Facts About Hybrid Cars
Is it safe to drive an [tag-tec]electric car[/tag-tec]? More importantly, it is safe to drive a Do It Yourself (DIY) electric vehicle? The reason I ask the question is because I read an article lately about the accident rate of hybrid car owners. The article was from USAToday.com and there was a study made and they found a couple of interesting results.
Apparently, hybrid car owners get more traffic tickets and had more accidents! You can read the full article at: Hybrid car owners drive more and get more traffic tickets, study finds.
In summary, the study found that hybrid car owners take more pleasure drive a part from daily commuting. Hybrid vehicle owners will drive 25 percent more compared to a conventional car owner. When we have a fuel economy car, we tend to drive more because there is a sense that we are not spending too much money. When you drive more, the chances of you getting into an accident are also higher.
Here’s an interesting fact. To fix a damaged hybrid car, it will cost 13% higher compared to a non-hybrid! This is understandable because not every car mechanic has the tools and knowledge to repair a hybrid.
Is It Safe To Drive An EV?
What does this mean to electric car owners? A hybrid vehicle is one step away from a pure plug-in car. A hybrid has an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor to generate power. An EV has only the electric motor.
If hybrid owners were to drive more in their vehicle, would EV owners do the same as well? I think they will commute more short distances because EV is limited by its mileage. A normal sedan electric vehicle has approximately 60 – 100 miles before it has to be recharged.
In terms of repair bill, well that is another issue. If you were to crash your EV, it is safe to say you will end up with a large bill! The most expensive components would be the electric motor, electric controller and the batteries. Not to mention the large amount of time needed to fix and re-check all the system.
Is it safe to drive a homemade electric car on the road? That will depend on the person behind the wheel. If you are a speed demon, there is no different whether you are driving a conventional car or an electric car. You will crash sooner or later. If you are in an EV, you will be a “green speed demon”.
Mechanical wise, there are a few components that you have to make note of to keep the EV safe on the road. I will save that idea for my next blog post.
To all EV owners…drive safely.