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 motor, & power management system. A hybrid vehicle cannot ever be as cheap as its gasoline-only equivalent.
The extra hardware (batteries, electric motors, controller, etc) reduces interior space and increases weight. In a small vehicle, like Honda’s “Insight”, the space occupied seriously limited the usefulness of this car. The “Insight” has less baggage space than my very tiny *smart*! In a larger vehicle like the Escape, the extra equipment can be accommodated with little loss of interior space. The increased weight also means that more energy is required to accelerate the vehicle, penalizing urban fuel economy. However, compared to the non-hybrid version, urban fuel economy will look good and few will complain.
Unfortunately, many hybrids offered today use a standard-size gasoline engine. Although they are advertised as “green” vehicles, their electric motors are used to improve acceleration, not fuel economy. In many cases, their good acceleration will be used – simply because it is available – probably ensuring that the vehicle is only slightly more economical than a similar non-hybrid model.
Hybrids offer little fuel economy advantage in highway driving. Steady speed cruising relies entirely on the gasoline engine for power. There is no need for extra power from the electric motor and little opportunity to capture kinetic energy from braking. Any advantage the vehicle may have is derived from the greater efficiency of a downsized engine operating closer to its point of peak efficiency.
Few people realize that hybrids do not operate in the hybrid mode until the gasoline engine and its catalytic converter are fully warmed up. This is to ensure that emissions are low – they are not when the engine is cold! In heavy urban traffic, the warm-up may take 5kilometres! In urban traffic during a northern winter, with the heater taking warmth from the engine, warm-up may take even longer. The ideal service for a hybrid car is as a taxi. Here the engine is always warm, and almost all driving is in urban traffic – where hybrids are at their best.