Hybrid cars are considered the best alternative to traditional cars, being designed to produce fewer emissions harmful to the environment. More and more manufacturers produce hybrids and are interested to work on improving them.
Being relatively new to the market, people still have many questions about hybrid vehicles and one of the most frequent concerns refer to servicing and maintaining hybrid cars. Are they that different from traditional cars?
Here, we highlight some useful information.
Considering that hybrid cars have a traditional engine and an electric engine, at least a part of the maintenance is similar with what people are familiar with. The oil must be changed periodically, but considering the lower usage of the combustion engine, the interval is longer and each manufacturer will provide its own recommendations. Hybrid cars also have a regenerative braking feature, which ensures longer life of brake pads. However, the regenerative braking system generates a lot of heat, hence the cooling system should be a priority in the maintenance program and must include checking hoses, clamps, pipes and air filters.
Although the battery represents one of the main concerns in potential buyers of hybrid vehicles, in reality you should not worry about it. Electrical components are maintenance-free. The Toyota hybrid battery comes with a warranty provided by the manufacturer and will be simply replaced if something happens in the meantime.