With fuel prices soaring, hybrid cars are the wave of the future – or at least of our current motoring “future” – and interest in these vehicles is high. But there’s a lot you need to know before buying a hybrid car.
First, hybrid vehicles now come in almost every shape, size and purpose. Where once the hybrid vehicle was a tiny car, suitable only for thrifty commuter use (like Honda’s Insight two-seater), now several full-sized sport utility vehicles come in hybrid forms.
(Get a quote now on a hybrid vehicle, or click here to insure these special vehicles.)
Most hybrids work in one of two ways.
The first and most popular is a setup whereby the vehicle’s gasoline engine is teamed with an electric motor that allows the internal combustion engine to be shut off entirely at times to conserve fuel. In this kind of vehicle, the electric motor runs when the car is idling, like at a stop light, and it can propel the vehicle forward at low speeds, usually up to about 25 mph, before the gas engine kicks in. Vehicles of this type include the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV.
The second hybrid variety employs the electric motor when in motion only at times when the traditional engine needs extra power, such as during brisk acceleration or when traveling uphill. Honda’s Civic Hybrid and Insight are of this type.
All of these vehicles have specialized, and large, battery packs, that run the electric motor. A technology known as “regenerative braking” causes the battery system to reverse its polarity when the car’s brakes are applied, using the friction from the braking system to create energy that is returned to and stored in the batteries.
Other technologies and techniques used to help hybrid vehicles include better aerodynamics (less the case with SUVs), an auto shut-off that cuts out the gas engine completely when the car is at a full stop, carbonized connecting rods to reduce weight in the engine, and even the “continuously variable transmission,” a longstanding technology only recently used in mass-produced vehicles whereby belts and pulleys – rather than gears, friction plates, hydraulic fluids and a torque converter – transmit engine RPMs to the wheels, always at the optimum level of economy. Numerous other technologies assist in the fuel-saving process, including: Honda’s “cylinder idling system” (which cuts out up to three of the engine’s four cylinders during deceleration, maximizing use of the brakes and thus energy returned to the batteries); integrated exhaust manifolds, built directly into the cylinder heads to reduce weight and optimize flow; low-friction pistons; offset cylinder bores (to further reduce side thrust friction of pistons); use of lightweight materials such as magnesium, aluminum alloys and plastic resins to reduce curb weight; and, variable valve timing, which keeps valves open longer at high speeds but closes them more quickly at low speeds to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.
Now that you know more about hybrid vehicles, click here to get a quote on one, and don’t forget to visit this site and get insurance.
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