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What is a hybrid vehicle?A hybrid car combines a petrol-powered engine with an electric motor to provide improved fuel economy and help lower emissions. [back to top]Do I need to plug my hybrid car?No. Hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, automatically recharge their batteries using regenerative braking or by running the on board generator. The driver doesn't need to "plug in" the car to recharge the battery pack - in fact, it isn't even an option. [back to top]How can I expect to save on fuel in my hybrid car compared to my old non-hybrid?A hybrid car should use about 30-50% less fuel than an equivalent sized non-hybrid car with similar performance. For example, a Honda Civic hybrid uses around 30% less fuel than a non-hybrid Civic of the same year, whereas you can expect the 2004 Toyota Prius to use only half the fuel of a similar sized car like a 2004 2.4 litre Camry. In the Prius you should easily achieve 5ltr/100km (20km/ltr or 56miles/gallon), although many of our customers seem to achieve even better results than this over large distances, sometimes as low as 4.4ltr/100km (22.7km/ltr or 64miles/gallon). [back to top]What Petrol should I use in my hybrid car?Both Toyota and Honda hybrid cars are designed to run on the cheaper 91 octane unleaded petrol. [back to top]How do hybrid cars perform and handle compared to conventional vehicles?Hybrid cars feel and drive like any normal automatic car, though they tend to be quieter and smoother than your average non-hybrid car, particularly when coasting or driving at low speeds as the petrol engine cuts out in favour of the electric motor. Hybrid cars also have more power than their engine size would suggest. For instance, although the Toyota Prius Hybrid has only a 1500cc petrol engine, when combined with the power of the electric motor it drives more like a 2.4 litre car. Basically, hybrid cars perform as well as non-hybrid cars of equivalent size, achieving their fantastic fuel economy with no compromise in performance. [back to top]Are Hybrid Cars available in a manual transmission?The Honda Insight is the only hybrid car with a manual transmission currently available in New Zealand, either new or imported. Toyota hybrids are not available in a manual transmission. In fact, Toyota hybrids don't use step gear transmission - manual or automatic. However, they are the same to drive as any modern automatic car, except they tend to be smoother and quieter. [back to top]How or when does the hybrid car switch from petrol to electric?Depending on load requirements, the Toyota hybrid system may switch to the petrol engine, the electric motor, or both at the same time. However, this all happens automatically - for the driver it is the same as any non-hybrid automatic car, except a little bit smoother and quieter. [back to top]Whats the difference between Toyota's and Honda's hybrid systems?Toyota hybrid systems switch between the petrol engine, the electric motor, or both at the same time, depending on load requirements.Honda hybrids, on the other hand, are always powered by the petrol engine, with the electric motor only assisting, when power demand is high. [back to top]Can hybrid cars run solely on electricity if you run out of petrol?No. Although Toyota hybrids sometimes switch to electric-only mode, they are not designed to run without petrol in the tank. Doing so could cause damage to the hybrid system. So, like any other car, drivers should be sure to keep petrol in the tank of their hybrid car at all times. [back to top]How do hybrid cars compare to conventional cars with respect to safety features?Toyota and Honda hybrid cars have the same safety features you'd expect to see in any of their non-hybrid models. For example, the Toyota Prius is equipped as standard with many advanced safety features that will help avoid accidents altogether, such as Traction Control and ABS (Anti-lock Brake System). In an accident its strong mono-form shape, front and rear crumple zones, side intrusion bars, and driver and front passenger multi-stage airbags help shield its occupants from harm. The battery pack is sealed and has built-in security measures that completely isolate it from the rest of the car to prevent any chance of shock in an accident. The Toyota Prius Generation 2 (2000-2003) achieved an NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) rating of 4 stars - this is the highest rating given to a car of its design year. The Toyota Prius Generation 3 (2003 onwards) achieved an NCAP rating of 5 stars - the highest rating available. [back to top]Who can service hybrid cars and how often does it need to be done?Any reputable mechanical workshop can do the standard servicing, as the hybrid car service requirements are the same as any non-hybrid car meaning they only need oil and filter change every 15,000km or one year (whichever comes first). The battery pack doesn't require servicing (in the same way you don't service the battery in your cell phone) and nor does the electric motor (in the same way you don't service the electric motor in your washing machine). [back to top]Who can repair hybrid cars if something does go wrong?All Toyota and Honda franchised service centres have the diagnostic equipment needed to repair their hybrid models, as do more than 120 independent workshops throughout New Zealand. So in the unlikely event you have a problem with a hybrid car purchased from The Clean Green Car Company, help is close by. [back to top]If something does go wrong with my hybrid car, will parts be readily available?Yes. Both Toyota and Honda offer full parts support for all hybrid cars available in New Zealand, whether NZ new or Japanese imports. (The one exception to this is the Generation 1 Prius (1997-2000) which is one of the reasons we don't sell this model.) [back to top]Can my hybrid car be jump-started?Yes. If necessary, your hybrid car can be jump-started with any standard 12-volt DC power source. Also, it requires less power than a conventional car, as the 12-volt battery isn't actually starting the car, but merely turning on the computer. [back to top]How long do hybrid cars last?Toyota hybrid cars are designed to be as durable as their non-hybrid cars. Considering Toyota's reputation, this is a