How Hybrid Electric Vehicles Work
Owen Jones | July 15, 2010Have you ever wondered about hybrid cars? They certainly look stylish and modern, but what is it about them that makes them so different and so special? After all, most cars look the same these days, do they not? They are all designed by computer to be aerodynamic and aerodynamic is aerodynamic, so they all end up looking indistinguishable to anyone who is not an aficionado.
Well, the fact is that the distinction between a hybrid car and a normal car lies under the bonnet. There are various types of hybrid vehicles as well, but the most widespread kind has a hybrid electric engine. Therefore, you could say that what makes hybrid cars different from most other, ordinary cars is their engine.
Or engines really, because hybrid electric cars essentially have two engines. One, the internal combustion engine, runs on petrol, LPG or diesel and the other, the electric motor, runs off electricity stored in an array of heavy-duty batteries. On the other hand, ordinary cars only have an internal combustion engine. It is a good idea to examine these two types of engine separately.
First of all the electric motor. Electrical energy is created by various components on the car and stored in a large bank or array of high-capacity batteries. The electricity is generated by the turning of the internal combustion engine, just as with a normal car, when it is in use, but also by the wheels or / and the car’s braking system. Different models have different ways of generating this electricity, but they are all very hi-tech and very effective.
When the car’s internal computers decide that the car no longer needs the strength of the internal combustion engine, it will turn it off and switch to the electric motor instead. The conditions where this might happen are, for example, when you are driving slowly in inner-city traffic, when you are cruising at moderate speed on a flat road or when you are going down hill. This saves a considerable amount of fuel, which is clearly a great saving to you.
However, there are times when you need more power than the batteries can give you, for instance, when accelerating hard, when overtaking or when climbing a hill. At times such as these, the electric motor will close down and the combustion engine will take over and start supplying power to the accelerator and electricity to the batteries. When the need for extra power has ceased, the batteries will take over again.
These choices are all taken by the hybrid electric vehicle’s (HEV’s) on board computer system and you will not be aware of much other that a rush of power or a quietening of the propulsion system. This works very well in most cases, but some drivers of HEV’s would like to have a manual override for abnormal circumstances, such as an undulating landscape.
All in all, cars with hybrid electric engines work very well at reducing fuel bills but they are still too dear to be much more than a gimmicky toy and a salve to the conscience for the rich.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with hybrid electric engines. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at New Hybrid Vehicles.
