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How Do Hybrid Cars Work?

The Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) also known as the hybrid car is quite the economic wonder. Even as a work in constant progress, the Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology has truly done a lot to improve the gas-dependence situation. Hybrid cars has also saved consumers from having to spend so much on fossil fuels and has even helped save some taxpayer money.

What is it under the hybrid car hood that is seems to set it apart from the other cars? Let's take a peep and try to take a look at just how these wonders called the hybrid cars work.

What's In The Combination?

It's all in the keyword, "hybrid." A hybrid car simply brings out all the best in fuel economy and consumption and in the electrical power under the hood. By combining both a gas engine and an electrical motor, the combination allows the vehicle to switch back and forth between these two energy sources. However, the usual case is that a hybrid car really depends primarily on the battery and electrical motors to run the whole thing.

You may ask what the gas is for. The car will still need gas to operate an engine that charges the battery which, in turn, runs the whole car. However, the good thing about this set up is that not much gas is required to charge up those batteries. Hence, hybrid cars really only need so much gas to fill their significantly smaller gas tanks and therefore saves people from having to cash out so much on gas.

Going The Distance

In order to actually see how a hybrid car works, one would have to take one for a spin on a full tank and compare the results in mileage with a car that runs only on gas. One will definitely see the huge difference in cars dependent on electric motors. Going a great distance is achieved by the way the hybrid works. There are 3 essential technologies that allow this to happen.

The first technology in hybrid cars is known as the regenerative braking. This includes an electric engine that applies resistance to the drive train which, in turn, causes the wheels to stop or to slow down. The energy from the wheels turns the engine which in real time acts as a generator and transforms the energy wasted during coasting and braking into electricity. This electricity is then reserved and stored in the battery until it is required by other functions in the electric motor.

The next technology is known as elect motor assist and it provides additional power to assist the engine in acceleration like when speeding up or ascending. This means that the smaller engine (electric motor) is used and is more efficient than an internal combustion engine that requires and burns a lot of gas.

Another hybrid car technology is the automatic start and shutdown. When a hybrid car stops for a stoplight, the whole engine shuts down as well. This helps the engine in conserving energy and fuel from running idle. When the vehicle is accelerated again, the engine automatically starts up. When combined, these three hybrid technologies create a vehicle that is simply to reckon with!

Article Source: http://www.dummiesguideto.com

Planning to drive your own hybrid car? Find out more how hybrid cars operate or read more independent hybrid car reviews from Anton Rowd now.
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