Few would argue with the statement that today there are more hybrid vehicles on the road than at any point in recent 
memory. As family budgets shrink and older, less fuel efficient vehicles begin to break down, more and more consumers are considering the purchase of hybrid vehicles more carefully. This isn’t just because they get better fuel economy than many non-hybrid cars on the road today, but because they are now more affordable and safer than they ever were. Even after fuel prices began to level off, consumers were still carefully considering hybrids, and in 2012, thanks to many, many innovations through the years, hybrids are no longer the car of choice for just Hollywood A-listers wishing to make a statement for green power. They’re now within reach of most every driver out there.
Federal Subsidies
One of the biggest reasons that hybrids are beginning to shake up the automotive world is the federal subsidies provided to consumers for the purchase of hybrid vehicles. The extension of these tax benefits has made it much easier to afford a hybrid vehicle, when just ten years ago, a hybrid car’s base MSRP was typically $7,000-$10,000 higher than a normal car. This in itself negated the positive aspect of the increased fuel economy, largely because even the best hybrid cars, such as the Prius, only achieved fuel economy that was marginally better than many sub-compacts.
Gas Shortages
When the price of a gallon of gas reached $5.00 a few years ago, it prompted an outcry from lawmakers and consumers wondering how the economy would survive if gas reached the sort of prices often seen in European countries. The overwhelming answer was little more than a shrug of the shoulders. Soon after, allegations of price fixing among commodities traders were brought to light, and with the struggling economy, buyers of new cars were looking for an outlet. Sales of large, thirsty SUVs fell hard, while sales of small economy cars and hybrids picked up. The renewed interest in fuel economy savings and the potential for future gas shortages such as those seen in the 1970s brought forth a flurry of activity from manufacturers that in 2012 have culminated in practically every manufacturer bringing their own hybrid vehicle to the market, some with more success than others.
The Lithium-Ion Battery
Both a shortfall and the savior of hybrid vehicles is the battery that operates the electric motor. Previously, hybrids used standard lead-acid batteries and charging equipment that was heavy and inefficient. Today, manufacturers have latched onto the lithium-ion battery, a lighter and more efficient battery to power their hybrid cars. Using a lighter battery allowed for greater horsepower, more fuel economy and greater range in hybrid cars. This comes at a price, however. The recent debacle over the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery pack is but one example. Without proper care, lithium-ion batteries can overheat to the point of being extremely dangerous. Although that problem is being addressed as you read this, it’s certain to tarnish the overall 2012 sales of not just the Volt, but any hybrid that uses lithium-ion battery technology.
2012
2012 is destined to be a banner year for hybrids as they begin to receive good reviews from such outlets as Consumer Reports and Motor Trend. These magazines look not just at the hybrid car’s fuel economy, but its overall driving experience, as well. Not all hybrid cars have until now been a particularly good driving experience, after all. The first Toyota Prius models tended to have poor handling and a detached feeling behind the wheel that in 2012 has been rectified. 2012 is also the year of what may be the most exciting hybrid sport car yet built, as well, the 2012 Honda CRZ.
One thing remains certain. The hybrid car, yet still in its infancy, has only just begun to walk on its own two feet. In the future, as the technology matures, better and better hybrid cars will reach market and eventually will make 2012 feel analogous to the dawn of the motoring age, when horse-drawn carts were supplanted with noisy, dangerous and unreliable contraptions with little hope of ever being more than the whimsical notions of a few well-to-do individuals. If you think 2012 is the year of the hybrid car, imagine what 100 more years of innovation will see.
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