Fuel economy is the number one reason why many drivers are checking into environmentally friendly hybrid cars. The market for both new and used hybrids is hot.

Many dealerships are having a difficult time, keeping the hybrids on the lot. Even used hybrid cars are flying off the lots. Want a hybrid car? Take a number and get in line.

Rising fuel costs are making more people aware of what they spend at the gas pump. Large cars and SUVs are being traded in by the hundreds because of rising fuel prices. More consumers are looking for ways to save on gas. There is a strong demand and even long waiting lists for hybrid cars.

Toyota estimated that for the calendar year of 2004 that there were 36,000 Prius cars available in the United States alone. That number was increased to over 47,000 after the Prius made its way on the market.

The Prius plant works at its maximum capacity to keep up with the growing demand for the hybrid car. Some dealerships have waiting lists that are several months long. Toyota reports that there is an estimated 22,000 Prius cars on backorder.

Hybrid cars are excellent choices for helping the environment by using less fuel and more efficiency, but hybrid cars also require less maintenance. Hybrid vehicles are designed to require less service and are made to last longer and run better made than a conventional car.

When deciding between a hybrid and a traditional car, all factors should be considered. Hybrid vehicles are lower on emissions, use less fuel and because they have fewer parts, tend to last longer.  The following are three reasons why hybrid cars go in for less maintenance.

The generator of a hybrid can take on multiple tasks

The generator on a hybrid is an important aspect of the car. A hybrid uses a separate gas engine that powers the generator. The engine on most hybrid cars are very small, usually a ten to twenty horsepower. It is designed to run at one speed to get maximum efficiency.

The generator of a hybrid is able help to take on the tasks of several other parts of the car. This reduces wear and tear on parts that often need replacement on a conventional car.  Because the generator takes on several tasks, the hybrid car is able to recapture energy when coasting or breaking to recharge the battery.  This reduces battery usage and the battery in a hybrid will need to be replaced less often.

Motor Trends Car of the Year for 2004, North American Car of the Year in 2004, 2004 International Engine of the Year, 2005 European Car of the Year, 2006 Energuide Award in the Midsize segment, this and more are the accolades given to the Toyota Prius Hybrid Car.

Undoubtedly one of the most popular and most regarded competitors in the ever growing hybrid car segment, Toyota Prius has definitely made a marked in the motor industry.

The Toyota Prius hybrid car

The Toyota Prius is a Hybrid car that makes a bold statement against environmental issues and the rising gas prices. It is also the first ever mass-produced hybrid car for commercial purposes. Its name itself means first.

The Toyota Prius hybrid car was first sold in Japan in 1997 before it was distributed all over the globe 4 years later in 2001. Its popularity was boosted by environmentalists touting it as the car for the future to save our planet from air pollution.

Sales in North America were strong and increasing annually. By fall of 2006, the Toyota Prius hybrid car had the strongest demand and has the longest preorder and waiting list there is presently.

The new hybrid cars are an excellent choice for anyone looking to save money at the gas pump and help the environment.

Many car manufacturers are making hybrids because they are small and fuel-efficient.

They are powered by a combination of an efficient gas engine and by electric motor that helps with accelerations. Batteries that recharge automatically power the electric motor.

Even celebrities are turning to the environmentally friendly hybrid to make statements. While hybrids do have a higher purchase cost and are often hard to find due to high demand, there are many great reasons for choosing a hybrid. The next time you are in the market to purchase a new car, consider these five reasons to buy a hybrid.

Here are five reasons to buy a hybrid car:

Hybrid cars are typically smaller and have more efficient engines.

The efficiency of the hybrid is boosted by the small size and lightweight materials used to make the car. Hybrid vehicles also have regenerative braking. This means that the electric motor that drives the hybrid acts as a generator and charges the battery while the car is slowing.

It is still surprising that the first hybrid vehicle was a car.

With the reputation that hybrid SUVs have for being giant gas-guzzlers with no respect for the environment, you would think that we would have seen the Toyota Highlander several years ago.

If they had thought even further ahead, then perhaps we would already have our first hybrid minivan in the U.S., instead of in Japan.

Hybrid SUVs

As of now, there are four hybrid SUVs available in the mainstream market, with more on the way, including the Saturn VUE, which was set to release in 2007. Mazda came out with their Tribute in 2006.  Many people have been waiting patiently for an affordable hybrid SUV and now would be the time to get one.

