Alternative Energy Sources

What Is a Hybrid Vehicle ? Any vehicle that uses two or More Power Sources Gas engine and electric motor

Examples of Hybrid vehicle’s Automobiles Mopeds Locomotives Buses Submarines

The Hybrid System Gasoline Engine drives the automobile during highway speeds when minimum Horsepower is required Electric Motor works with the Gasoline Engine while accelerating from a stop and during periods when extra acceleration is required

Hybrid Components Generator Batteries Transmission Only used as an electricity producing component Batteries Store Energy to power Electric Motor Transmission Drives Vehicle directly from the gasoline engine or electric motor Gas or Diesel Engine Electric Motor

Electric Motors A machine that changes electrical energy into mechanical energy to do work.

Gas Engine A machine that changes chemical energy into mechanical energy to do work. Through the burning of gasoline.

Generator A machine that changes mechanical energy into electrical energy It must be turned or driven by an outside source

Regenerative Braking Traditional Car brakes- the faster a car is going the more kinetic energy it has, the brakes remove the energy and release heat. Hybrid cars use the electric motor to help stop the car. Acting as a generator it captures the energy lost in braking and uses it to charge the batteries.

Transmission Take the power from then motor or engine and transfers the power to the wheels. A mechanical device that changes a vehicles wheel speed and torque • Torque - turning or rotating force

Honda Civic 40 mpg/city 45 mpg/highway 4 Cylinder $23,800 Base Price

Toyota Prius 51mpg/city 48 mpg/highway 4 Cylinder $22,800 Base Price

Hybrid Maintenance Both Honda and Toyota offer good warranties on there hybrid vehicles. Insight offers a 8yr/80,000 mile warranty on the power train, electric motor and batteries. A 3yr/36,000 mile warranty on everything else. The electric motors and batteries shouldn’t require maintenance over the life of the vehicle. But if the batteries do need to be replaced after warranty it would cost a few thousand dollars. The brake pads may also last longer on hybrids because of regenerative braking.

Types of Hybrid Vehicles Parallel Series

Parallel Hybrid Uses fuel for the gas engine, and batteries for the electric motor. Both electric motor and gas engine connect to transmission. Both power sources can power the transmission simultaneously or individually.

Series Hybrid Gasoline engine turns a generator which can either charge batteries or supply power to the electric motor. The electric motor powers the transmission. This means the gas engine never has a direct connection with the transmission.