Are you looking for a brand-new vehicle? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the numerous and conflicting opinions that family and friends offer regarding certain models, brands and types of car. For example, some wrongly say you shouldn’t opt for 4x4s because of how uneconomical they are with fuel, and others believe that hybrid cars are impractical because you need to plug them in for a recharge every half an hour. From the perspective of people who own hybrids and 4x4s, these are just some of the widespread urban myths. For those considering investing in a hybrid, here are five common misconceptions about the eco-friendly car.

Misconception one: Prepare to plug your car into a wall socket

Emerging technology from leading car manufacturers now means that it isn’t necessary to find a charging station after a long journey in your eco car. Instead, hi-tech nickel metal hydride can be easily recharged without too much inconvenience. Tests by the US government on a range of cars found that it’s feasible to navigate around a congested city without having to pop into a petrol station, and that the typical lifespan on a hybrid battery could be as much as 200,000 miles, depending on the model of your vehicle.  Thanks to regenerative braking, your hybrid can recharge whenever you slow down due to traffic.

Misconception two: Hybrid cars show a disappointing performance

In previous years, people have said they were disappointed with the performance of hybrid cars, protesting that 4x4s and estate cars not only are more practical but, on the whole, have greater horsepower. However, don’t necessarily take this information to heart, as there are hybrid vehicles on the market that can hit 60 mph in six seconds flat, something that even some of the newest petrol cars on the market can’t boast.

Misconception three: The cost of buying hybrids is astronomical

Although it’s fair to say that prices were dear on the initial launch of hybrid cars, you could be surprised with the actual cost of purchasing one to call your own. The average price of a vehicle with hybrid credentials is going to tumble in the coming years as technology drops in price and more models are released into the market.  Also as demand for hybrids increases, economies of scale mean that it will be less expensive for the manufacturer to produce. In all likelihood, these savings will be passed on to consumers.

Also, don’t think that buying the cheapest hybrid car from a manufacturer will translate into poor performance. Some motoring critics recently found that the two best-performing hybrids on the market both cost less than £18,000, and this was despite the most expensive alternative models at the time costing well over £62,000.

Misconception four: Only Guardian-reading liberals are buying hybrids

Wrong again! No matter what your political orientation (and irrespective of which newspaper you read!), the hybrid has gained quite a following, from celebrities who want to be pictured as the ultimate style icons, to families who want to lessen their carbon footprint and save on fuel and road tax.

Misconception five: After purchasing a hybrid, I can get complacent about fuel economy

In some cases, your car’s performance may dip beyond the advertised average because of your driving habits, so do seek advice from your manufacturer about how to maximise fuel efficiency to hit those showroom figures. Ways to measure the fuel efficiency of a car include the all-important miles per gallon (mpg), in addition to how effective the battery is. The better the performance of your hybrid, the less you will have to rely on petroleum.