More manufacturers are offering decently priced hybrid SUVs than ever before. Technology, combined with makers’ shaving a little off of the prices to encourage buyers, have at least four hybrid SUVs.  As long as you don’t insist on buying the Lexus RX 400h, a hybrid SUV is off to a great start for its handful of makers.

Hybrid cars are very popular vehicles in today’s society.

Hybrid cars combine the power of a gasoline engine with the environmental benefits of an electric engine to create what most consider being a better car.

There are essentially two different types of hybrid cars on today’s market. One type of hybrid car uses the gasoline engine to charge a battery. The battery then runs the electric motor in the car. The gasoline engine is reserved for situations where power is required.

Another type never fully runs on the electric motor, but reserves that for situations where the car requires more power. Hybrid cars offer thirty to fifty miles per gallon of gasoline, and a host of special features that make them quite competitive with regular cars.

They also, though, a price tag of three to five thousand dollars more than a typical car and waiting lists of six months to two years. There are, though, three good reasons to purchase a hybrid car, despite the waiting list.

Hybrid cars are considered as the car of the future.

It is able to effectively conserve fuel and at the same time, it only produces low levels of toxic fumes.

Because of these benefits, hybrid cars are now growing in popularity every single day. Many people are now considering getting rid of their conventional cars and purchase a hybrid car to help in cutting fuel consumption cost.

Hybrid cars have two engines for it to effectively conserve fuel consumption. It has the traditional gasoline engine and it also has an electric motor and batteries. The two engines work together in order to cut fuel consumption.

With this technology, you will be able to cut fuel usage by more than half. Just imagine, with a hybrid car, you will be able to go more than 60 miles to the gallon. With this kind of savings, hybrid cars are definitely the car of the future.

Hybrid car owners virtually don’t feel the increasing cost in fuel prices. This is the main advantage of the hybrid car. There are other advantages that a hybrid car can give you.

Owners of hybrid cars are taking the plunge for those of us still driving the regular gas-only engine cars.

Although they are getting some perks for having these electric gas hybrids, they still want to improve their gas mileage.

In fact, although some drivers have reported much better gas mileage than they had with their regular cars, they are finding that their expectations have not been met quite the way they imagined they would be.  In these cases, some hybrid owners have actually made it something of a game to try and get better and better gas mileage.

It appears that the expectations are high with hybrids. Some models of hybrids are getting in the 60 mpg range for cities and highways. For some owners, however, the expectations are not being met because regular consumers are not driving like a trained tester.

Experts on hybrid cars and driving in general are trying to consult with the owners to show them that the gas mileage guides were not deceiving them after all.

Those who are unfamiliar with hybrid cars may not know that most come with new innovative tire designs.

When replacing your tires on your hybrid car, you should stick with the low-rolling resistance tires.

Low-rolling resistance tires

Those who own hybrid cars however know that these special low-rolling resistance tires are the best thing, since the hybrid design itself. Consumers are definitely not the only ones with their eyes on the new low-rolling resistance tires however. Every major tire maker is getting in on the trend with new tires coming out frequently.

You may wonder what low-rolling resistance actually means. The name is a measurement of how tires roll on the road. If the tire rolls easily, then it is considered a low-rolling resistant tire.

One benefit of these innovative tires is that they minimize the energy used by the tire. Tires use energy as heat in three different locations.

First, there is heat between the tire and the road. Secondly, there is heat between the tire and the sidewall. Lastly, there is heat between the tire and the rim.

With gas prices skyrocketing to over $3.00 per gallon across the nation in the past few months, consumers have been searching for a way to get from place to place without spending a fortune.

Some consumers seem to think they have found the solution to their problem. Hybrid vehicles have become the new alternative to spending your entire paycheck on filling your gas tank.

In addition to saving you money at the gas pump, hybrid vehicles are also a safer choice for the environment. Hybrid vehicles combine sources of power to fuel the vehicle. By not relying solely on gasoline as fuel power to power the vehicle, hybrid vehicles use less gasoline and omit fewer fumes into the already damaged atmosphere.

With global warming becoming more and more of concern, hybrid vehicles are growing in popularity.  Hybrid cars use gasoline combined with an electric motor powered by batteries to fuel the vehicle.

When the vehicle is being used in typical day-to-day driving scenarios where there is a lot of stop-and-go traffic, hybrid vehicles rely heavily upon their battery power.