Hybrid Cars Estefania Cantres

Hybrid cars What are hybrid cars? A hybrid vehicle(known as HV) is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources such as an on-board rechargeable energy storage system(known as RESS) and a fueled power source for vehicle propulsion(meaning propelling or a force that propels).

Background Information of Hybrid Cars Other power sources include human powered bicycle with battery assist or a sail boat with electric power.

Petroleum base The term hybrid vehicle most commonly refers to petroleum electric vehicle.

HEV Hybrid electric vehicle- HEV-use internal combustion engines.

HEV They also use electric batteries to power electric motors.

HEV The term hybrid in the U.S. meant that a vehicle or mixed nationally origin.

Continuation Technically a European car fitted with American mechanical components.

Components of a hybrid car There are quite a few components that make up a hybrid vehicle.

Components Electric motor:handles normal stop-and-go travel and initial highway acceleration. The motor assists the gas or diesel engine to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. It drives energy-wasting accessories like the power steering pump and air conditioner. The hybrid’s gasoline motor(gasoline-or diesel powered internal combustion engine)is effective whenever the car reaches higher speeds.

Components Hybrid cars have computer control systems that automatically decide when to switch from one power source to another. This type of engine can generate power for electric motor and at highway speed;the gasoline engine recharges the electric motor’s battery. Hybrid vehicles batteries are essential in providing power to the electric motor. During the times when the hybrid is coasting and breaking,the battery recharges itself.

Disadvantages Some states have added registration fees. Hybrids are more expensive than non- hybrids. Therefore there are more chances for failure and a typical mechanic is not trained to properly fix the vehicle. The parts that make up the hybrid car are more expensive and are more difficult to acquire for one’s car. Since a hybrid is electrical, Water cannot be used to put out a fire that starts in the hybrid.

Disadvantages Hybrids(in regards to a car accident)have a much higher risk of exploding(depending on the impact of the vehicle)because it has a combination of gasoline and ethanol(which are both highly flammable). Advantages: A person who purchases a hybrid car is entitled to a federal tax deduction. People who drive hybrids do not have to learn anything or do anything different to handle the vehicle.

Advantages Hybrid cars emit up to 97% less toxic emissions and half as much greenhouse-this causes carbon dioxide as an average car(therefore drivers would not have to worry about polluting the environment). Hybrids can run on electricity or gas. The battery pack of a hybrid vehicle never needs to be charged from an external force.

Advantages Hybrids have smaller engines,therefore they tend to weigh less than non- hybrids(but this can lead to problems in the future). Since hybrid cars can run on alternative fuels, this allows us to decrease our dependency on fossil fuel and enables us to increase fuel options.(hybrids reduce fuel costs).

Ethanol A clean burning fuel that reduces carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon tailpipe emissions. An oxygenate-the oxygen allows it to burn more cleanly and more completely than gasoline. Made from corn and other crops,renewable resources that derive their energy from the sun,rain,and soil. Pure ethanol has an octane rating of 113,therefore adding 10% ethanol to gasoline raises overall octane by 2 to 3 points.

Disadvantages of ethanol In most cases,it can be more expensive than gasoline(depending on where you live).in the Midwest(where much of the country’s ethanol is produced)E85 sells for nearly 30 cents less per gallon than gasoline. West coast:it would cost a driver 35 cents more. Mid-Atlantic states:E85 is 44 cents more. Regardless of the price one pays for it,contains less energy than gasoline.

Drawback This is a major drawback because this does not enable your car to go farther on the highway,and your fuel economy will decrease by percent. This is not a good factor for consumers because even if the price of E85 at the pump is cheaper than gasoline. Using ethanol may not be less expensive in the end.

Issue with E85 E85 is widely available only in the mid- west;therefore it is clear that wider distribution is needed. It is distilled from corn-gaining special attention because transportation accounts for so much of domestic oil consumption,and ethanol is only currently viable as a substitute for gasoline.

Other drawbacks Unfortunately,it takes 1.5 gallons of ethanol to provide the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline. Ethanol(produced from corn),cannot be possibly grown forever because growing corn depletes the soil if sustainable farming methods such as crop rotation are use. Producing corn is very energy intensive,and uses fuels in virtually every step of the crop cycle:transporting and planting the seeds;operating farm equipment;making and applying fertilizer;

Process of ethanol And transporting the corn to market. Fertilizer production consumes the most fossil fuels. Fossil-fuel based fertilizers also contaminate the soil and groundwater,but they can’t be replaced by natural fertilizer because there are not enough animals to provide the fertilizer to grow the corn necessary to produce all the ethanol needed to run American cars.

Research 70% more energy is required to make a gallon of ethanol. To grow each acre of corn,it takes gallons of gasoline. Takes about 56 pounds of dry corn to yield 2.7 gallons of ethanol;it would take about 9.4 acres to produce enough E85 to drive one car 10,000 miles a year. Even if it were possible to grow this much corn in the U.S.(to make ethanol),the problem remains of how to get it to the market for profit.

Amount of ethanol Amount of ethanol that can be made from an acre of corn is 378 gallons for a total of 7,840 pounds of corn per acre. Nearly half of the entire 2004 U.S. corn crop of 11.8 billion bushels would be needed for use to manufacture enough ethanol for all gasoline to be E85. Another problem is that ethanol cannot be easily shipped across the country.

Benefits of ethanol Renewable fuel made from plants. Since it is not a fossil fuel,the manufacture and burning of it does not increase the greenhouse effect. An alternative to harmful fuel additives. Ethanol blends can be used in all petrol engines without any need of modification.

More benefits Reduces harmful exhaust emissions and is biodegradable. It has a high level of oxygen in it;therefore it helps to reduce carbon monoxide levels. Ethanol blends dramatically reduce emissions of hydrocarbons which are a major contributor to the depletion of the ozone layer. As an octane enhancer,ethanol can cut emissions of cancer-causing benzene and butadiene by more than 50%.

Factors to improve hybrid cars and ethanol Some of ethanol’s disadvantages can be avoided if a source other than corn is used. In regards to a hybrid car,one of the main problems is that the car runs on two motors;therefore it is not efficient enough to perform as well as a non-hybrid. The main problems with ethanol is that it is highly explosive(and also toxic),and since it burns faster,the hybrid is unable to save this energy while on the road(it is useless to own a hybrid).

Other factors E85 burns out faster than regular fuel,causing hybrid to be constantly filled up because of loss of fuel. One way to improve hybrid cars is to find a way to replace the ethanol fuel that is currently being used. Manufacturers should find an alternative fuel besides E85 in order to make hybrid more self-sufficient. Manufacturers should also find a way to lessen the complex components that make up the hybrid. Since ethanol is highly explosive, there should be an alternative in making the hybrid safer because this is life threatening {especially to children who are exposed to hybrids} and this could save a lot of lives if it were to be done. We only have one million and we need five million.