Hybrid cars
Hybrid cars
Article by Simon Macsis
You get the best of both worlds with a hybrid car, a petrol engine and electric motors.
Hybrid cars have a conventional petrol engine with an electric motor, are economic and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Most hybrid cars can run in electric-only mode and when they do, they emit zero carbon dioxide. Hybrids are useful cars to drive in urban areas or when you are stuck in traffic.
How do hybrid cars work?The energy used by the electric motors is stored in rechargeable batteries. An onboard computer system decides whether to use the petrol engine or electric motors based on maximum efficiency.
Not all hybrid systems are the same. A study conducted by Channel 4, reveals that different hybrid systems use different combinations of energy sources. The study says, ‘The Honda Insight, for example, will use the petrol engine only when moving off from rest and at low speeds, but when accelerating, its computer asks the electric motor to chip in with extra help. As cruising speeds are reached, the electric motor is turned off, leaving petrol power only. As the driver starts to slow down