What's better and/or cheaper? Hybrids or Electric? Or are they the same?

Question

I wanna know cause for my economics project i have an idea that's involving environmentally friendly vehicles. I'm not gonna say what it is, cause it's a multi-million dollar business idea, but i still need your help. Anyway just please help me understand cars...

Links to useful educational websites are preferable.

If there are any questions, please ask then come back to see if i asnwered and fix ur answer.

P.S. look at my previous question pls. it's not the same topic but it's still interesting...

Answer 1

Phoenix currently makes the only fully electric highway speed truck.

http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/vehicles...

Though there are some slower ones with shorter ranges available.

http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/za...

http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/mi...

And Chevy briefly made an electric truck.

http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/ch...

There aren't really any hybrid trucks available.  Chevy made a couple briefly (Silverado and Sienna), but they only improved on the non-hybrid version mileage by 15%, and I think they stopped making them.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/f*g/hybrid_sb...

But they're going to try again with the Silverado in 2009, and expect to get a 25% fuel efficiency improvement this time.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/14/la-20...

Right now hybrids are cheaper than fully electric cars, but aren't as environmentally friendly.

Answer 2

I'd prefer an electric vehicle.   It would take some work, but I could theoretically make my own power to run it.   I can't reach oil drilling in my back yard.

Answer 3

As of right now, hybrids run between $25-55 thousand.  There's not much available right now in the way of pure electric vehicles.  Currently, Tesla runs about $75 K, and Toyota has one that's about $100K.  

The given explanation, is that the costs to produce these vehicles is astronomical, with very little demand. (Although, I think there is plenty of demand)  I on the other hand believe, that it's because environmentalists prefer their elite status, and would rather lord it over the masses.  But, that's just me.

Answer 4

An electric car is just that, it uses electricity to power the car.  But you still have to plug it in at night and realize you're still getting power from your electric company.

If we were serious about this, a car would be developed that creates its own power.  In other words while driving the car, the motor would also act as a generator recharging the batteries.

A hybrid is a car that has both a gasoline engine and an electric motor with a large battery.  In short, the gas engine takes the car up to speed then the electric motor takes over.  Any braking is used to charge the batteries.  This type is a bit more expensive.

A flex fuel vehicle has an engine designed to burn either  gasoline and ethanol.