If you come across a Toyota Prius with the keys inside, steal it. That may be the only way to get your hands on a new hybrid car this year. Everyone is catching on to the idea of getting 60 miles to the gallon, saving almost $1,500 in gas, plus a $2,000 tax return, making these new money saving cars almost impossible to find (Newman, "Red-hot"). "I had to wait 3 months to get mine, but once I did, I noticed a huge difference. I only need to fill my car up once or twice a month; already I've saved a lot of money," said Bradley Berman who recently purchased a hybrid car(Hybrid Cars). There are now three different hybrid cars available in America: the Honda Insight, a hybrid version of the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Prius. But there are always downsides to something as good as a hybrid car.
Ever since the global warming effect was discovered, scientists have been looking for an alternative energy source, and with the recent events that have taken place in the Middle East, the want for an alternative fuel source has become more of a necessity. Money spent on gasoline is funding terrorist groups in the Middle East, including Osama Bin-Laden and the Al Queda. Hybrid cars are the first step in eliminating the need for gasoline-powered vehicles, but they still aren't perfect.
Hybrid cars don't have nearly the same power as a gas powered car. The Toyota Prius runs on a 76-horsepower engine, not even a third of the average 200+ horsepower a gas car has (Toyota Prius). Meaning, people who are out looking for a car to tow a boat or trailer, or go off-roading with their new car wouldn't benefit as much from a hybrid car. Most hybrid cars only average about 70-80 horsepower, whereas an average gas powered car gets about 250-350 horsepower. So by switching to hybrid you"re losing quite a bit of power.
Every time puts gasoline into his car's tank, he thinks about where it came from and what it took to bring it here.
