What are the benefits of hybrid cars for families?
- More savings
- Flexibility and efficiency
- A legacy to your kids
- Environmentally friendly
As a mom or dad, your kids’ safety and future are always at the top of your mind. And with all that’s happening in the world, you want to start making major decisions based on what’s best for your children and your household as a whole, not excluding the kind of car you want to be driving them around town with. Having a hybrid car has many benefits for you and your family down the road, literally and figuratively.
The Power of Saving
Of course, the main feature of a hybrid car is that simply put, your car can run with both electricity and gasoline, hand-in-hand. More upscale models can plug your car into charging stations to cover longer distances over loading up on fuel.
That means you can cut down drastically on your daily transportation budget by sinking all those heavy gas costs (and not to mention their rising prices each year that goes by) into a one-time hybrid car purchase. For wage-earners and breadwinners, you know the purchasing power of each peso, and they can go straight into augmenting your tuition fees and monthly rent/mortgage deposits. Sure, the upfront cost to purchase is higher than a standard fuel-engine car, but in the long run, you will save a lot of money on variable expenses.
One great feature that hybrid cars have is ‘Regenerative Braking’. When you use your brakes, the kinetic energy from the motion is stored and converted as electricity. It becomes instantly usable to power your car! Another is the ‘Idle-off’ feature that shuts off the traditional gasoline engine when you hit a full stop, conserving even more gas. If you move or stay at lower speeds of 25 to 50 kph (say, for stoplights or bumper-to-bumper traffic), the electric engine is engaged, and it will power up the gasoline engine only when you accelerate past that value. With good road planning, you essentially have infinite power!
Flexibility and Efficiency
Since your engine runs on a dual supply of energy (either quick combustion or stabilized electricity), it allows you to be more practical about what you should use, based on what you need at the time and where you need to be. The versatile hybrid car brings benefits based exactly on your day-to-day travel requirements, making optimal use of both your gas and electric power supply.
If you’re running late and your kids need to make good time before the school bell rings, or you and your partner are running late for work, then you can fire up your engine and let the stored gasoline or diesel grant you the speed and acceleration you need. But if you just need to drive the family to catch Sunday mass, or do some grocery shopping, you can run on electric and maintain a smooth-sailing and safe traveling speed. You also keep your inner “speed demon” in check, knowing that to satiate that need for speed, you’ll burn through your gas supply. This works especially well when safety is your top priority, like when your kids, toddlers, and babies are nestled in the passenger seats.
A Legacy from You to Your Kids
There’s a moral aspect to a hybrid car’s benefits, too. The new generation is looking to remedy the pressing issues of climate change and the environment. The DENR (Department of Natural Resources) reports that vehicle emissions account for 69% of air pollution in the Philippines, 90% of which come from Metro Manila alone. You can show that you care for their concerns and the dangers they face in the future when you make the switch to a hybrid car from a traditional fossil-fuel powered-machine. You can reduce your overall carbon footprint and contribute in your own small way. As a responsible parent and citizen, you’re setting a good example for your kids that they will appreciate in the years to come.
The Bigger Picture
Toyota and other major brands are looking to incorporate electric engines into their vehicles as general demand rises for more eco-friendly means of transportation. Bills have lobbied to prioritize registration and license plates for hybrid cars, as well as possible exemptions from the coding scheme in Metro Manila and free parking spaces. Soon it won’t be an uncommon sight to see cars plugged into charging stations all over Metro Manila, and in homeowners’ garages. The whole world knows that we need to change the way we travel, and we are all encouraged to adapt and heed the need of our environment.
Key Takeaway
As a family man/woman, the benefits of a hybrid car outweigh the cheaper initial cost of a traditional car. It checks all the boxes in terms of safety and sustainability, your daily expenditures, and a brighter, cleaner future for your children.
