Hybrid vehicles are so named because they use two or more conventional engines to power them. Commonly, the term “hybrid” refers to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an electric motor and an internal combustion engine (ICE) to save fuel. An on-board computer determines how to use both motors while the car is being driven.
The popularity of hybrid cars continues to rise due to the huge savings on gasoline costs and more environment-friendly features. In most cases, hybrid cars will rely solely on their electric motor at low speeds. When more power is needed, its ICE is activated. In other circumstances, both the electric motor and the ICE are used to propel the car. There will be times when the car will not burn any fuel while in use, resulting in less gas mileage. An energy-saving feature of hybrids helps them get better mileage.
In addition, hybrids do not suffer from the usual charging problems of fully electric cars. This is because a hybrid car can charge the electric motor while driving. For example, the combustion engine can be used to turn an electric generator that charges the battery. In other cases, the battery is also charged by regenerative braking. Today, top-tier hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius have an average fuel economy of just over 45 miles per gallon, which is a drastic improvement over the average 17 miles per gallon consumed by vehicles of ordinary gasoline among American motorists.