Hybrid Automobiles: Overview
The increasing high fuel prices and concerns over the environment have motivated many people to switch over to alternative energy sources. According to a recent report, one of the biggest polluters on the planet is the internal combustion engine. These reactions has led to the development of hybrid automobiles. Over the years, the term has gained a lot of popularity as a result most manufacturers either offer hybrid vehicles or are in the process of developing them.
Hybrid automobiles can be distinguished into two types, such as series hybrids and parallel hybrids. The former automobiles mainly runs on a small gas engine and the electric motor to power the vehicle. However, the parallel kind consist of a fuel tank and batteries for the electric motor.
Some of the basic advantages offered by hybrid automobiles are:
- Better gas mileage.
- Fuel efficiency as the gas engine automatically shutdown.
- Less gasoline is burned so less pollution.
Here is a brief description on different parts of a Hybrid Vehicle:
Gas engine: In a hybrid vehicle the engine is comparatively smaller and more energy efficient as compared to traditional vehicles.
Fuel tank: As the fuel tank is smaller it holds less gasoline, which is enough to power the vehicle.
Electric Motor: The electric motor set within a hybrid vehicle act both as a motor as well as generator. The energy to power the car is mainly derived through the batteries. The energy is returned to the batteries when the vehicle slows down, which are then automatically recharged.
Batteries: It is one of the main parts in a hybrid vehicle. The energy required to power the electric motor of the vehicle is stored in these series of batteries.
Transmission: The procedure of transmission used in most hybrid vehicles works in a similar way as in traditional gasoline powered vehicles.
Most automobile manufacturers are constantly on the lookout for ways to increase the energy efficiency. The invention of hybrid vehicles is considered to be one step towards this direction.