How Hybrid Cars Work

By: Rob Adams
Published: Sep 28, 2009
Updated: Mar 18, 2010

Basic Information On How Hybrid Cars Work

Understanding How Hybrid Cars Work is probably easier than learning each heavy part that go into a conventional vehicle. Hybrid automobiles have smaller engines, fewer parts, and weigh less than traditional clunkers. Your driving habits also need to be changed to increase fuel economy.

Millions of people worldwide are seeking alternative fuel to gasoline as oil prices remain unpredictable. Furthermore, governments are hoping to reduce the amount of carbon emissions that emit from conventional vehicles to help the environment. These are the two primary reasons why hybrids are important and for the future of auto transportation.

What does Hybrid mean? Well, Hybrid transportation is not a new idea as people looked to steam as a way to power their vehicle. This was done a few centuries ago. The term hybrid means that a vehicle has two power sources of energy.

For example, peddling a bicycle with a small gas engine is considered to be a hybrid bike. The two sources come of the peddles and the gas engine. Hybrid vehicles use two energy sources that include a gas engine and an electric motor.

The gasoline engine is used to achieve higher speeds and to recharge the battery that powers the electric motor. At slower speeds, the gas engine turns off automatically and power from the electric motor runs the vehicle. This is the part where consumers can save money on gas and lower their carbon footprint when the gas engine is turned off.

Batteries for non-plug in vehicles are recharged by the gas engine. The engine itself is used as a generator to keep the battery charged. In addition, the energy used for braking that creates heat is also captured and stored in the battery for later use.

Driving a hybrid is no different than a conventional vehicle, but there's a catch. You can enjoy the same luxury features but the fuel economy may depend on your driving habits. Some of the habits include fast breaking and acceleration.

Most of the new fuel-efficient automobiles have an LED screen on the instrument panel that can score your driving. If you use slower acceleration, your score will go up. Fast acceleration will lower your score.

To drive more efficiently, use slow acceleration because this is when most fuel is wasted. Brake slowly at a stop, coasting if you can. Keep windows rolled up at highway speeds to reduce wind drag.

We didn't want to overwhelm you in this article, so we kept it basic. There are several articles on this site that can also provide you with further technical details. Check out our information page to learn more on new hybrid vehicles.