Photo credit: Mike Babcock

Hybrid cars have well and truly entered the consciousness of the car-buying public in the last few years, as ‘greener motoring’ has become a hot topic. We have all heard that these cars are more eco-friendly than ‘normal’ vehicles and recently it has became trendy to own a hybrid. But how many of us know just what is under the bonnet of a hybrid car? Let’s take a look at exactly how a hybrid works and why it’s a greener option than a regular car.

Put simply, a hybrid car is one that combines an internal-combustion engine with an electric motor, powered by sizeable batteries, to propel the vehicle. There are two types of hybrid car: parallel and series (also known as serial). In the first case, both the combustion engine and electric motor are connected to the mechanical transmission, which means that both engines are capable of powering the car, at the same time or separately. In series hybrids, only the electric motor is linked to the transmission, and it alone propels the car. The combustion engine is connected to a generator and is used purely to recharge the electric motor’s batteries.

Nowadays, most hybrids use a combination of both systems, with power-split devices incorporated into the CVT transmission. The electric motor and the combustion engine are used to provide propulsion and the combustion engine is also connected to a generator that charges the batteries when needed. The device decides which motor to run and how to split the available power. The application of this system allows the use of an internal combustion engine with less power, which, in turn, reduces fuel consumption and emissions. So, when you’re driving at low speed, e.g. in heavy traffic, only the electric motor is used. As speed increases and the demand on the electric motor becomes too great, the combustion engine is started to not only aid in the propulsion of the car but also to recharge the batteries.

Another piece of technology that makes hybrids more efficient than regular vehicles is their ability to make use of the kinetic energy that would usually be lost while braking. When the brakes are applied in a hybrid car, the energy released is stored and used to recharge the electric motor’s batteries.

Today, there is a wide range of cars that incorporate these innovative systems. Last year, there were more hybrid launches than ever before as car manufacturers went head to head to try to meet the increased demand for these vehicles. The most popular and well-known hybrid model is the Toyota Prius; however, there are other models that are also worth attention. Honda offers a hybrid version of the popular Civic and there is also a brand-new original hybrid model from the firm, the Honda Insight. Meanwhile, more luxurious options are offered by Toyota’s upmarket Lexus division, in the shape of the GS450h, LS600h and RX400h.

Photo credit: Luis Gabriel Rivas

Hybrid autos were said to be expensive and this false believe which lingers on has to change. This impression was caused by the high prices the hybrid autos had when the new technology was introduced. If you were to spend more on a hybrid auto than you’d have spent otherwise, you were unlikely to ever get your money back – even if you got rid of a gigantic, fuel-sucking SUV. But this was true when hybrids were really expensive and the initial cost outweighed the gas savings. But it doesn’t seem to be true anymore.

Today the petrol prices are rising, the used cars are getting cheaper and the new car industry got to lower the prices to be selling at all. Now, the hybrid autos are found just among other new and used cars when it comes to price range. Some estimate that a new hybrid may even be cheaper than the used one. The example car for costs estimation was 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid and John O’Dell claims in his article that price drop on the car market combined with the industry’s ubiquitous cut-rate financing offers, has made it cheaper to buy new than used cars. The hybrid autos’ manufacturer has lowered the costs of purchasing the new cars so much that it was cheaper to buy 2009 Civic than, the same, but one year old used car. The research was based on many factors and took into account several reasons for price reductions, like the national interest rate deal when choosing between new and used car.

There are many more researches that show used hybrid autos became cheaper than other cars, especially if we face oil price rise. The measured fuel cost on the distance of 676 miles has shown that 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid with 1.5L 4-cyl engine and 75HP electric motor/generator used fuel for 39 Euros while other used cars were much less efficient. Surprisingly, driving 2008 Smart ForTwo with 1.0L 3-cyl engine cost 9.7 Euros more. The numbers do not lie. 2008 Ford Focus costs about 30 000 Euros and its over 30% more expensive while a 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid can be found for not much more than 20 000 Euros.

Owning a hybrid auto is also a step towards introduction of higher technological and ecological standards in automotive engineering. The European Commission has already adopted an action plan to achieve a 20% substitution of diesel and gasoline fuels by alternative fuels in the road transport sector by 2020. This is one of the reasons why car manufacturers are redesigning the drive train concept towards hybrid systems. To respond to the needs of our environment, with still rising number of cars, we will have to change to hybrid autos in the nearest future and probably to solar powered cars one day.

Today, the hybrid autos should be no longer perceived as new technology cars. They are an integral element of everyday economic and eco lifestyle. Whether deciding to buy one of used or new cars and looking at all the costs of buying a car, not just the purchase price, you should choose a hybrid auto for the sake of both ecology and your budget.