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Introduction to Hybrid Vehicles
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When the first hybrid vehicles came to market in late 1999 and early 2000, they were small cars that looked radically different from conventional gas-powered vehicles. Today, there are hybrid versions of many of the most popular makes and models, including coupe, sedan, SUV and pickup body styles, all at prices that are a couple thousand dollars more than a similar comparably-equipped, gas-powered vehicle.
How they work
Hybrids use two motors to make the vehicle run a combustion engine and an electric motor. The electric motor is recharged during driving, both from the fuel burning in the internal combustion engine and through the energy that is recaptured during braking. As a result, hybrid vehicles do not need to be plugged in to an electrical outlet to recharge the batteries.
Better efficiency equals better gas mileage
Regardless of the way the system is designed, the result in each case is that the electric motor provides some of the power necessary to propel the vehicle. As a result, a smaller combustion engine can be used, providing better gas mileage and reduced emissions.
The fuel economy improvement is the result of taking the best parts of the gas engine and the electric motor and combining them into one package. A vehicle powered only by an electric motor is undesirable because of its limited driving range and lengthy recharging time. The average fuel economy that hybrid owners experience can vary quite widely, as it depends largely on driving style and the mix of city and highway travel.
Vehicles powered solely by an internal combustion engine carry around much more power than is needed most of the time. A typical mid-size sedan, for example, has a gas engine that produces around 200 horsepower, but the engine's maximum power is used only sporadically, such as passing on the highway or when climbing a grade. As a result, only a fraction of the available horsepower is being used to power the vehicle most of the time.
In addition to utilizing the best qualities of the gas engine and the electric motor, hybrid vehicles also use regenerative braking to further improve fuel economy. In regenerative braking, the electric motor becomes a generator and captures the energy that would be lost as heat when the vehicle's brakes are applied or when the vehicle is coasting. Once the energy is captured, it is transformed into electricity, which recharges the batteries and improves fuel economy. This is why city fuel economy is even greater than highway fuel economy in hybrids.
Because of this, hybrid vehicles have become increasingly popular, with more than 200,000 sold in the United States in 2005. Sales will most likely increase as the range of choices grows: 44 hybrids are expected to be on sale by 2012, according to J.D. Power Automotive ForecastingSM (Source: Hybrid and Diesel Vehicles Expected to Represent 11 Percent of Market Share in Next Seven Years, June 28, 2005. Tara Mello
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