If you are thinking about a hybrid car, you may be hearing quite a bit of "talk." Some people think the hybrid car is the best thing on the market. Some people say it'll just pass. Other people say they think they can save a lot of money, but you're not sure it's really worth it.  What's the truth, and how do you separate myth from fact with all of the stuff that is  being thrown at you? Below, you can read and understand the common hybrid car myths.

Hybrid cars are the same as electric cars

This is not true because hybrid cars are fuel-powered for the most part. They have what are called battery assists. The assist is powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack that is rechargeable.

You are guaranteed to save money with a hybrid car

If you are doing city driving, you may save gas and you may not. The same goes for highway driving. There are just many different factors. It has been said that if everyone bought hybrid cars, the gas consumption would decrease by only 10%. That's not a very big difference.

A hybrid cars battery can run out

A hybrid car's battery should not run out while you are driving it. The engine in a hybrid car does not idle when stopped (at a red light for instance.)  What does it do instead? It recharges its battery. So there's no need to worry about a hybrid car stopping you.

The hybrid cars rechargeable battery only lasts for 2 years

A hybrid car certainly would not be worth purchasing if this was the case. A hybrid car's rechargeable batteries usually come with an eight-year warranty.

If I run out of gas, I can keep driving on the hybrid car battery

Keep in mind, a hybrid car's battery is an assist.  That means that hybrid car's still run on fuel. After you run out of gas, the battery may keep the car running for just a little while. However, the car will stop very soon.

Hybrid cars will soon put conventional car sellers out of business
This probably won't happen anytime soon. The reason for the delay has to do with the how much a hybrid cars. Many people simply can't afford one.  Also, people just aren't too sure whether they will really save money on hybrid cars. Therefore, they are slow to join the rush of people who want a hybrid car.

Hybrid cars will only save you about 88 dollars a year

I did hear something on the news about this once, but it may not be true. If there's something you really want though, and there's a lot of smoke surrounding it, you simply have to start digging and do some of your own research. There are many different models of hybrid cars, and many different manufacturers make them. This means that there may be many more variables involved than the ones discussed here.  A hybrid car may help you, and it may not, but the final decision is up to you.

Those considering purchasing a hybrid car may be a little concerned about what's under the hood. Hybrid cars have battery-powered motors. Since a battery-powered motor is not something that typically comes to mind when people think about what's under the hood of a car, it's a good idea to get a good understanding of the hybrid-car battery-pack.  Below are a few facts about it.

Battery packs in hybrid cars do not need to be replaced

Made to last over the lifetime of the vehicle, a hybrid car's warranty covers the battery for a time period that lasts between eight and ten years. In terms of mileage, a battery pack is expected to last between 150, 000 and 200,000 miles, and it probably lasts longer than that.

Battery toxicity is a concern, but not a major concern

Hybrid cars use NiMH batteries, not the rechargeable nickel cadmium. Nickel cadmium batteries are usually detrimental to the environment, but the NiMH batteries that are used in hybrid cars are fully recyclable.

Hybrid batteries contain hundreds of cells

Hundreds of cells means that hybrid cars have a lot of complexity going on underneath their hoods, and complexity does usually mean expensive, but with the generous warranty car manufacturers are giving on these cars, there is little involved in purchasing a hybrid.

The numbers of battery failures in hybrids have been really low

When I say low, I mean really low. If failure happens, it's probably before the cars even get off the lot. Toyota has even said that some of its original Prius models have packs that have gone over 300,000 miles.

The cost of replacing hybrid batteries isn't even an issue

It isn't an issue because the battery packs in hybrid cars are built to last. The Department of Energy looked into hybrid vehicles, but stopped its test when the capacity was "just like new" after 160,000 miles. So no one really seems to know for sure what it costs to replace the battery pack in a hybrid car.

The battery packs in hybrid cars are evolving

If we look further into the future, the next generation of hybrid batteries is in the works. The goal: To discover a technology that gives lots of power, lasts for the hybrid car's lifetime, and costs less to make.

