Hybrid Cars

Plug-in Hybrid The plug-in hybrid has some of the capability of the electric car, but retains the long range of hydrocarbon fuel for longer journeys. The battery of a plug-in hybrid is much larger. A conventional hybrid is capable of

  Imitation Hybrids Renault has fitted out a small car with an automatic stop/start feature. When the vehicle is stationary, the engine stops running just like a hybrid. When the clutch is depressed and the car is in gear, the

  Why Don’t We Have All-Electric Cars? Electric cars are attractive from a cost point of view. An electric motor is far cheaper to make than a gasoline engine. It has few moving parts and experiences very little wear. Electric

  Diesel Hybrids The hybrid trains and busses described above are diesel powered – as are nearly all commercial vehicles. This is simply because compression ignition (diesel) engines are the most efficient internal combustion engines available, and also have an

Complication and Cost There are two problems with the hybrid concept: complication and cost. Ford’s Escape Hybrid has a 4-cylinder engine instead of a six. However, this does not begin to cover the extra cost of the storage battery, electric

Series Hybrids Some European municipal busses have been designed as hybrids. One full-sized model uses a small 2litre diesel producing around 100 horsepower. (A conventional bus has 200-300bhp.) This engine is not connected to the drive wheels. It simply powers