Since Toyota launched the first hybrid car in its lineup- the Prius- there has been a lot of discussion on the pros and cons of hybrid cars. The hybrid car has two power sources- a petrol engine and an electric motor. There are two versions of hybrid cars, full and mild hybrid. A full hybrid, like the Toyota Prius, can operate in either electric or petrol only mode or a combination of both. The mild hybrid has an electric motor that assists the petrol engine.

The hybrid car is based on the fuel efficient gasoline engine, combined with the electric motor, in order to achieve the beneficial outcomes. The electric motor is the supporting element that assists the engine while accelerating. This electric motor is an automatically rechargeable power generator. This electric motor works together with the gasoline engine to power the car. Such arrangement is called parallel hybrid car arrangement. In other case, the gasoline engine powers the car directly or may power the electric motor to power the vehicle.

In either case, the batteries are charged by the regenerative braking system. This system enables to use the energy exhausted during the braking process. As the car slows down, the energy is utilised to recharge the batteries that empower the car.

People are aware of global warming, increase in pollution, depleting fossil fuel resources and rising cost of fuel. A number of celebrities and politicians have started driving hybrid cars to show they care about the environment.

The hybrid car technology is indispensable because of its remarkable features. The features like energy regeneration and automatic power shut off are some of the prominent feature, adopted by the hybrid cars to deal with the energy crisis.

When standing at a traffic junction the hybrid car does not idle and the electric motor is turned off. It’s when you cross a certain speed the petrol engine starts up and takes over. When a burst of power or extra power is required the electric motor kicks in. If you pull away from a traffic light and cross the speed limit where the petrol engine takes over, the fuel saving is going to be marginal. This is no fault of the hybrid; it’s the driver who is to be blamed.

In addition to the power switch system, the car is designed to achieve the maximum fuel economy. Hybrid car is made with the light weight material. This enables the car to achieve maximum speed with less consumption of fuel. The other features like low resistance rolling tyre and the advanced aerodynamic properties contribute to its fuel saving characteristics.

With more hybrid cars being made, the price of hybrid cars is bound to reduce and they will compete with conventional car prices. For people who want an economical and environment friendly car the hybrid car will be a good option.

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