a car accident or need to be repaired. These risks can be minimized, so don’t panic just yet. One of the potential hazards specific to hybrid cars is related to the high-voltage battery along with the car’s power train elements which could combine to create a shocking hazard. Precautions are highly recommended. Innately, hybrid cars contain high-voltage elements, and therefore, high-voltage parts and cables are often color-coded to keep everything straight and warn drivers. Certain cables should be avoided unless the car’s battery is disconnected. In regards to the car’s battery itself, all hybrid car batteries have a disconnect or safety switch mechanism, part of the safety protocol put into place by the car companies themselves.
Another potential safety issue has nothing to do with drivers of hybrid cars, but rather with bystanders and pedestrians. Because of the whisper-quiet nature of many hybrid vehicles, the cars can easily sneak up on many pedestrians, especially those people that might be vision impaired. Expect some newer vehicles to have new technology that actually increases the sound of the hybrid cars’ engines.

So, are hybrid cars practical? They certainly can be, depending on your personal needs and financial circumstances. In practice, hybrid cars are becoming more affordable, certainly more safer and with more and more battery-recharging kiosks and pit stops on the road, their practicality is becoming more and more evident. Especially if you’re Earth conscious, hybrid cars – with their dual fuel / power options – can offer the best of two worlds, and the perfect balance between practicality and safety.

Another reason is that the infrastructure that is needed to support recharging of these vehicles is clearly not available in any great quantity in this country. These vehicles need docking ports to recharge. These docking areas are not built in any quantity to allow quick and easy access like the conventional gas stations.

Probably the biggest reason that these vehicles haven’t been produced in any great quantity is the cost. The price of the Volt is over $42000. You can buy a lot of gas for that.

Probably the most successful entry into green car market is the Toyota Prius. The range of this vehicle is supplemented by a gas option. That is what makes it viable. However, the battery is very large and it cuts down on the vehicle space. It is just not a vehicle that is comfortable to take the family because of the limited space in the car. It makes for a difficult ride to the shore when you can’t include a picnic basket and a blanket without putting on a roof rack.

I guess the bottom line is that until the marketplace makes an electric vehicle usable by allowing it a reasonable and practical driving range and comfortable enough to take the family and at a cost that people can afford, this electric car “thing” won’t work here.