Challenges of a Hybrid SUV

Hybrid SUV's seem to have come along at just the right time.  They are taking the SUV and making it into a more affordable and environmentally friendly vehicle.

SUV's or sport utility vehicles saw a sudden rise in popularity.  They were no longer just for off road enthusiasts, but they kind of took over the spot held by station wagons.  They were a cooler vehicle for a soccer mom to drive.  However, they had some problems.

Traditional SUV's use a lot of gasoline and they emit a lot of pollution.  As gas prices rose and people became more aware of the effects of vehicle pollution, there was a need for something other then the traditional SUV. 

Auto manufacturers began producing hybrid vehicles.  However, in the beginning, an SUV owner who wanted a vehicle easier on gas and less polluting had little choice but to go with a car, not an SUV. Manufacturers have been rather challenged in producing a hybrid SUV.

The problem with hybrid SUV's is all about weight.  A hybrid's electric motor is not extremely powerful, therefore it relies on the gasoline engine to provide power when accelerating or whenever it needs that extra power.  The weight of an SUV means that the gasoline engine is needed more. 

The dilemma was to produce an SUV that was light enough to allow more use of the electric motor.  Honda and Toyota, both great leaders in the switch to hybrid vehicles, introduced models of SUV's.  These models were designed more for producing less pollution than for using less gasoline.

They managed to be able to produce SUV's that were more environmentally friendly. However the gas usage was not improved by much, although it was slightly improved.

The greatest challenge facing all auto manufacturers is trying to get the balance between providing the type of SUV consumers are used to having and at the same time making it lighter.  Hybrid SUV's are not perfect yet.  They are not going to give the same gas savings that a hybrid car will, but they are an improvement over the traditional SUV.
Consumers who just can not give up their SUV should at least look into a hybrid SUV.  They do provide a slightly better gas mileage and they definitely are less polluting.  As manufacturers continue to explore hybrids they are sure to come out with the perfect hybrid SUV that will both increase gas mileage and reduce pollution.