A hybrid vehicle is any
vehicle that is powered by more than one power source. One
of the most well known hybrid vehicles would be a moped. A
moped is a vehicle that is essentially a motorized pedal
bike. Major automobile manufacturers are now producing
gasoline-electric hybrid cars. These cars are being produced
in order to reduce tailpipe emissions and to improve gas
mileage. While hybrid vehicles do not achieve zero
emissions, the improvements are impressive.
Several States are
considering the implementation of mandate electric car sales
in order to lower tailpipe emissions to acceptable levels.
In California, this would mean that 10% of the million cars
sold annually would have to be electric cars. The cost of
producing these vehicles has made their wide-spread usage
prohibitive. Hybrid cars, which combine gasoline and
electric motors, will provide the benefits of lower
emissions while maintaining the performance benefits of an
internal combustion engine.
The University of California
is building a SUV that will get 30 miles to the gallon. When
fully charged the Suburban will get 60 mile on battery
power. The engine will then take over to keep the batteries
charged. Running as a hybrid vehicle the engine gets 25 to
30 miles giving it a 420 mile range based on a 12 gallon
fuel tank.
Honda is working on an even
more futuristic hybrid engine. A large amount of energy is
lost whenever we apply brakes to slow the car. The majority
of the kinetic energy that the car has is lost as heat.
Honda plans to recapture this energy using a new hybrid
engine to recycle kinetic energy for ultra-efficient
driving. When brakes are now applied the energy previously
lost as heat is now stored as electricity. The vehicle will
achieve 3 L per 100 km or 80 miles to the gallon.
Related Links
DaimlerChrysler
Delphi Automotive Systems
Ford Motor Company
General
Motors
USCAR Web Site
Visteon
Toyota
Honda
Virginia
Tech's Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team
U
of Michigan Automotive Research Center
Center for Automotive Research at Ohio State
University
Facts about hybrid gasoline-electric cars
Scientific American- Article- Hybrid Electric
Vehicles
