How Hybrids Work

While it’s common knowledge that hybrid cars are more fuel efficient than ordinary automobiles, most consumers are clueless about how they work, and what makes them so much more fuel efficient. Knowing how they work can in fact help you make them even more fuel efficient. Driving a hybrid improperly can lessen the fuel efficiency, losing money you could be saving!

The Difference between a Hybrid and an Ordinary Car

An ordinary automobile has a gasoline powered engine that is solely responsible for the power of the car. Hybrids, on the other hand, have 2 or more different types of engines and/or motors that work together to power your car. In the case of hybrid automobiles, this is usually a gasoline powered engine and an electric motor.

Types of Hybrid Cars

Not all hybrids are made exactly the same. There are 3 major types of hybrids: parallel, series, and series-parallel.

Parallel hybrids are the most commonly used today. With these hybrids, the gasoline powered engine and the electric motor work parallel with each other. The gasoline engine is used only for moving the car forward. The electric motor takes over if the car is stopped. In addition, the electric motor can add more power to the engine if the fuel power isn’t enough.

In a series hybrid,  the gasoline engine is never used to propel the vehicle forward. The sole purpose of the engine is to burn fuel that, in turn, recharges the electric motor. The electric motor is then used to propel the vehicle forward.

Finally, the series-parallel hybrid is the most fuel efficient model available today. In this model of hybrid, the gasoline engine and the electric motor are two separate entities that can both perform the task of propelling the vehicle forward on its own. The electric motor can provide the gasoline engine an extra boost when needed, or it can take over completely—leaving the gasoline engine to recharge it instead. An onboard computer switches automatically to whichever mode will give the vehicle peak efficiency.

There are 3 major features that help a hybrid car be more efficient.

1.  Regenerative Breaking. Unlike a typical electric automobile, hybrid cars don’t need to be plugged in to charge their batteries. The batteries charge while you drive. With regenerative breaking, the electric motor shoulders slowing the car down when you put your foot on the break. As it slows the car down, it steals the excess energy and uses it to charge the batteries.

2.  Start-Stop. A hybrid car never wastes gas while the car is idling. The gasoline engine is automatically turned off whenever the car is not moving. Instead the electric motor takes over and idles the car instead. As soon as the car accelerates again, the gasoline engine takes over once again.

3.  Drive or Assist with Electric Motor. Depending on the model of hybrid car, the electric motor can take over driving the vehicle completely or provide a much needed assist when more power is needed. This allows the gas engine to be much smaller than usually. A smaller engine requires less energy to propel the vehicle forward due to the lessened weight—thereby wasting less precious fuel.

Tips on Getting the Most out of a Hybrid Car

Due to the way hybrids operate, there are certain driving tips that will help you make the most out of its features.

• Slow Your Hybrid Slowly. The regenerative braking can provide more energy to the batteries if the car is slowed down gently. Braking abruptly can cause much of the energy to be wasted.
• Maintain a Consistent Speed. It takes more energy to speed up than by maintaining a constant speed. Speeding up and slowing down constantly doesn’t get you to your destination any faster, and by driving at a consistent speed, you’ll have better fuel efficiency.
• Drive the Speed Limit. The faster you drive your car, the more overall energy you need. By keeping your vehicle down to the speed limit, you’ll not only be safer, but you’ll waste less energy.

Thank you for stopping by detectenergy.com, hope to see you again real soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

And thank you to Jodi Wegner for sharing this article.