Cold weather can impact the performance of
hybrid cars in many ways, including driveability. Most of these negative
effects are slight and they arise from the special features that make hybrid
cars green – the lower ground clearance due to the lower stance, the
aerodynamic shape of the body, the low-rolling-resistance tires and the light
weight due to which hybrid cars work perfectly on dry roads, but can slip more
easily on roads covered in snow or ice.
What is also true, however, is that hybrid cars
come in such a large variety of shapes and sizes, that you can nowadays find
models that are not affected by snow and ice in the slightest. Smaller hybrids,
for example, usually come with front-wheel drive, which is not as stable as
all-wheel drive, but certainly better that rear-wheel drive. The tires can also
be replaced with snow tires for improved traction – they will take away a
little fuel-efficiency, but they improve road safety and that must come first.
Modern hybrids also come with lots of driving assistance features, such as
traction control and break assist functions that improve the car’s stability
when the breaks are activated, so with careful driving – which is a must with
any car, among any road conditions –, a hybrid car, especially those
powered with a Toyota hybrid battery, are just as safe as a
conventional vehicle, on dry roads as well as on snow.
