“How Hybrid Cars Work”
Have you pulled your car up to the gas pump lately and been shocked by the high price of gasoline? As the pump clicked past $20, $30, $40 or even $50, maybe you thought about trading in your car for something that gets better mileage. Or maybe you’re worried that your car is contributing to the greenhouse effect. The auto industry has the technology to address these concerns. It’s the hybrid car. In this speech I am going to inform you how hybrid automobiles work? What goes on under the hood to give you 20 or 30 miles per gallon than the standard automobile? And does it pollute less just because it gets better gas mileage. I will help you to understand how this technology works, and give you some tips on how to drive a hybrid car for maximum efficiency.
First let me begin by explaining to you what exactly a hybrid car is. A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. This also refers to hybrid electric vehicles or (HEVs), which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Many of us have probably owned a hybrid vehicle at some point. For example a moped (a motorized pedal bike) is a type of hybrid because it combines the power of a gasoline engine with the pedal of its rider. In fact, hybrid vehicles are all around us. Most of the locomotives we see pulling trains are diesel-electric hybrids. Cities like Seattle have diesel-electric buses, these can draw electric power from overhead wires or run on diesel when they are away from wires. Giant mining trucks are often diesel electric hybrids. Submarines are also hybrid vehicles, some are nuclear electric and some are diesel electric. Most hybrid cars on the road right now are gasoline electric hybrids.
Next I’ll explain to you the differences how gasoline vs. electric power vehicles works. A gas powered car has a fuel tank, which supplies gasoline to the engine. The engine then turns a transmission, which then turns the wheels. An electric car on the other hand, has a set of batteries that provides electricity to an electric motor. The motor turns a transmission, and the transmission turns the wheels. The hybrid is a compromise. It attempts to increase the mileage and reduce the emissions of a gas powered car while overcoming the shortcomings of an electric car. To be useful to you and me, a car must meet certain minimum requirements. The car should be able to, Drive at least 300 miles before re-fueling, Be refueled quickly and easily, and keep up with the other traffic on the road. A gasoline car meets these requirements but produces a relatively large amount of pollution and generally gets poor gas mileage. An electric car, however, produces almost no pollution, but it can only go 50 to 100 miles between charges. And the problem has been that the electric car is very slow and inconvenient to recharge. A gasoline-electric car combines these two setups into one system that has both gas power and electric power.
Besides a smaller, more efficient engine, today’s hybrids use many other tricks to increase fuel efficiency. Some of those tricks will help any type of car get better mileage, and some only apply to a hybrid. To squeeze every last mile out of a gallon of gasoline, a hybrid car can: Reduce energy and store it in the battery, Sometimes shut off the engine, Use advanced aerodynamics to reduce drag, Use low rolling resistance tires, and Use lightweight material. There are a lot of hybrids on the market these days, and most automobile manufacturers have announced plans to manufacture their own versions. Two well known hybrids cars that are on the market today are the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius, both have a gasoline engine, an electric motor and batteries.
You might wonder why anyone would build such a complicated machine when most people are perfectly happy with their gas powered cars. But there are benefits to owning a hybrid car. There are two reasons for this. First, is to reduce tailpipe emissions and, Second to improve mileage. Another reason is that carbon dioxide is another type of pollution a car produces. The U.S. government does not regulate it, but scientists suspect that it contributes to global warming.
So to conclude my speech, I hoped I have informed you about how hybrid cars work and you now have a better understanding at why they are a great alternative to only gas powered cars. Thank You.