10-11-2012, 02:04 PM
HYBRID CARS report
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Folks I am here to share few things about Hybrid Cars. Many of you might be well aware of the same those who are not will get some help from this article. I searched numerous sites and compiled all the information and presented before you this piece of my knowledge in easiest way possible.
We all know in today’s time, oil prices are soaring high that is why we need to think of alternatives how to save more on fuel consumption. if we feel for our environment and want to save earth we should realize the need on non-polluting ,eco-friendly, fuel efiicient vehicle which might be a hybrid .So, let’s know about hybrid vehicles.
CARS OF THE ERA
Hybrid vehicles defined as the vehicles that run using two or more power, mainly depend on its storage system of rechargeable energy. This rechargeable energy storage system replaces fossil fuel energy for thrusting the vehicle.
So in other words, a hybrid car is a vehicle that utilizes two types of technologies for energy. This usually refers to an automobile that has a conventional gasoline engine as well as a bank of batteries and that shares the demand for power between these two sources.
One source might be the main power source with the other serving as a backup, or the vehicle might use one source in certain situations and the other in different situations. Due to the revolution they have started these are often nicknamed as the “cars of the era”.
For example, a mo-ped (a motorized pedal bike) is a type of hybrid because it combines the power of a gasoline engine with the pedal power of its rider. In fact, hybrid vehicles are all around us.
HOW IT WORKS?
The working principle of hybrid cars is quite simple — they only burn gasoline when needed.
That's because, as the term implies, hybrid cars have two different power plants under the hood: a powerful electric motor and a conventional gasoline engine.
The electric motor, powered by a stack of rechargeable batteries, is the primary workhorse for moving the car during slow-speed driving — such as through a residential neighborhood or in stop-and-go urban traffic.
During coasting and slow-down phases when a driver lightly taps on the brakes, the car's wheels are automatically engaged to an electrical generator. The generator creates an extra "load" to assist the brakes in slowing the car down, but more importantly, it converts the car's mechanical energy back into electricity to recharge the car's batteries.
At higher speeds, such as steady highway cruising, computers automatically switch on the gas-burning engine, which then takes over as the primary driving force of the car. Typically, the small engine is designed with variable valve timing intelligence, or VVT-i, and other advances to ensure that the fuel is burned most efficiently and completely.
But both the electrical motor and gas-powered engine can also operate in conjunction. For example, if more power is needed to merge onto a highway or pass a tractor-trailer truck, the on-board computers will automatically activate the electric motor to provide the needed acceleration boost.
And if the on-board batteries fall below a certain level of charge, the gas engine will also automatically turn on to charge the batteries and run the electrical motor if needed. That's why a hybrid car never needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet at night. .
TYPES OF GASOLINE-ELECTRIC HYBRID CARS
There are two types of gasoline-electric hybrid cars; the parallel hybrid, and the series hybrid. Both use gasoline-electric hybrid technology, but in radically different ways.
In a parallel hybrid car, a gasoline engine and an electric motor work together to move the car forward.
In a series hybrid, the gasoline engine either directly powers an electric motor that powers the vehicle, or charges batteries that will power the motor.
Both types of hybrids also use a process called regenerative braking to store the kinetic energy generated by brake use in the batteries, which will in turn power the electric motor.
Both parallel and series hybrids have small gasoline engines, and produce much less pollution than standard gasoline cars, but also produce much less power - hybrids generally produce between 60-90 horsepower, while the average gasoline engine probably produces about double that.
To overcome this power gap, hybrid cars are constructed with ultra lightweight materials like carbon fiber or aluminum. Hybrid cars are also designed to be more aerodynamic than most cars, allowing them to "slice" through air instead of pushing it out of the way. All these factors combined equate to a super efficient form of car that gets excellent fuel economy and helps the environment by cutting down on pollution.
HYBRID CARS IN INDIA
When the whole world is going gaga over the hybrid cars, India is no exception. Over the few years, the concept of hybrid cars has taken India in its grip. The low price and eco-friendliness have become the talk of the town. Since both the words are synonymous with hybrid cars, the automobile manufacturing giants in India are engaging in the production of hybrid cars. Some of the examples of hybrid cars are given below:-
Honda Civic Hybrid is the first hybrid car of India. The car is eco-friendly and at the same time is fuel-efficient. Honda Civic (ninth generation) The latest Civic Hybrid was launched during 2011 in the U.S. and Canada as a 2012 model. It has a larger 1.5-liter i-VTEC(Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) engine and a lithium-ion battery pack.