How Do Hybrid Cars Work?

by admin

“How do hybrid cars work?” is what many consumers are curious to know about. This is in addition to them wanting to know that hybrid cars achieve excellent fuel economy and reduced emissions.

A hybrid car is essentially a vehicle powered by two different sources: an electric motor and an internal combustion engine which propels the car. Hybrid cars are intended to reduce exhaust emissions whilst maintaining an acceptable level of performance.

They achieve this by combining a small petrol engine with battery powered electric motors. The small petrol engine gives low emission power for cruising and the electric motor gives the additional power for acceleration and hill climbing whilst adding no extra exhaust emissions. The battery is charged by absorbing the energy usually lost in heat during braking and during overrun as the car free wheels downhill or when you lift the accelerator pedal approaching hazards. The same rotating electric device works as a motor when electric power is fed to it and generates power for battery charging when absorbing power from the car wheels on overrun. This is controlled by on board computers.

A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses a rechargeable energy system and a normal gasoline fueled power source for propulsion. These cars are low-polluting and consume less gasoline than cars with pure internal combustion engines. The major difference between Hybrid cars and Electric cars is that hybrid cars can recharge its electric batteries by using the combustion engine to generate energy while all-electric cars use batteries charged by an external source.

The engine in the hybrid car is powerful enough to move the car along on the freeway, but when it needs to get the car moving in a hurry, or go up a steep hill, it needs help. That “help” comes from the electric motor and battery — this system steps in to provide the necessary extra power.

Different manufacturers have adopted slightly different strategies for the more detailed aspects of energy economy. Honda stop the engine when the car is stopped. It starts automatically when you engage gear to move off. Otherwise the petrol engine is always running.Toyota cars will drive short distances without the petrol engine, relying entirely on the electric drive.

All manufacturers go to some lengths to keep weight down by using aluminium components and careful design. Aerodynamic efficiency is also considered very important. The extra complexity of the hybrid technology means that these cars are more expensive than conventional cars. Costs will come down if production volumes go up.

Here’s a video on “How Do Hybrid Cars Work?”