How A Hybrid Car WorksSo you’re considering purchasing a hybrid car because you want to cut down on pollution and save money at the pump. You’ve evaluated various models, checked out all the latest features, and compared the top hybrid models to your favorite gas powered models. As interested as you are though, you still wonder exactly how those hybrid systems operate. Maybe they’re still a mystery to you, but when you get a clear picture, it’s really easy to understand.

A hybrid vehicle simply combines the internal combustion of a gas powered engine with the energy of a battery powered electric motor. The two work of them in concert with each other as the electric motor helps boost the efficiency of the engine which reduces its fuel consumption.

Likewise the gas powered motor helps make up for the short driving range of the electric motor. Combined they allow you to travel as far as 500 miles without refueling, and you never have to recharge the electric motor because it charges itself as it runs.

Hybrid’s feature an idle-off feature which allows the gas engine to turn off completely when the car is stopped, so no fuel is expended sitting in idle. At the same time, the electric engine ensures that the car moves forward at normal speed as you accelerate again from the stop.

Another advantage of hybrids comes in the form of the regenerative braking system. Regen brakes use the electric motor to help stop the engine rather than relying totally on friction from the disc brakes. The system also stores the kinetic energy that would normally heat up the brakes, and uses adds it to the energy supply of the battery.

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