Concept Car: A Couple Common Misconceptions About Hybrids

Capitalism is all about giving the people what they want. Well, selling the people what they want may be a better way of stating it. This is basic notion is the very reason we have hybrid vehicles today.

Any type of trend soon grows attributes that are often not exactly accurate. These can be both positive and negative attributes, depending on who is pushing the point. Two false ones have surrounded the hybrid vehicle.

The first myth is that you will get a major tax break if you buy a hybrid vehicle. This is generally true, but not absolutely. Just to make you groan, you should know the agency that controls the issue. Yes, the IRS. So, when can you get a tax credit?

If you want to claim a tax credit for buying a hybrid, you have to comply with a few regulations. First, you have to purchase a brand new hybrid. Second, the IRS must have ceritifed the car. Third, you can only claim the amount then available.

The funny thing about the tax benefit of purchasing a hybrid is it is a moving target. The IRS initially sets an upper limi and then has the option to lower that amount each quarter of the year after it analyzes the number of cars sold.

The hybrid tax credit was designed to get people interested in hybrids. Given this fact, it should be no surprise the credit is phased out after a certain number of vehiles are sold. The beloved Prius, in fact, is about to lose its credit.

Why does the tax credit phase out for hybrids?Well, you have to realize why it was put into law in the first place. It was intended to motivate people to buy such vehicles in light of our oil and environmental problems. It was not intended to be a windfall for manufacturers.

The batteries used in hybrid vehicles give us our next area of controversy. These are not the run of the mill batteries found in your average automobile or truck. Rumor has it they don't last long and are incredibly expensive to repair.

The great hybrid conspiracy is truly funny once you look at a key fact. Each new hybrid comes with a battery warranty between 80,000 and 100,000 miles. This would suggest that they last a long time, no?

Hybrids represent definitive progress in kicking our oil addiction. That being said, they are not the cure all to it. When deciding whether to buy a hybrid, ignore the fluff, collect the facts and then do what you think is right.

Find hybrid car dealers in your area at HybridCarDealerDepot.com

Home | Concept Car A-Z | Subscribe |

Concept Car: A Couple Common Misconceptions About Hybrids

Most Recent

Newly Popular

In The Spotlight

Concept Car Links

Categories

Tags

Automotive Trends

Hot Topics In Automotive

Also See

Featured Labels