What is the difference between hybrid car and a regular one?

Answer 1

Hybrids run more battery power and less gasoline power.. (also panels)

Answer 2

The word implies that there is more than one technology
being used to generate movement.

The most commonly seen in the US right now is the
Prius - its got a really big battery which can drive the
car slowly (but with a great deal of torque) through
an electric engine.

There is also a gasoline engine which can keep the
car in motion at high speeds.

When the car is running at high speeds, a small
amount of the rotary force is used to turn a generator
which in turn recharges the battery.

Basically, it is more efficient than just a gasoline
combustion engine because the electric engine
works particularly well where a wimpy engine
works badly. That is, they can use a wimpy
engine which gets very good mileage because
it never has to move the car with a lot of torque.

There are lots of ways that they can potentially
tweak a few more mpg out of it - they could replace
the gas engine with a more efficient diesel engine
(which already gets pretty good mileage), etc.

However, "hybrid"ness refers to the two different engines
working together.

We have two Priuses, and we'd never go back.
Its been great - and I'm happy that I am enabling
such forward engineering to progress by paying
back into the R&D costs (which is ultimately why
the engines are more expensive).

They've been great.

Answer 3

Any vehicle is a hybrid when it combines two or more sources of power. Hybrid cars run off a rechargeable battery and gasoline.

Hybrid engines are built smaller to accommodate the 99% of time when not going up hill or accelerating quickly. They use the battery to provide extra acceleration power when needed.

When the car is stopped, hybrid gasoline motors can shut off and run off their electric motor and battery.

Hybrid cars are often lighter and more aerodynamic; tires are often stiffer and inflated higher to reduce drag.

Hybrid cars often recover braking energy and use it to charge the battery.
Full hybrid is often used when the vehicle can launch forward at low speeds without consuming any gasoline. The Toyota, Lexus and Ford hybrids can do this. The Honda hybrids and the GM trucks can't.
Mild hybrid cars move from a standstill only if the internal combustion engine is engaged, and use the electic motor primarily to assist the gas engine when extra power is needed. Both full and mild hybrids require use of the gas engine when reaching higher speeds (of about 20 – 25 mph or more, depending on how the car is driven.)

Mild hybrid systems can broken down into subcategories:

The Stop/Start hybrid system, used on GM trucks for example, shuts the engine off when it would otherwise idle and restarts it instantly on demand.
The Integrated Starter Alternator with Damping (ISAD) hybrid system allows the electric motors to help move the vehicle in addition to providing stop/start capability.
The Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system is similar to the ISAD but has a larger electric motor and more electricity to help move the vehicle.
Open to Interpretation
Dave Reuter, a technical consultant for HybridCars.com, includes the Honda system in the list of full hybrids, based on its voltage level, electrical energy storage on board, and regen braking capacity. Dave feels that that the Chevy truck is the only real mild hybrid system presently on the market. Dave says, “Most mild hybrids are start/stop units,” referring to capability for hybrids to slip into electric mode when coming to a stop, rather than idling. The Union of Concerned Scientists uses the term "hallow hybrid," to refer to GM's stop/start hybrids, including the Saturn Vue Green Line, the their pickups.

In other words, the fullness or mildness of a hybrid is a contiuum, not an absolute. The goal is to use every means possible to increase the efficiency and performance of the car, while relying on the gasoline internal combustion engine as little as possible. The degree to which the vehicle uses its electric power sources, or reduces resistance or weight for that matter, is the degree of its “fullness” as a hybrid.

Parallel versus Series Hybrid
If the fullness and mildness dichotomy is confusing to you, then the parallel versus series definitions will be impossible and/or contentious. Let’s keep it simple, and allow the debate over terms to take place in our discussion forum.

In a parallel hybrid, the fuel tank supplies gasoline to the engine, while at the same time, a set of batteries supplies power to an electric motor. Both the electric motor and the gas engine can provide propulsion power. By contrast, in a series hybrid, the gasoline engine turns a generator, and the generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission. Thus, the gasoline engine never directly powers the vehicle. Today’s hybrids are all parallel hybrids, although some would argue that the Prius has characteristics of a parallel and a series hybrid. The folks from GM don't want to use the term "series hybrid" to refer to their Chevy Volt concept vehicle (for marketing purposes), but that's what it is. Or to be more precise, it's a "plug-in series hybrid." What's that?

Plug-in Hybrids
Just when the American public is finally starting to understand that you don’t have to plug hybrid cars in, here comes the plug-in hybrid. With the plug-in hybrid, you still will not be required to plug the car in, but you’ll have the option. As a result, drivers will get all the benefits of an electric car, without the biggest drawback: limited range. You'll be able to go all-electric for the ninety percent of your driving which takes place close to home. When the electric charge runs out, a downsized gas engine kicks in and your car drives like a regular hybrid.

Answer 4

a hybrid car uses a mixture of gas and electricity to power it.a hybrid car cuts down on harmful polutants that pollute the ozone.also they are coming out wih new hybrids which instead of electric and gas they can either run off of ethanol fuel which is like corn oils and stuff or gasoline hope this helps clear it up for u

Answer 5

The hybrid car runs on more battery power and its more friendly to the environment. But I think if you are looking into buying it, it's not worth it unless you plan on keeping the car over 3+ years.

Answer 6

Hybrid car has 2 ways to run the car.1)normal piston engine2)rechargeble batteris. When the car is running in low speed, it runs with the batery and when you are driving fast it is running with the piston engine.

Answer 7

Yeah, basically different power sources to save you some money on gas. They're typically expensive, though (maybe 2/3 more than a gas-powered car)

Answer 8

the cost of repairs is double or more, and the fuel savings is minimil if your looking for gas milage buy a diesel car, a 2001 vw jetta tdi averages 50 mpg is cheaper to fix.

Answer 9

hook up with this link. should answer your question
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm
i not sold on em yet though.