We’ve all been hearing about energy saving vehicles, but just how does a hybrid Toyota work? A hybrid, by definition, is a combination of a battery powered electrical motor and a gasoline engine. You’ve probably heard about batteries in these cars, and seen strange pictures of people plugging vehicles into the wall of their garage when they come home. New and used hybrid Toyotas have come a long way from this antiquated design, and I promise you, you won’t have to plug yours in to power it up.

A hybrid vehicle combines an electric motor and a gasoline engine into the power system of the same car. The gasoline engine works just like it does in the cars you are used to–the engine burns the gasoline and uses the energy to power the vehicle. The electric motor, however, runs on battery power and instead of simply draining the battery it can recharge it as well. The battery is meant to last well over 100,000 miles, so it’s unlikely you will ever need to replace it and you certainly won’t have to plug it in. It will drain and recharge the battery on its own, keeping your new or used hybrid Toyota powered up and ready to go.

Your hybrid Toyota has the technology to determine which engine best meets the car’s needs at any given time, and it can switch between the two to save gasoline. When you are stopped at a red light, for example, the gasoline engine will turn off and the electric motor will take over. You will save gas and emissions while you are waiting. When the light turns green, the gasoline engine kicks back in on your hybrid Toyota and you are on you way with no time lost.

Your hybrid Toyota runs entirely on electric power until the speed tops 15mph. While you are sure to go faster than this as you drive around town, you might be surprised by just how much city driving happens at slower speeds. Not only this, but once you are driving faster the vehicle can draw power from both the electric motor as well as the gasoline engine, limiting the use of fuel and the production of exhaust.

No matter how you look at it, a new or used hybrid Toyota is a great way to save fuel costs and save the environment. Now that you understand how they work, why not see your St Louis Toyota dealer about a test drive?