The first successfully designed, engineered and launched hybrid car was by Ferdinand Porsche all the way back in 1899. How surprisingly long ago it has been since the first hybrid car and only of recent years have we been able to find a way to bring hybrid cars to the home users.

With the continual rise in the cost of gasoline, most consumers welcome the new breed of cars in the form of hybrid cars. Hybrid cars use multiple propulsion systems to provide power. It combines the use of gas and also electric to power up the car. Hybrid cars are comparatively smaller than the usual internal combustion engines and have been known to save consumers quite a bit of money every month on gas.

One question lingers on...how can a hybrid car save me, the consumer, money? Well, the basic reason is because hybrid cars don't use as much gas as the normal cars we see on the road. When the hybrid car is being driven or in use, they are recharging their batteries. And when the hybrid car is cruising or stationary, it also charges the batteries.

Of course, we've heard of the all-electric cars which use nothing but electric which requires one to charge the car up whenever not in use through an external source and we've also heard of the range extending trailer. But if convenience, safety and money are important to you, consider the hybrid car as a complete life saver. Although not completely certified to be so because the hybrid car continues to use gas (which is not environmental friendly), the hybrid car, when compared to the conventional car, is more environmentally-friendly. In fact, the fuel economy advantage provided by hybrid cars is good enough for the US Government because they provide a tax credit of up to $3,400 for owners of hybrid cars.

How can a hybrid car save me money? Because the use of self-charging electrical components within the car means that the hybrid car uses less fuel.

Because the internal combustion engine in a hybrid car is much smaller than the conventional car. Therefore, it is not only smaller, but it is much lighter and more efficient than any other cars we've known.

Because when the car is moving, is idle or stationary or when the car brakes, it is a chance for the batteries to recharge itself. The more electricity it uses from the batteries, the less fuel it uses. Simple and logical.