Hybrid Cars By Sander Harth

What is a Hybrid Car? A hybrid car is any car that uses both electricity and fuel injection in order to run.

Before we go straight into hybrid cars lets take a quick glance at the contributing factors that make a hybrid, a hybrid!

Here is your regular gasoline powered car. Lets see how it’s engine works. When you drive a gasoline powered car and press the accelerator, you are making gasoline flow from the fuel tank to the engine, which causes the transmission to turn, which makes the wheels turn and helps you move forward.

Here is your regular electric car. An electric car has batteries that provide electricity to an electric motor which turns the transmission, and consequently the wheels. Lets see how an electric car works!

A hybrid car is a compromise of both a gasoline and electric car. But to be a useful car, a car must meet some minimum requirements…  It must drive at least 300 miles before re- fueling.  It must be refueled quickly and easily.  It must keep up with the other traffic on the road. As you can probably imagine, a purely electric car cannot possible keep up with all of these requirements because they can usually only go miles between charges and take a long long time to recharge.

Parts to a Hybrid Car  Gasoline Engine  Fuel Tank  Electric Motor  Generator  Batteries  Transmission  Gasoline Engine  Fuel Tank  Electric Motor  Generator  Batteries  Transmission

Gasoline Engine The hybrid car has an engine just like most other cars. However the hybrid’s engine is smaller than a normal engine and uses advanced technologies to reduce emissions and increase efficiency.

Fuel Tank The fuel tank in a hybrid is the energy storage device for the gasoline engine. This is where the gas you put in your tank is kept.

Electric Motor The electric motor is very sophisticated in hybrids. Advanced electronics allow for it to act as a motor as well as a generator. It is able to draw energy from the batteries to accelerate the car, but it is also able to slow the car down and return energy to the batteries (called regenerative braking, we will talk about this later).

Generator The generator is similar to the electric motor, but it acts only to produce electrical power.

Batteries The batteries in a hybrid car are the energy storage device for the electric motor. The electric motor from a hybrid can put energy into the batteries as well as draw energy from them.

Transmission The transmission on a hybrid car performs the same basic functions as the transmission on a conventional car. Some hybrids have very different types of transmissions though (Prius) which we will talk about later.

Technology ONLY Found in HybridCars  Electric motor applies resistance to the drivetrain causing the wheels to slow down.  The energy from the wheels turns the motor, functioning as a generator.  This converts energy normally wasted during coasting and braking into electricity.  This electricity is then stored in a battery until it is needed by the electric motor. Regenerative Braking

Technology ONLY Found in Hybrid Cars  Electric motor provides additional power to assist the engine in accelerating, passing or hill climbing.  This allows a smaler, more efficient engine to be used.  In some vehicles, the motore alone provides power for low speed driving conditions where internal combustion engines are least efficient. Electric Motor Drive/Assist

Technology ONLY Found in Hybrid Cars  Automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts it when the accelerator is pressed.  This prevents wasted energy from idling. Automatic Start/Shutoff

There are 2 main types of Hybrid Cars Parallel Hybrid Series Hybrid &

Parallel Hybrid Parallel Hybrid 3-D View Fuel tank supplies gasoline to the engine and a set of batteries.  Both of these supply power to the electric motor. Both can turn the transmission at the same time. The transmission then turns the wheels. Fuel tank supplies gasoline to the engine and a set of batteries.  Both of these supply power to the electric motor. Both can turn the transmission at the same time. The transmission then turns the wheels.

Series Hybrid  Gasoline engine turns the generator.  Generator either charges batteries or powers an electric motor which powers the transmission.  The gasoline NEVER directly powers the vehicle.  Less common.  Gasoline engine turns the generator.  Generator either charges batteries or powers an electric motor which powers the transmission.  The gasoline NEVER directly powers the vehicle.  Less common. Series Hybrid 3-D View

Advantages to Buying a Hybrid Car  Better fuel economy (MPG).  Less emission, particularly pollutants such as carbon monoxide that are leading to global warming.  Sometimes emissions can be reduced up to 90% by driving a hybrid car.  Further range on a single tank of gas.  Quieter  Better fuel economy (MPG).  Less emission, particularly pollutants such as carbon monoxide that are leading to global warming.  Sometimes emissions can be reduced up to 90% by driving a hybrid car.  Further range on a single tank of gas.  Quieter

Disadvantages to Buying a Hybrid Car  More expensive- Honda Civic begins at $15,000, Civic Hybrid begins at $22,600.  Long waiting line to get a hybrid. (sometimes up to 6 months for a Prius)  Sometimes they can be pretty ugly.  Parts can be very expensive to repair. (between $5,000 and $8,000 for a battery)  Slower than gas-powered cars.  More expensive- Honda Civic begins at $15,000, Civic Hybrid begins at $22,600.  Long waiting line to get a hybrid. (sometimes up to 6 months for a Prius)  Sometimes they can be pretty ugly.  Parts can be very expensive to repair. (between $5,000 and $8,000 for a battery)  Slower than gas-powered cars.

Different Hybrid Cars Available There are many different types of hybrid cars out today. Almost every car manufacturer produces a hybrid. Here are 4 of the most popular hybrids compared.

LX 600h L  Most expensive hybrid offered today, sticker price of $104,750.  5.0 Liter V8  438HP  Performance that matches the BMW 760li and Mercedes-Benz S600 (both have V12)  Rated as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle  Most expensive hybrid offered today, sticker price of $104,750.  5.0 Liter V8  438HP  Performance that matches the BMW 760li and Mercedes-Benz S600 (both have V12)  Rated as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle

Go Buy A Hybrid! The End

BIBLIOGRAPHY “How Hybrid Cars Work.” 17 Nov "Get the Facts, Problems & Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars." 17 Nov "All About Hybrid Cars: Comparison Chart." 17 Nov Haber, Alexandria. "A Guide to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning." The Facts About Hybrid Car Emissions and Global Warming 17 Nov Nice, Layton, Karim, Julia. "How Hybrid Cars Work." 17 Nov 2008.