If the battery pack in your hybrid car does run out, there is a solution

Toyota has put out some advice on what to do if your hybrid battery should run out after the warranty has ended. The advice is to recondition the battery. The solution works well because if something goes wrong, the problem lies within only one of the 28 modules that the battery is made up of.  So if you simply replace the problematic module with one that matches the chemistry of the other 27 modules, your hybrid car's battery should be in good shape. You can find a match by getting a battery pack from another car that has a similar mileage and age.

Known as the eco-friendly car, hybrid cars that you plug in are considered symbols of the advanced future. The savings on gas adds up to the tune of thousands of dollars over the lifespan of the car. Right now, plug-in hybrids are not available to the buying public. Instead, regular hybrid cars are the dominant money-saving choice available to consumers. But in spite of the plug-hybrid's current public unavailability, in 2009 or 2010 General Motors plans to put one on the market. So many people might want to know all about plug-in hybrid cars.

As early as 1899, hybrid cars were being produced. The producer of these fascinating cars in those early years was Lohner-Porsche. These hybrid cars had to be charged externally.

In 1969, there was a July issue of Popular science. This issue featured an article on a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors. The concept was that this plug-in hybrid car was a vehicle meant for traveling average distances. Called the General Motors XP-883, it had six 12-volt lead batteries located in the trunk area. And it was meant to be plugged into a standard 110-volt socket for recharging, and the fuel tank could hold about 10 liters.

In September of 2004, the California Cars initiative made a 2004 Toyota Prius prototype into what it called a PRIUS+, the difference being that the converted model had an add-on -- there were 130 kg of lead-acid batteries onboard.

Ford motor company says it plans to sell plug-in hybrids in about the next five to ten years. Everything depends on improvements made to lithium ion batteries. So don't you want to drive of these hybrid cars? With a plug-in hybrid car, you'll be the envy of your friends who are just driving regular hybrid cars. You'll be able to travel on and on without looking for an Exxon or Texaco station.

And these types of hybrid cars aren't waiting for someone to bring them out on the auto showroom floor. Somehow, these hybrid cars have infiltrated themselves into the media. That's why people just love hybrid cars in general. And when you think about a plug-in hybrid, you can hardly believe what advances auto manufacturers are making these days.

It is said that there is a global demand for hybrid cars that is unbelievable. In fact, the demand is expected to grow. Therefore, by the year 2010, it is expected that more than 1 million vehicles will be produced annually. And if some of these hybrid cars were made so that they could run on electricity alone, there would be an even greater increase in demand.

But in terms of plug-hybrids, some people may not even believe these hybrid cars are really coming out since what they will be able to do is so awe-inspiring. But plug-in hybrids are definitely on their way. Supposedly, Daimler Chrysler is about to come out with 100 delivery vans that can go 20 miles just on electricity.  So get ready, plug-in hybrid cars are definitely coming to an auto dealer near you.

It's probably not a news flash that gas doesn't seem to be getting any cheaper. People all over are asking what they can do about the rise in price, and often the answer is to choose a different vehicle. That's simple, right? But what kind of vehicle should you choose? Just maybe, you should try a hybrid car.

The hybrid cars are the talk of the town these days. They come in great colors, sleek styles, and they will make your commute less expensive. When you look at those characteristics of a hybrid car, how could you not choose to run to the car dealer right now and pick one up? Well, we all wish we could do just that, but before you run out, maybe you should learn a bit more about these cars.

A hybrid car is a vehicle that is run on electricity. A combination of a conventional propulsion system and a rechargeable energy storage system that is on-board the vehicle work together to give the vehicle better fuel economy than cars that run strictly on gasoline.

Hybrid cars are unlike battery electric vehicles because the batteries used in hybrid cars do not have to be charged by an external source. Instead, in order to get a charge, kinetic energy is generated by way of regenerative braking. Furthermore, some hybrid cars make use of their own combustion engine to create electricity. The combustion engine does this by spinning an electrical generator. The spinning does one of two things. It can either recharge the battery or in a more direct way, it can give power to an electric motor. This motor is what then drives the vehicle.

Therefore, because this fuel-economizing vehicle can generate its own electricity, it is very different from a vehicle that is run strictly on batteries. But, there is no waiting while your car charges up outside in the garage before you go to work. All you have to do is get into the car and ride.

It is true that some people have experimented with electrical vehicles in the past. However, the introduction of the hybrid car outdid these types of cars when it came on the scene.