How Hybrid Cars Work to Deliver Needed Power While Reducing Fuel Consumption
The term hybrid means duality in nature, and that is exactly what hybrid cars entail.
Beneath the hood are two powerhouses, that is the electric motor and the gasoline engine unlike the conventional single point of power found in non-hybrid cars, which was the gasoline or diesel-powered engine.
The Electric Battery The electric motor handles normal stop-and-go travel and initial highway acceleration.
The electric motor also assists the gas or diesel engine to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
For example, it is the electric motor that drives energy-wasting accessories like the power steering pump and air conditioner, The Gasoline Motor At higher speeds such as steady highway cruising, computers automatically switch on the gas-burning engine, which then takes over from the electric battery as the primary driving force of the car.
Typically, the small engine is designed with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and other advances to ensure that the fuel is burned most efficiently and completely.
How the hybrid system works A hybrid system can either be series or parallel, depending on its source of power.
Series hybrids are what we normally refer to as electric since they are usually plugged in to charge.
Examples include Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma.
Parallel hybrids on the other hand will not require to be plugged in sockets to charge, as their functionality involves what is usually referred to as Regenerative Braking Technology™.
As the term suggests, it is a system of computer intelligence that automatically connects the wheels to the electrical generator, so that during speed reduction phases when a driver hits the brake pedal, extra weight is created and the extra mechanical energy converted into electricity to recharge the battery.
Also to note is that in any hybrid system both the electrical and gas motor can operate in conjunction, for example if more power is needed to drive through a muddy surface.
When such power is needed and the electric motor alone cannot provide it, the on-board computers will automatically activate the gasoline motor to provide the required power.
This is also common during overtaking where extra acceleration is necessary.
Trailblazing as well as dominating in this field is Toyota Prius, with the latest Prius V delivering 41 mpg thanks to its Electronic Throttle Control System with Intelligence (ETCS-i), but the older version offers even better mileage at 44 mpg Longevity The battery, though expensive comes in handy with goodly warranties with dealers like Honda and Toyota which lead in hybrid car sales in the U.
S offering 8 and 10-year warranties on their batteries respectively.
That's longer than many people own their cars; it's enough to put on 100,000 miles with ordinary driving and 200,000 for heavy drivers.
As a matter of fact, both Honda and Toyota have said that they expect the battery to last as long as the rest of the car.
Beneath the hood are two powerhouses, that is the electric motor and the gasoline engine unlike the conventional single point of power found in non-hybrid cars, which was the gasoline or diesel-powered engine.
The Electric Battery The electric motor handles normal stop-and-go travel and initial highway acceleration.
The electric motor also assists the gas or diesel engine to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
For example, it is the electric motor that drives energy-wasting accessories like the power steering pump and air conditioner, The Gasoline Motor At higher speeds such as steady highway cruising, computers automatically switch on the gas-burning engine, which then takes over from the electric battery as the primary driving force of the car.
Typically, the small engine is designed with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and other advances to ensure that the fuel is burned most efficiently and completely.
How the hybrid system works A hybrid system can either be series or parallel, depending on its source of power.
Series hybrids are what we normally refer to as electric since they are usually plugged in to charge.
Examples include Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma.
Parallel hybrids on the other hand will not require to be plugged in sockets to charge, as their functionality involves what is usually referred to as Regenerative Braking Technology™.
As the term suggests, it is a system of computer intelligence that automatically connects the wheels to the electrical generator, so that during speed reduction phases when a driver hits the brake pedal, extra weight is created and the extra mechanical energy converted into electricity to recharge the battery.
Also to note is that in any hybrid system both the electrical and gas motor can operate in conjunction, for example if more power is needed to drive through a muddy surface.
When such power is needed and the electric motor alone cannot provide it, the on-board computers will automatically activate the gasoline motor to provide the required power.
This is also common during overtaking where extra acceleration is necessary.
Trailblazing as well as dominating in this field is Toyota Prius, with the latest Prius V delivering 41 mpg thanks to its Electronic Throttle Control System with Intelligence (ETCS-i), but the older version offers even better mileage at 44 mpg Longevity The battery, though expensive comes in handy with goodly warranties with dealers like Honda and Toyota which lead in hybrid car sales in the U.
S offering 8 and 10-year warranties on their batteries respectively.
That's longer than many people own their cars; it's enough to put on 100,000 miles with ordinary driving and 200,000 for heavy drivers.
As a matter of fact, both Honda and Toyota have said that they expect the battery to last as long as the rest of the car.
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