Today, that is changing, and quickly. Hybrid cars are very popular, and we are all waiting for the next models to be introduced. Car shoppers are now looking to trade in the old gas guzzler they are driving and want to upgrade to a hybrid of equal size and power. Car shoppers also know that for the few dollars more they will spend to buy a hybrid car, in the long run, they will save money, fuel, and the environment.
Yes, hybrids do cost more than conventional cars, but if you do the math, you will understand that the cost of the car will be paid for by the lesser amount of gasoline you will need to run it. You should also do a little more research and find out why hybrid cars can get much better gas economy, and exactly how they work.
Hybrid cars are a combination of your gasoline powered vehicle and an electric powered vehicle. The hybrids operate off both energy systems. How can it do that? It has two engines, one for gasoline and one for electricity, so the hybrid can use both systems during the same drive.
When your car is idling it will pull energy from the electric engine, and cut off the gasoline engine to save the fuel. When you put your foot down on the gas pedal the electric engine will shut off, and the gasoline engine will take over.
Hybrids come in many varieties but there are two types we see most often today. The first is the series hybrid car. In the series hybrid, the gasoline system is connected to a generator where it can charge the battery, or it can send power to the electric engine to give it energy to thrust forward
The second type of hybrid car is the parallel hybrid car. In this model the electric motor, batteries and the gasoline engine are all connected to the car's transmission. Both motors are able to run the car on their own to deliver the energy to thrust the vehicle forward.
In the electric motor, the batteries are the heart of the system. They serve as an energy storage container. Power is pulled from the batteries into the electric motor to provide the energy for the motor and at the same time the electric engine is able to deliver power to the batteries. When the electric motor is running the batteries are constantly being recharged.
With a process called regenerative braking, today's hybrid car batteries are able to recover electric power when the car is braking, and the engine can be recharged as well.
With our concerns about the high cost of gasoline, our dependence on foreign oil, the destruction of our air quality with greenhouse emissions from our cars, there is no doubt that hybrid cars will have a starring role in our transportation future.
Hybrids run with less fuel, they are quiet and there is less exhaust. Add that up and then include the tax breaks consumers have available to them, and it seems to be a win-win situation. Go Green.
