Hybrid Vehicles

What is a hybrid vehicle? In simple words, it is a vehicle in which a drivetrain consists of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor with an energy regeneration system known as regenerative braking. The system is a well-engineered process in which a full hybrid vehicle works on the Atkinson cycle of thermodynamics. The most prominent example of this is the Toyota Prius. Prius is the face of hybrid vehicles in the world. It consists of 1.8 litres four-cylinder gasoline engine along with an electric motor providing 60kW of power. You can also see our article on a good fake id.

There are different types of hybrids mentioned below:

Parallel Hybrid

In this system, Internal Combustion Engine and the Electric Motor both are connected to the transmission and simultaneously provide power. The most common example is Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist system found in Honda’s Hybrid Vehicles. In most parallel systems the Internal Combustion Engine acts as a generator that recharges the battery.

Series Hybrid

In this system, only the electric motor drives the drivetrain and a small ICE by the name of ‘Range Extender’ is present which acts as the generator which is responsible for charging batteries or driving the electric motor. Nissan Note e-Power is the perfect example of this type of hybrid vehicle.

Power  Split Hybrid

These systems have the advantages of both series and parallel systems as they possess the characteristics of both systems. They are more efficient than the above-mentioned systems because series systems tend to be efficient at lower speeds while parallel follow provides more efficiency at higher speeds, hence the combination of both systems give us efficiency which exceeds the efficiency of a single system. The most common use for this system is ‘Toyota Motor Corporation’ and the most common model which applies this system is Toyota Prius (2007-Present).

Plug-in Hybrid

Plug-In hybrids include a battery pack which is much larger than the standard hybrid vehicle. The battery pack can be charged externally similar to Electric Vehicles. The major advantage of this type of hybrid setup is that its range of working via electric motors increases, especially if you have a small commute. When the extra charge runs out the system is reverted to being a standard parallel hybrid system.

Mild Hybrid

All the above mentioned are called fully hybrid setups. This means the electric motor present in them is capable of moving the vehicle. In Mild Hybrid setups, the motor is incapable of moving the vehicle rather it is present there to assist the gasoline engine in order to increase fuel economy and performance of the vehicle. It is also used as a starter for the automatic start-stop system. This start-stop system turns the engine off whenever the vehicle comes to a stationary position hence saving fuel consumption. These mild hybrid systems are returning to the market as 48 Volt electric sub-systems in different vehicles. The most noted name regarding the usage of this system would be Audi A6, A7, A8 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.