what is a hybrid car? what are some benifits to owning one?

Answer 1

A hybrid vehicle (HV) is a vehicle using an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fuelled power source for vehicle propulsion. The HV pollutes less and uses less fuel. The different propulsion power systems may have common subsystems or components. The HV provide better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle because the engine is smaller and may be run at speeds providing more efficiency.

The term most commonly refers to petroleum-electric hybrid vehicles, also called Hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) which use internal combustion engines and electric batteries to power electric motors. Modern mass-produced hybrids, prolong the charge on their batteries by capturing kinetic energy via regenerative braking. As well, when cruising or in other situations where just light thrust is needed, "full" hybrids can use the combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning a generator (often a second electric motor[1]) to either recharge the battery or directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. This contrasts with all-electric cars which use batteries charged by an external source such as the grid, or a range extending trailer. Nearly all hybrids still require gasoline and diesel as their sole fuel source though other fuels such as ethanol or plant based oils have also seen occasional use. A number of other hybrid vehicles use hydrogen fuel.

The term hybrid when used in relation with cars also has other uses. Prior to its modern meaning of hybrid propulsion, the word hybrid was used in the United States to mean a vehicle of mixed national origin; generally, a European car fitted with American mechanical components. This meaning has fallen out of use. In the import scene, hybrid was often used to describe an engine swap. Some have also referred to flexible-fuel vehicles as hybrids because they can use a mixture of different fuels — typically gasoline and ethanol alcohol fuel.

Answer 2

A hybrid car is one that can be powered by either gasoline or E-85(85% ethanol/15%gasoline). At this time there aren't too many advantages to owning a hybrid because the availability of E-85 is very limited due to the enormous amount of corn it would take just to produce one gallon of E-85. It simply is not practical nor cost efficient at this time.

Presently the major oil chains don't want to invest somewhere between 40 and 100 thousand dollars per gas station to make this conversion and install the tanks for housing E-85. However, this could all change in the next few years depending on the continuing availability and price of crude oil.

Answer 3

Hybrids have small gas engines that are helped upon acceleration with an electric engine. The electric engine is powered by a large battery that is recharged by the brakes. So every time you brake you are recharging the battery. This captures kinetic energy that would otherwise go wasted!