How Do Hybrid Vehicles Get That Great Gas Mileage?

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The term that actually applies is HEV, which stands for Hybrid Electric Vehicle. These are the most fuel efficient vehicles available to most of us.

While the actual configuration may vary due to the manufacturer’s design intentions, they typically combine a small (by regular vehicle standards) gasoline engine with an electric motor.

While the gasoline engine does most of the locomotion at highway speeds, when less fuel is needed, it is also available to provide extra power that an electric motor cannot provide or maintain over a long period of time.

The electric battery/motor combination can start the car running in some cases, maintain systems without the gasoline motor idling at stops such as lights and drive thrus, and can assist the gasoline motor since it is a hybrid vehicle. takes him down the street. Not only is fuel being saved whilst maintaining electric automotive systems in normally idle conditions, but it also means that less pollution is being emitted into the air, usually in our most polluted areas… within the limits of our cities.

During rolling of the vehicle, especially in coastal conditions, the battery which powers the electric motor is recharged. When braking at slow speeds (in-town, stop-and-go), regenerative braking is typically used to bring the car to a halt rather than apply the brakes. In regenerative braking, the electric motor actually reverses polarity, becoming an electric generator that recharges the battery. This change from motor to generator creates a reverse torque that is used to slow and stop the vehicle. At highway speeds, braking is normal.

At times, the charge within the battery may drop below the required level, and at such times, the small gasoline engine automatically comes on to recharge the battery.

Even with hybrids, however, there are a variety of vehicles to meet consumer needs. There are hybrid SUVs, trucks, and small and mid-size sedans such as the Toyota Prius, which is one of the most fuel efficient hybrid vehicles out there, getting around 50 MPG on average. Large hybrid vehicles, such as SUVs and trucks, provide fuel economy in a relative sense. The fuel economy of these large hybrid vehicles is roughly comparable to that of a gasoline-powered sedan.

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