The Main Characteristics of a Hybrid Car

The hybrid car is powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric engine, differing from an electric car which is powered solely by its electric battery. The conventional car runs on gasoline or diesel, the combustion of those fuels emits harmful pollutants. There are some barriers to widespread acceptance of the electric car including; cost, driving range and the reliance on heavy batteries for power storage. The hybrid car overcomes the shortcomings of both the conventional car and the electric car. The hybrid car is also seen by many as being the bridge between the conventional car and the hydrogen fuel cell car of the future.

One of the main characteristics of the Hybrid Cars is its ability to recapture kinetic energy through regenerative braking. Energy is produced when a car breaks, in hybrid cars the energy is used to recharge the batteries, in conventional cars this energy is wasted. The ability of the hybrid car to recapture kinetic energy contributes to its fuel efficiencies. The electric power for the motor is generated from regenerative braking and from the gasoline engine, so hybrids don't have to be "plugged in" to an electrical outlet to recharge.

Some differences between hybrid cars and conventional cars are:
• Fuel Economy - hybrid cars offer greater fuel economy
• Cleaner - hybrid cars emit less emissions
• Battery powered - hybrid cars combine an internal combustion engine with a battery
• Smaller ICE - hybrid cars have smaller engines than conventional car
• Regenerative Braking - The batteries recharge themselves during braking, unlike an electric car, the hybrid car does not need to be plugged in.
• Automatic Start/Shutoff - In hybrid cars the engine automatically shuts off when the vehicle comes to a stop. The motor start automatically restarts when the accelerator is pressed.

Currently, we find that there are mainly two types of hybrids, full and mild. Full hybrids are often referred to as true hybrids, and are defined as hybrids that can run on either pure engine power or pure electric power, maximizing efficiency and performance. Mild hybrids are also called pseudo and hollow. They cannot run on the battery power alone. The electric motor is for assisting the gas engine when extra power is needed.

Hybrids are more expensive mostly because of the power train. Hybrid car essentially carry two power trains. That means that a consumer has to pay for both, adding cost. Many manufactures such as Toyota are trying to development hybrid power trains at half the cost in order to make them more cost effective.



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