It is evident that in the near future a majority of vehicles will become hybrids. The hybrid technology has become a necessity following stricter emission laws and oil running out. Virtually all automakers have hybrid cars as part of their lineups. This implies that there has been a gradual replacement of internal combustion engines. There are major differences between hybrid cars and the traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. Consumers should know why they need to purchase a hybrid car and not the gasoline fueled vehicles.

The vehicles differ with respect to emissions or economy. It is clearly known that hybrid vehicles have an advantage over diesel or gasoline powered cars in terms of emissions and fuel economy. One of the primary reasons for inventing hybrid technology was to minimize fuel emissions. It is however, important to take note of the fact that diesel and gasoline cars are becoming better in terms of efficiency. For example, the BMW M3 is not only faster, but it also has more power and its fuel economy is better. Having said that, hybrid cars still lead. BMW i8 is not only faster than M3 but its emissions are almost zero. This is a clear indication that hybrid cars will still outshine their gasoline counterparts no matter how efficient and advanced the gasoline vehicles become.

With respect to performance and power, gasoline cars are generally better performers compared to hybrids. However, this is not a restriction to hybrid technology. Typically, hybrid cars are slower because their major objective is the economical nature of the cars. For example, although a Chevrolet Volt is not exciting, fast or fun, it is extremely fuel efficient. The primary goal of Volt is achieving fuel efficiency. Weight is another reason why hybrid cars are not usually very fast. The heavy weight is accounted for by the batteries and electric motors. When combined with a fuel-saving small engine, hybrid cars become a bit slow.

The cars differ in terms of value and cost. Hybrid cars are generally more costly than diesel or gasoline fueled cars. The high cost arises because these cars have electric motors and batteries, in addition to engine and transmission cost. This means that for the cost to come down to a more affordable level, more and more stuff has to be taken out of the car. This should not be an issue because in the near future, hybrids will be more affordable and usable, with the coming battery technology and technological inventions in lightweight product production.