Why was the hyrbid car invented? Because of increased gas prices?

Question

Why was the hyrbid car invented? Because of increased gas prices?

Answer 1

The hybrid was invented because it was/is necessary technology. In other forms of transportation hybrid technology has been reliable and effective. The idea of a hybrid in practical terms is to "have your cake and eat it too".  When former President Kennedy challenged this country to go to the moon, we had rocket fuel to get us to space and we had solar power once we landed; the moon buggy and numerous space stations demonstrated Americas capabilities to match vision and reality even then. The long route to answer your question is that, inventions are institutionalized, then they have to have infrastructure to sustain and support public consumption, afterwards it must be commercialized/explained as "new and useful".  And so, the hybrid car exists because of increased gas prices, technological advancements in batteries, competition in this area from other manufacturers from competing countries, it is a money making venture and last but not least traffic congestion is a major factor in most major cities and this is where the hybrid design shines brightest as an idea whose time has come.

Answer 2

Although invented quite some time ago Increased gas prices and the recent trend to help with global warming have improved their availabitlity.  The Honda Insight was the first mass produced hybrid vehicle.  Keep your eyes open for the plug in hybrid in the future....probably a plug in Toyota Prius...

Answer 3

The hybrid was introduced to help guide America from being so dependent on oil, as was the electric car, which is not a hybrid because it does not run with fuel at all, strictly electric. Hybrids have good gas mileage, about the same as a Honda Civic, but until they make Semi's and SUV's the same size as a Hybrid, you won't see my butt in a coffin on wheels. That is way too high of a price to pay.

Answer 4

You got it!

Answer 5

Money is always a faster motivator than any environmental benefit. Environmentalists and Green advocates have been trying to get cleaner cars on the road for decades, and hybrid technology has been around for a long, long time. There is technology in existance today to have clean, efficient, cost-effective cars that don't run on gasoline, but I guess that's just too big of a step for people. Perhaps when gas prices reach another breaking point, someone will put the money in to get those cars on the road.

Answer 6

Basically, yes.

The idea is not new. I saw an article about hybrid cars in popular mechanics in the 1970s. Then, as now, the worry is our reliance on imported oil. I think hybrid cars and other technology to use less oil is a good idea not because of global warming, but because we are at the mercy of middle eastern oil suppliers. It is a national security problem more than an environmental problem.

Answer 7

Anything that saves on gas is a good idea especially as gas prices are on a long term upwards trend.

Answer 8

The hybrid car was invented long before the increased car prices.

BMW had a hydrogen car ready to go 12 years ago.

There are more hybrid cars because of the increased gas prices however.