How does a hybrid car work?

We all know gasoline cars and most people have heard about or seen electric cars. A hybrid car is a combination of both. A hybrid vehicle contains parts for gasoline or electric vehicles in order to get the best of both worlds.

Basic properties of the hybrid car

Conventional vehicles use gasoline or diesel to power an internal combustion engine. Hybrids also use an internal combustion engine and can be powered like normal cars, but also have an electric motor and a battery. By using both a conventional and an electric motor, the best plug-in hybrid cars achieve significantly better fuel efficiency than their non-hybrid counterparts. They also pollute less and save drivers’ money through fuel savings. The more advanced hybrids have larger batteries and can recharge their batteries from a power outlet.

Features of the hybrid car

The battery provides power to the air conditioner and accessories while the vehicle is idling or in traffic and the electric motor can restart the plug-in hybrid car. If necessary, the conventional motor will re-engage to provide more power for acceleration. Regenerative braking is another feature. Conventional cars rely entirely on friction brakes to slow down, dissipating the vehicle’s kinetic energy in the form of heat. Regenerative braking allows some of this energy to be captured, transformed into electricity and stored in the batteries. This stored electricity can then be used to run a hybrid car.

Differences between hybrids and other electric vehicles

Hybrids that cannot be recharged from an electrical outlet are generally not considered a plug-in hybrid car, as they rely exclusively on gasoline or diesel to produce energy. Plug-in hybrids are considered electric vehicles, as are fuel cell and hydrogen electric vehicles. Battery electric vehicles use only one electric motor and one battery, completely avoiding conventional engines. Battery electrical circuits are often cleaner and cheaper than hybrid and conventional vehicles.  Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles power an electric motor and the operation of a hybrid car uses a battery by converting stored hydrogen into electricity.

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