Hybrids and Hybrid cars in India

What does Hybrid really mean:-
Hybrid may mean the combination of two or more different entities or things, aimed at achieving a particular objective or goal.

What is a Hybrid Car:-
A Hybrid Cars use a rechargeable energy storage system to supplement fossil fuel energy for vehicle propulsion. Hybrid engines are smaller and more efficient than traditional fuel engines. Some hybrid vehicles use regenerative braking to generate electricity while traveling. The term "Hybrid Vehicle" can also refer to a vehicle engine that uses a combination of different fuels such as petroleum and ethanol. The articles on this page are on the topic of Hybrid vehicles and related technologies.

The hybrid vehicle typically realizes greater fuel economy than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), such that fewer air pollution emissions are generated per kilometer traveled. In addition noise emissions are reduced, particularly at idling and low operating speeds, in comparison to conventional gasoline or diesel powered engine vehicles.

Hybrids as opposed to popular perception are not a recent development, Hybrids have been present for almost over a century.

1898 The German Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, at age 23, built his first car, the Lohner Electric Chaise. It was the world's first front-wheel-drive. Porsche's second car was a hybrid, using an internal combustion engine to spin a generator that provided power to electric motors located in the wheel hubs. On battery alone, the car could travel nearly forty miles.
How Hybrid cars work:-
The Mercedes-Benz M-Class HyPer a hybrid concept vehicle

A gasoline-electric hybrid car is a cross between a gasoline-powered car and an electric car. A gas-powered car has a fuel tank, which supplies gasoline to the engine which then turns a transmission, which turns the wheels.
Where as an electric car 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 significantly increase the mileage and reduce the emissions of a gas-powered car while overcoming the shortcomings of an electric car.

The hybrid car has a gasoline engine which is smaller and uses advanced technologies to reduce emissions and increase efficiency. The electric motor on a hybrid car is very sophisticated. Advanced electronics allow it to act as a motor as well as a generator. For example, when it needs to, it can draw energy from the batteries to accelerate the car. But acting as a generator, it can slow the car down and return energy to the batteries.

There are two ways in which the two power sources can be configured. First known as a parallel hybrid, has a fuel tank that supplies gasoline to the engine and a set of batteries that supplies power to the electric motor. Both the engine and the electric motor can turn the transmission at the same time, and the transmission then turns the wheels.

The second is a series hybrid, the gasoline engine turns a generator, and the generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission. Thus, the gasoline engine never directly powers the vehicle.

The engine in the hybrid car is powerful enough to move the car along on the freeway, but when it needs to get the car moving in a hurry, or go up a steep hill, the electric motor and battery steps in to provide the necessary extra power.

Hybrid cars in India.
The are many big players planning to bring in the hybrids in India. The front runners amongst the race are Toyota with their very successful Prius, Honda with the Civic hybrid and our very own Tata motors.
I will cover each one in a separate post, so hang on.

Source: Hybrid Cars

Related :-

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• Tata Indica Electric and Hybrid
• Hybrids and Hybrid cars in India
• Honda Civic Hybrid to hit Indian roads soon