Hybrid cars combine conventional petrol engines with battery power to increase fuel efficiency.

The Toyota Prius is the world’s best-selling hybrid with nearly two million cars sold.

Now, lithium ion battery maker Axeon, at Wester Gourdie in Dundee, is to help develop a battery system for a major European car manufacturer. Axeon will work with technical engineering firm Ricardo to supply and integrate a lightweight battery for a pioneering plug-in hybrid vehicle.

The car will feature a unique, bespoke battery system.
Axeon chief executive Lawrence Berns said, “It is difficult to think of a more demanding application or client for our skills, so we were delighted to have been selected to play such a key role in this development programme.

“This car will transform thinking about hybrid cars in every area, especially performance.”

He added, “Our technology will play a key role, underlining our prowess in this competitive field and showing that hybrids can also offer significant advances to performance as well as environmental benefit.”

Axeon’s new battery to “transform” hybrid cars

Hybrid Conversion

However, there are some people who simply just need their car for their work. Because of this, many of this people are now considering selling their old conventional gas-guzzling cars and purchase a new kind of car that can cut fuel consumption by half. These new line of cars are called hybrid cars. Just imagine, you can effectively go more than 60 miles per gallon with hybrid cars.
Also, hybrid cars produce fewer pollutants than conventional cars. This means that not only will you cut fuel consumption by more than half, but you will also decrease the level of pollution that is poisoning the environment and people. With hybrid cars, everyone can benefit from it.

Now that you know about hybrid cars and is now considering to get one for your own, you now want to know how it works. You also want to know how it can relatively cut fuel consumption by half and you also want to know why it emits fewer pollutants than conventional cars.

First of all, you have to consider that hybrid cars can be quite expensive. However, when you compute the overall cost that you will spend on gasoline during the lifetime of the hybrid car and the conventional car, you will see that you will spend more money on conventional cars of the same weight class as the hybrid car with a higher retail price included and taxes.

Hybrid car buyers also enjoy tax incentives imposed by the government. So, when you purchase hybrid cars, you will enjoy tax breaks. Therefore, you will save more money.

The concept of the hybrid car is quite simple. Hybrid cars combine electricity, which is the cleanest energy source available, and internal combustion gasoline engine to run the car.

In simple words, hybrid cars utilize both electricity and gasoline energy to power the car. First of all, the hybrid car works when once you start the car and is in idle mode or not running, the gasoline engine is automatically shut off. This means that the car is purely running on electricity. This will explain why hybrid cars are very quiet. This will also explain why it can effectively conserve fuel consumption. Once you step on the accelerator, the internal combustion engine will automatically start up again. There are also hybrid cars that can run purely on electric mode. This is very useful if you are only using the car for local travels. You virtually dont even need to put gasoline in the car.

However, in this type of hybrid car, you have to consider putting gasoline for long travels. You can even say that the gasoline will be used for back up power in case the battery is discharged. Most hybrid cars developed today dont need to be plugged in like the electric car. The used kinetic energy when you are braking will be the one to recharge the battery.

This is how simple a hybrid car works. It will be comprised of a battery for energy storage, a generator, an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank, and an electric motor.

Now that you know how hybrid cars work, you now see how beneficial it can be if you are driving one. You will not only save a lot of money from fuel consumption, but you will also help save the environment by emitting far lower toxic fumes than conventional cars.

How Hybrid Car Works: A Brief Glimpse of the Car of the Future

A hybrid car combines an electric motor and gasoline engine to provide sufficient power to the vehicle with least fuel usage and fewer emissions. They are also far more fuel-efficient than purely gas-powered cars, and far more practical for everyday use than purely electric-powered cars. Combining the two sources of power, a vehicle then is created that is relatively non-polluting and will lead to less fuel consumption which means it possesses enough power to have freeway speeds that does not need too much fuel, it is also great for the stop and go driving in traffic laden areas.
The hybrid car was created due to the result of the demand and clamor to clean the environment from pollutions and for the need to rely less on fuel. To be able to recharge, plugging the hybrid into an electric outlet is not necessary.They charge themselves by means of power usually lost during coasting and braking and can also be charged by the cars gasoline engine.

It can offer more benefits than the usual regular gasoline engine type cars. Here is a list of the many advantages hybrid cars offers.