pretty long time! [back to top]How long does the battery last in a hybrid car, and how much will it cost to replace?Toyota hybrid battery packs are designed to last in excess of 10 years. Toyota have lab data showing the Prius battery can do 290,000km of normal driving with absolutely no degradation of its performance. To give a real life example, there is a taxi driver in Canada, Jatinder Parhar, who has done over 410,000km in his Prius taxi and has had to do nothing other than standard servicing (Click to read more here). In the event you need to replace the battery in your Prius, current cost at time of writing (Aug 2009) is NZ$4,400 for a Generation 2 Prius and NZ$3,000 for a Generation 3 Prius. For peace of mind, every Toyota Prius bought from The Clean Green Car Company is covered by a 2 year unlimited km, Hybrid Car Warranty that includes cover for the battery pack. This warranty can be extended to 3 years. [back to top]Can a hybrid car battery pack be recycled at the end of it's life?Yes. Both Toyota and Honda's hybrid cars use nickel-metal hydride batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. Nickel-metal hydride batteries are benign and can be fully recycled. Toyota says that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. [back to top]If I buy a hybrid car from the Clean Green Car Company, will it come with a warranty. If so what does it cover?Every hybrid car we sell comes with an Autosure Hybrid Car Warranty included in the price. This warranty will cover any mechanical breakdown (so long as the standard service requirements have been adhered to) and also covers the hybrid battery pack. The Clean Green Car Company has the specialist knowledge and experience to ensure you get any repairs done correctly and as quickly as possible. [back to top]How can I be sure the mileage is genuine on the cars you are selling?All cars we import have had the odometers inspected in Japan by the Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre (JEVIC). The New Zealand Automobile Association (AA) has entered into a joint venture with JEVIC to protect consumers against odometer fraud, and fully endorses the JEVIC Odometer Inspection process. To further guarantee the highest standard of technical ability and ensure quality assurance is maintained, JEVIC have achieved internationally recognised ISO/IEC 17020:1998 accreditation specifically for Odometer Inspections. All our cars have been issued with genuine mileage certificates by JEVIC. [back to top]Does the price of the car include all on-road costs?Yes. There are no hidden costs when you buy a hybrid car from The Clean Green Car Company. The price includes the following:- Comprehensive inspection - Warrant of fitness - Certified mileage - Full mechanical service (new oil and filters, etc.) - Full tank of petrol - Factory remote key and a spare key - English language owner's manual - Band expander on the radio - Six months registration - Unlimited-km Autosure hybrid car warranty Basically, the price on all our cars is a drive away price. [back to top] Are English language owners manuals available for hybrid cars?Yes, and we include one with every car we sell. [back to top]Can I tow with my hybrid car?Like any car it depends on the model. For instance, the Toyota Harrier Hybrid (Lexus RX400h) has a tow rating of 1500kg (braked), whereas towing with a Toyota Prius is not recommended. (To quote the Prius manual: "Toyota does not recommend towing a trailer with your Prius. It is not designed for trailer towing.") Some people have fitted tow bars to their Prius, but this is usually just for a bike rack. However, although the Prius is not recommended for towing, it still has plenty of power under normal driving conditions. Anyhow, with the money saved on petrol from owning a Prius, you will be able to pay for a hire-ute on those odd occasions you need to carry a big load. [back to top]Can I fold down the back seats in my hybrid car?All Toyota hybrids sold byThe Clean Green Car Company have rear seats that can be folded completely flat while still allowing the front seats to be fully pushed back. However, with the Honda Civic hybrid the seats cannot be folded down as the battery pack sits between the back seat and the cabin. [back to top]Can I trade in my non-hybrid car on a hybrid car at the Clean Green Car Company?Yes. We can trade in any type of car, either hybrid or non-hybrid. [back to top]I don't live in Auckland. Can I buy a car from you and, if so, what is the process?Yes. We have sold a number of cars to customers who live outside the Auckland area, some as far away as Invercargill. The process that seems to be most popular is:- The customer has a look at the Cars For Sale page on our website to see a list of all the cars we currently have in stock and arriving soon. - If the customer is interested in a car, they contact us and we send them an email confirming the car's details, what's included in the price, and the Terms of Sale. - If the terms are satisfactory to the customer, the customer pays a $1,000 deposit and we put the car on hold. As stated in the Terms of Sale, the deposit is fully refundable should the customer not want to go ahead with the purchase for any reason. - The customer then has the option to get the car inspected by an independent inspection company like the AA (at the customer's expense). These inspections tend to be very thorough and highlight even the smallest scratch. - If the inspection results are satisfactory (to date we haven't had a single unsatisfactory result) then the customer comes to Auckland to do the final inspection themselves and make the final purchase transaction. Alternatively, we can arrange to have the car transported direct to the customer (at the customer's expense). This process has proved to be a popular way of buying a car for our out-of-town customers. There is no need to travel to Auckland until you've found a car that meets your criteria, and because we carry a wide range of cars with a variety of kms, years and price, we generally have a Hybrid car to suit everyone. [back to top] What is the downside to owning a hybrid car?You don't get to see your friendly petrol station attendant as frequently. Seriously though - there is no downside. [back to top] |
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