Why a Hybrid?

Global warming and the combustion of petroleum fuels are two huge concerns for environmentalists. To combat these two problems, we are frequently encouraged to drive less, and to drive more efficiently. Since the early 2000s, the auto industry has seen a trend toward more fuel-efficient cars—and a dramatic increase in hybrid vehicle sales.

What is a hybrid vehicle? A hybrid automobile uses more than one type of energy to move itself. Most commonly, hybrid vehicle refers to a hybrid electric vehicle, such as the Toyota Prius, and the Honda Insight. These vehicles contain both an internal combustion engine, as well as an electric motor.

The reasons for choosing a hybrid vehicle are not immediately obvious. However, let’s compare fuel efficiencies. A minivan  may get about 16 miles per gallon in the city, and around 22 miles per gallon on the freeway. A fuel-efficient subcompact, may get about 27 miles per gallon in the city, and 34 miles per gallon on the freeway.

The subcompact sounds pretty good. However, let’s take fuel efficiency to another level with a hybrid.  The most popular hybrid vehicle in today’s market, gets 48 miles in the city, and 45 miles on highways. With the same volume of fuel, the hybrid can go almost triple the distance of a minivan.

You may have noticed something unusual about the popular Hybrid stats: it runs more efficiently in the city than on the freeway. All hybrid vehicles share this characteristic. While traditional cars burn gasoline uselessly at red lights, modern hybrids share what is called the start-stop system.

The hybrid’s internal combustion engine automatically shuts off when the vehicle is not moving, to conserve gas. When the car needs to start moving again, the engine restarts. The start-stop system can save 5-10% fuel.

Also integral to the hybrid’s success is its use of regenerative braking. When the brakes are applied in a traditional car, the kinetic energy of the car is bled off as heat. In a hybrid, however, such energy is too precious to waste. The braking system uses the kinetic energy to charge the car’s battery.

Often, the gasoline pumped into the hybrid is not directly used to propel the car. Instead, the internal combustion engine, by burning the gasoline, charges the car battery, which then runs the car’s electric motor. This results in much greater efficiency.

Because the internal combustion engine is not frequently used to propel the car, it is smaller than that of a pure gasoline vehicle. Consequently, a hybrid vehicle’s internal combustion engine releases fewer emissions. Another consequence of the electric motor is the silence. Hybrids are known as very quiet vehicles. However, to achieve high speeds, the internal combustion engine must supplement the electric motor, resulting in slightly more noise.

Hybrids are inexpensive, some  selling for $18000 to $28 000. Easy to maintain, they are not only fun to drive, but cheap to drive! In fact, one particular Hybrid has monopolized the Vancouver taxi industry.