How Hybrid Vehicles Work

Recent incidents of global warming and fuel price hikes have acted as a catalyst for an increased awareness among masses for technologies that can prove to be environment friendly as well as economical. Hybrid technology has been the poster boy of green revolution for decades. While gasoline cars run only gasoline, hybrid cars depend on more then one technology to deliver better overall efficiency, thereby saving the earth. Although hybrid technologies are popularly believed to be comprised of electricity, solar energy, hydrogen fuel cell or other renewable energy sources, most people do not know that these vehicles can also run on a combination of gasoline and other renewable resources like electricity.

Successful implementation and widespread popularity of Hybrid technology suffers from many misconceptions. A common myth that most people have regarding hybrid vehicles is related with the notion that since most of the mass produced hybrid vehicles are partially powered with electricity, they need to be recharged constantly. Although there are some recent models that do allow for this option, in general, most hybrid vehicles do not have to be recharged for a hybrid vehicle to run. The electric power that is used by hybrid vehicles is completely generated within the motor of the vehicle and is self contained. Moreover, there are a lot of other misconceptions related to the general operation of these vehicles that raises serious doubts in the minds of general public regarding the reliability of this technology.

A hybrid vehicle that works on both gasoline and electric power is very similar to that of a gasoline vehicle, with an added battery. However, the battery of the hybrid vehicle is considerably different than that of a gasoline vehicle; it serves as an additional power source that makes a hybrid vehicle much efficient than its gasoline guzzling counterpart.
For their working, hybrid vehicles use gasoline when the vehicle needs increased power such as while accelerating. In many hybrid vehicles, the engine is only used when required, while the engine is off, the hybrid vehicle runs on battery power. The engine is turned back on when the vehicle requires an increased power.

Features offered in a hybrid vehicle are usually the same as those offered in their gasoline counterparts. That is, consumers do not have to compromise on any of their favorite features if they decide to buy a hybrid vehicle. In fact, most of the time, manufacturers simply convert the gasoline models they already have to a hybrid form.

As electricity does not yield the same power as gasoline, heavier hybrid vehicles such as hybrid SUVs or hybrid minivans tend to use more gasoline than a smaller, lighter hybrid car; also, they are less powerful than their gasoline counterparts.
In general, hybrid vehicles offer its consumers a way to use less gasoline and to help preserve the environment as these vehicles do not emit as many pollutants as the traditional gasoline vehicles. Hybrid vehicles are truly the vehicles of the future, and at the rates at which technology is advancing and the competition between the automobile manufacturers is increasing, better and more efficient hybrid versions of almost all popular vehicles can be expected in the near future.