Hybrid Cars and Autos
This section provides access to the cars and autos What are Hybrid Cars and Autos Hybrid Cars can be defined as vehicles that are powered by more than one source. HEV is an abbreviated term for hybrid electric vehicle - this type of vehicle has one or more electric motors combined with an internal combustion engine, therefore, it is using two or more power sources in order to move the vehicle. Hybrid vehicles do not only include cars, in fact many different types are hybrid powered including trains, two wheeled vehicles such as electric bicycles, scooters and mopeds, military off road vehicles and ships. Power Sources for Hybrid Cars and Autos There are different sources of power that can be used to run hybrid vehicles which may include electricity, coal or wood combustibles, RESS which stands for rechargeable energy storage system, compressed air, radio waves, compressed or liquefied natural gas, pedalling, rowing, hydrogen, liquid nitrogen, fuel including petrol or diesel, solar power, wind power, waste heat from an internal combustion engine. Petrol prices have slowly crept up over the years and this has encouraged car manufacturers to produce hybrid vehicles as a way of keeping costs down and producing less emissions. The First Electric Hybrid Cars and Autos Produced in the World The history of the hybrid vehicle is very interesting. The first gasoline electric hybrid car produced in the world was by Ferdinand Porsche who produced the Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid in 1901. It wasn't until the 1990s that car manufacturers really began the production of hybrids. Toyota launched the Toyota Prius in 1997 in Japan, and Honda launched the Honda Insight in 1999. Towards the late 2000s, car producers became very interested in the hybrid market as the cost of fuel rose significantly. It is thought that hybrid cars and autos will become a future need. The production of hybrids has been opened and lead by Toyota Motor Company, Honda Motor Co. Ltd and the Ford Motor Corporation - with the majority of hybrid cars and autos being sold throughout the United States of America. Plug in Hybrid Cars and Autos The PHEV is an abbreviated name for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. This is a vehicle with rechargeable batteries which is plugged in to be recharged. These vehicles have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. They have a plug to connect it to an electrical grid. The combustion engine provides a backup if the batteries are depleted. Some of these fuel efficient vehicles have already been produced including the F3DM PHEV-62 by BYD Auto which was lauched in 2008 and the Chevrolet Volt by General Motors. | 