Car Info > Hybrid Cars
Hybrid cars. We have heard the buzz in the news about them for years but do we really know what this new breed of cars can do for us? With the recent spike in gas prices, many people are looking for options when it comes to saving money at the gas pumps. While most don't really know what a hybrid is, these cars might be the answer to relieving your pain at the pumps.
This brings us to the question, What are hybrid cars? Most of the hybrid cars that are on todays market use both an electric motor and a gas powered engine. These cars use smaller gasoline engines than a conventional car because they are assisted by an electric motor and are therefore much more energy efficient.
There are two basic types of hybrid cars, the parallel hybrid and the series hybrid. The parallel hybrid has a gasoline engine that gets fuel from the fuel tank just like a normal car. It also has an electric motor that is powered by a set of batteries. Both are capable of supplying power to the wheels either simultaneously or independently. During braking or at a stop the gasoline engine will automatically turn off and then restart itself when needed again. Either to provide power to drive the car or to charge the batteries.
In contrast, the series hybrid does not use the gasoline engine to power the wheels. Instead it either runs to charge the batteries or to power a generator that powers the electric motor.