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Here's where you can get the scoop on Hybrids!
A hybrid has to be plugged in.
Rumour (for now). Basically, the way today's hybrids work is that the battery is recharged while you drive, from energy normally lost over the course of operating the car.
Hybrid batteries need to be replaced frequently
Fiction. Hybrid batteries are designed to work for the lifetime of the vehicle which is why many manufacturers offer impressive warranties on hybrid-related components.
The only hybrids are the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius
False. The selection is diverse and growing. Some of the most popular, as quoted online at www.kanetix.ca,include compacts, mid-sized and full-sized cars, and SUVs:
• Toyota Prius
• Honda Civic Hybrid
• Toyota Camry Hybrid
• Ford Escape Hybrid
• Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Hybrids cost more to buy
True. While fuel efficiency is a bonus at the pumps, it typically comes at the cost of a slightly more expensive vehicle. The good news here though is you may be eligible to receive a provincial tax rebate or credit (depending on the province) varying from $1,000 to $3,000 if you live in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec or Prince Edward Island.
Hybrids cost more to insure
Not necessarily. After comparing online quotes at www.kanetix.ca, for the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, and the Honda Civic Hybrid, it seems there is no one particular trend when it comes to hybrid insurance rates. Compared to their gas-powered alter-egos, the cost to insure a hybrid vehicle was neither consistently higher nor lower.
Top 10 most popular hybrids in 2008
(NC)—While sales of hybrids may have slowed now that the average retail price of gasoline in Canada has dropped considerably from the high in the summer of 2008 of $1.40 per litre, the results of a Kanetix.ca review of car insurance quotes shows that more people then ever before are looking into eco-friendly options for driving.
Not only have the number of hybrid auto insurance quotes increased in 2008 compared to 2007, but they have more than doubled since 2006.
The most popular hybrids quoted for insurance through www.kanetix.ca in 2008 were:
• Toyota Prius
• Honda Civic Hybrid
• Toyota Camry Hybrid
• Ford Escape Hybrid
• Toyota Highlander Hybrid
• Lexus RX400h
• Honda Accord Hybrid
• Nissan Altima 2.5 S Hybrid
• Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
• Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid
If you've had it with the mostly ups, and the occasional downs of gas prices, and have decided to buy a hybrid, there's practically something for everyone and the options grow every year.