1. Pollution is less promoted
It is a fact that the continuous damage to our ozone layer is due to the greenhouse effect, and one of the factor that contributes to its damage is pollution in the air, in which dangerous chemicals are transferred to the air, like carbon dioxide that are emitted by vehicles. The measure of carbon dioxide emitted by the hybrid vehicle is principally relative to the quantity of fuel it consumes; thus hybrid cars can absolutely be a contributing factor in lessening the advancement of global warming.

With the use of hybrid cars, fewer fuel is consumed because hybrid car do not totally use gas in order to operate, it also makes use of electricity, a power source that doesn’t bring any danger to the environment.

2. More mileage with less fuel consumption
The obvious advantage of hybrid car is that it saves on gas. With the use of hybrid cars, you are able to save gas money because you dont need to buy gas after every long trip wherein you can go several miles consuming less fuel.

3. Hybrid cars can help lower your taxes
Tax rebates are given to hybrid cars buyers, so if you buy a hybrid car your tax refunds can be withheld from your taxes and will provide you with additional savings.

4. Your money gains more value
A hybrid car can retain a higher resale value. If you ever want to trade or sell a previously owned hybrid car you can be sure that you will get more of what you paid for it.

5. Efficiency and performance are what defines Hybrid Cars
Hybrid cars have smaller engines than the regular gasoline cars since the power is obtained form two sources, so the smaller engines are closer to the normal power necessity of engines that will give an efficient performance.

6. Hybrid car technology is the greatest solution to todays increasing problem in car air pollution
Hybrid cars uses lesser fuel and a groundbreaking technology that may avoid possible damages to the environment caused by the usual cars

Despite of many uses and advantages, there is one thing to be considered regarding the hybrid cars, its actual price in the market is not yet that affordable to a lot of people, but it is an investment that will pay a hundred fold.

The Fantastic Use and Great Advantages of A Hybrid Car

For these reasons, hybrid cars have experienced a sharp increase in sales and more car manufacturers are joining the hybrid vehicle arena with their own versions. For those who are planning to buy a hybrid car, the choices are numerous, thats why you have to compare hybrid cars with one another to see which one would go perfectly well with your needs.

Two of the top hybrid car manufacturers are the Japanese giant’s Toyota and Honda. They are credited with producing many innovations in the hybrid technology and their hybrid cars are the most acclaimed, most sought after and most awarded hybrid vehicles today.

Here we will compare the hybrid cars they are offering for 2007, these will include the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus GS 450H, Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.

Their fuel efficiency can be compared through their average consumption per mile in different situations, like; City Driving where the traffic is constantly stopping, Highway Driving where the engine can freely operate at maximum level and their combined average usage.

Miles Per Gallon Average Miles Used Per gasoline of Fuel

· Honda Accord Hybrid 28 MPG (city), 35 MPG (Highway) and 31 MPG (Combined Average)
· Honda Civic – 49 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 50 MPG (Combined Average)
· Lexus GS 450H – 25 MPG (city), 28 MPG (Highway) and 26 MPG (Combined Average)
· Toyota Camry Hybrid – 40 MPG (city), 38 MPG (Highway) and 39 MPG (Combined Average)
· Toyota Prius – 60 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 55 MPG (Combined Average)

But before you just pick out the one with the highest MPG average, you still have to consider and compare a couple of aspects as well. This includes the fuel type. All of these vehicles use regular gasoline except for the Lexus which uses Premium Gasoline that is pricier.

Then you also have to compare the size class of each hybrid car and their engine size and liters. The Accord Hybrid is a midsize car with a 3 liter – 6 cylinder engine. The Civic Hybrid is a compact car with a 1.3 liter 4 cylinder engine. The Lexus is another compact car with a 3.5 liter 6 cylinder engine. The Camry Hybrid is a midsize sedan equipped with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine and the Toyota Prius is a compact car with a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder engine. The more powerful the engine is, the more fuel will be consumed.

Considering this aspects and others is needed when comparing hybrid cars. You have to put considerations to see why there are differences. So before purchasing a hybrid car, compare first and do your research. Find one that would suit your needs and your personality best to get the perfect hybrid car for you.

Try to Compare Each and Every Hybrid Car with One Another Before Choosing