The Hybrid Car:A look at the future of cars

By:Kenneth Barnett

What makes a Hybrid? A hybrid is anything that uses two or mores sources directly or

indirectly to provide propulsion

Examples of hybrid vehicles being used: Gasoline-pedal:

Moped Diesel-electric:

Locomotives Buses Submarines (can also be nuclear-electric)

Gasoline-electric: Passenger Vehicles

Parallel Hybrid Has a fuel tank that

supplies gas to the engine like a regular car

It also has a set of batteries that run an electric motor

Both the engine and electric motor can turn the transmission at the same time.

Series Hybrid The fuel tank goes to the

engine, but the engine turns a generator

Then the generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission

The gasoline engine does not directly power the car

Components of a Hybrid Gasoline engine

Much like our engines but smaller and is made with advanced technologies to reduce emissions and increase efficiency

Fuel Tank Energy storing device for the gasoline engine Gas has a much larger density than the batteries

Example: 1,000 pounds of batteries store as much energy as 1 gallon (7 pounds) of gas

Continuing Components Electric Motor

Advance electronics allow it to act as either an motor or a generator

Example: When needed it can take power from the batteries to accelerate the car. Or as the car slows down it acts as a generator and returns that energy to the batteries

Generator Similar to an electric motor, just it acts only to produce

electrical power Mainly in series hybrids

Continuing Components Batteries

Energy storage device for the electric motor

Transmission Transmission on a hybrid performs the same as a

transmission on our cars How a transmission works is that it takes power from the

engine or motor and sends to the driveshaft which turns your axle to move your car

Hybrid Performance The key for the hybrid car is its ability to use a smaller

engine A conventional engine is sized for peak power

requirement, when a study shows that most drivers reach this less than 1% of our driving time

The hybrid engine is sized for running at the average power not the peak. But when it does reach that point that it needs help up a hill or to pass someone, it draws extra power from the batteries and the electric motor to get the job done.

Hybrid Efficiency Recovers energy and stores it into the battery

Regenerative braking Sometimes it will shut the engine off Reduces aerodynamic drag Low rolling resistance tires

Stiffer and inflated more 1/2 the drag on the road

Lightweight Materials Carbon fiber Metals

Aluminum Magnesium

Hybrid Maintenance Warranties

The average warranty for a hybrid now is around either 8 yr/ 100,000 mile or even 10 year/ 150,000 mile

Brake pads Regenerative braking

Batteries $6800 for new Toyota and Honda hybrid But batteries tested to go for 180,000 miles and some

Available and Coming Soon

More cars