A Look At How Hybrid Cars Work

The Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is quite a marvel. Even as a work in progress, it has improved the gas-dependence situation and has saved many 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?

The keyword in all of this is the word "hybrid." An HEV basically brings out the best in both electrical power and fuel. By incorporating both an electrical motor and a gas engine, it allows the vehicle to switch back and forth between energy sources. Of course, the usual case is that the car really depends solely on the battery and electrical motors to run the vehicle.

So what is the gas for? Well, the vehicle will still need fuel to run a motor that charges the battery which in turn runs the whole car. But the beauty of this set up is that not much fuel is needed to charge up those batteries; thus, hybrid cars really only need so much fuel to fill their significantly smaller gas tanks and therefore it saves people from having to spend so much money 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 is known as regenerative braking and this involves an electric motor that applies resistance to the drive train which causes the wheels to slow down. The energy from the wheels turns the motor which in real time acts as a generator which converts energy wasted during coasting and braking into electricity. That electricity is then stored in a battery until it is needed by functions in the electric motor.

The next technology used in hybrid cars is the elect motor assist. This elect motor assist provides extra power to help the motor in acceleration like ascending elevated terrains or speeding up. Smaller engines are used which is more efficient compared to when internal combustion engine is used.

Another hybrid car technology that is beginning to pick up in a lot of modern hybrid car is the automatic start and shutdown. This technology allows a hybrid vehicle to stop in the middle of traffic or at a stoplight, thus, shutting down the whole engine as well, ultimately preventing the engine from wasting energy and fuel from just being idle. When the accelerator is stepped on again, the engine will start up automatically and acceleration is made available. It's a clever option that is ideal for city driving. When combined, these three technologies spell how hybrid cars work.


Source : http://www.goarticles.com