Hybrid Cars Vs. Normal Cars
As the world's automakers bring more hybrid-electric cars to the marketplace, more drivers are considering hybrids alongside regular, gasoline-powered cars when it's time to buy a new vehicle. While hybrids offer the promise of better fuel economy, there are also some trade-offs. Knowing how hybrids stack up against conventional vehicles is important for anyone who wants to make the best buying decision.
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History
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Car designers experimented with electric and hybrid drive systems in the early-1900s. However, the internal combustion engine won out, becoming the standard power source for automobiles for nearly a century. During that time, gas-powered cars saw numerous technological advancements, including fuel injection and computer control systems that aided in fuel efficiency, safety and power.
Hybrids made a comeback in the 1990s with the American debut of Honda's Insight and Toyota's Prius. Since then, most major automakers have developed one or more hybrid-electric vehicles to compliment their lineups of gas-powered vehicles.
Function
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Conventional cars use an internal combustion engine, which burns a mixture of fuel (gasoline or diesel fuel) and air to create a rapid series of controlled explosions that produce the power for driving. Hybrid-electric vehicles still contain an internal combustion engine but supplement it with an electric motor. Hybrids store energy that would otherwise be lost during braking or coasting downhill in battery packs, which can then power the electric motor and reduce the need for fuel in the combustion engine.
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Types
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There are two major types of each kind of car. Conventional vehicles generally use either gasoline or diesel fuel. Diesel engines are common in trucks and buses, while most passenger vehicles around the world sill use gasoline exclusively. Hybrid-electric vehicles fall into two categories: parallel hybrids, which use both the gas engine and electric motor to power the vehicle, and series hybrids, which only use the electric motor for driving power but activate the gas engine to act as a generator and provide more power for the batteries to extend range or add extra power.
Cost
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One of the key practical differences between hybrids and conventional cars is the cost. Hybrids tend to cost several thousand dollars more than comparable models with a gas engine. However, over time, hybrid owners will save money on fuel. In addition, hybrid vehicles have a higher resale value and may be eligible for tax credits due to their benefit to the environment. The value of a hybrid depends largely on the owner's driving habits and the future price of gasoline (higher gas prices mean even greater savings for hybrid owners).
Benefits
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Both types of cars have unique benefits. Conventional vehicles are usually more powerful. They also lack the complex electronic systems that hybrids need to function, thus reducing cost. Besides providing gas savings directly to the driver, hybrids also help reduce the overall demand for gasoline and oil. And they produce fewer harmful carbon emissions since they burn less petroleum-based fuel.
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References
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- Photo Credit Detailansicht Hybrid Motor image by 3rdTwin from Fotolia.com
