Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Hybrid electric vehicles are automobiles which make use of a combination of conventional propulsion systems and rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS). The purpose for combining these two different power sources is to achieve improved fuel economy in hybrid electric vehicles compared to the conventional cars and trucks. Then, batteries are just used for support, and limited propulsion needs, without requiring any recharging due to the storage and energy renewal system.

Modern times have seen the mass production of hybrid electric vehicles coming from a number of well known car manufacturers. The reasons why many car producers jump on the green bandwagon are varied. Whether there is a genuine interest in saving energy and not using the planet’s energetic sources, or a smart and "caring" way to attract buyers and thus sell more cars, one cannot be certain. There are three main ways that allow current hybrid electric vehicles to reduce gas consumtion. First, they lower the amount of wasted energy during idle or low input (turning off the ICE); secondly, they collect waste energy (regenerative braking), and thirdly, they reduce the size and power of the ICE and inefficiencies generated by under-utilization.

The batteries that supply the electric motor get charged when you drive around, thus preventing the input necessities. Some hybrid electric vehicles use the internal combustion engine (ICE) to create electricity by spinning an electrical generator (quite often this is a motor-generator) to directly supply the electric motor that drives the vehicle or to recharge the battery. The majority of hybrid electric cars can now cut out the toxic emissions that are exhaled during the idle or restart modes of the engine. The engines of the hybrid electric vehicles are smaller than those of non-hybrid petroleum fuel vehicles. These engines may function at various speeds, thus bringing more efficiency.

The making of the hybrid electric vehicles started in the late 1990s and the first ones came from Honda (Honda Insight) and Toyota (Toyota Prius). The history of hybrid electric vehicles is marked by the buyer-oriented policy that aimed at making such cars available to anyone. The future of hybrid electric vehicles is definitely bright, and this is the forecast by some car makers who label hybrid electric vehicles a core segment of the automotive market of the future.

To get more on hybrids vehicles visit Hybrid Honda as well as Lexus Hybrid.