Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars have been getting a lot of attention the last three or four years, and now with the soaring cost of oil and gasoline, hybrids are hotter than ever. Here are the common Questions and Answers about hybrids.

1. What is a hybrid car?

A vehicle is a hybrid when it combines two or more sources of power rather than relying on single fossil-fuel. Hybrid cars will normally have a gasoline engine, a hydrogen tank or an auxiliary electric motor system that runs off rechargeable batteries. Some companies are developing portable devices that can convert gasoline fuel direct into hydrogen gas for use as needed.

We normally assume that the point of hybridization is to save fuel, and that is definitely the case with most of the smaller cars. But some of the more premium hybrid models are also concentrating on boosting power and performance, without sacrificing fuel efficiency.

2. Do you have to recharge your hybrid at night?

You may assume because a hybrid car runs part of the time off its battery pack, that it is necessary to plug it in at night and recharge the batteries, like a golf cart. This is not the case. Hybrid cars recharge their batteries on real-time basis by making use of unused energy which is normally wasted during normal driving.

A good example: most have a system that captures some of the energy used while applying the brakes by converting it to electrical energy for charging the battery. This is called re-generative braking.

If hybrids had larger battery packs that you could plug into the electricity grid, they would be able to transfer more of the vehicle's power requirements over to the electric motors and use significantly less gasoline. But most auto makers have not chosen this option, due to the fact that today's batteries could not take the extra load and more severe utilization.

3. Do you have to replace the batteries?

The answer is No. Hybrid batteries will normally have an 80,000 - 100,000 mile warranty. The U.S. Department of Energy tested them to 160,000 miles and stopped testing because they still performed almost like they were brand new. Some taxi drivers have gone more than 200,000 miles in a Toyota Prius for example, without experiencing battery problems.

In any case, because hybrid battery packs have hundreds of cells, individual cells or modules could be replaced if there was a problem.
 Nothing different really from an engine part replacement.

There are ways to ensure long battery life. For example, the best way to keep nickel metal hydride batteries performing at their peak is to keep their charge between 40% and 60%, never fully charged and never fully drained to zero power.

4. How long have hybrids been around?

Strictly speaking, alternatives to the internal combustion engine in automobiles have been around since 1900. The first patent for a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle was filed in 1905. Alternative fuel sources were wiped out as a result of two things. First was the development of the electric self-starter in 1913 making petrol driven cars much easier to start.

The second development was the advent of the age of cheap oil that started around the time of the first World War. This completely removed the economic incentive to look for alternative fuel sources. This picture has dramatically changed now, more than 80 years later, with the crude oild passing the $100 per barrel mark in 2008.

5. Are hybrids expensive?

In 2006, there were about 10 different hybrid models available from $19,000 to $53,000. The most popular models: the Insight, Civic, and Prius are less than $30,000. According to auto makers, there should be more than 50 models available by 2010. As sales and production expand, the resulting market prices should not be significantly more than that of conventional models.

Even with the slightly higher average cost for a hybrid, around $3,000 or $ 4,000 more, these additional initial costs can be offset by federal and state tax incentives, lower maintenance costs, and very good resale values.

6. Are hybrids small and hence under-powered?

Initial hybrid models emphasized fuel economy, so were much lighter vehicles, and had smaller engines. The objective was to offset the loss of power in the old models with additional power from the electric motor. This would result in essentially the same level of power while burning much less fuel.

But this principle does not have to result in underpowered vehicles. In fact the Lexus Rx400h and Toyota Highlander Hybrid both have a 270 horsepower power system. And the Lexus GS 450h hybrid sedan is expected to have more than 300 horsepower and go from 0 to 60 in less than six seconds. Taking the quest for hybrid power even further, the Toyota Volta concept venicle has a 408 hp power plant.

7. What is the main reason people buy hybrid vehicles?

Saving money on fuel is the first thing most buyers think of. But, in fact, the amount saved on fuel over the life of the vehicle may not equal the extra purchase cost of the hybrid.

There are obviously other factors at play in the gradually building popularity of hybrids. Some people want to make a "green" statement, others simply want to be the first on the block with a new and promising technology. The "green" or "saving the planet now" theme is gaining much attention with several scientific proofs coming out and actual natural disasters in some parts of the world that we have seen or even experienced recently.

8. Will hybrid technology save the environment?

This is out of the question. There's no doubt about it. Hybrids are becoming more popular. Hybrid sales in the U.S. have grown more than 2000 percent. Sales in 2000 were 9,500 and by the end of 2005, it grew to over 200,000.

But even this larger number is just 1.2% of the 17 million new cars sold last year. If every hybrid gave double the current fuel economy, from an average of 20 mpg to, say, 40 mpg, that would save roughly 100,000 gallons of gasoline a day. But that amount pales in comparison to the total daily gasoline consumption in the U.S. -- 400 million gallons! The savings of 100,000 gallons would bring that number all the way down to 399,900,000 gallons.

Not very significant. Obviously governments and auto makers will have to start getting very serious about hybrid technology before it will make a significant difference.

9. Is hybrid technology only a fad?

No, it is not. Because the only way towards a sustainable future is to find a combination of fuels that will reduce our almost total dependence on oil. Hydrogen-fueled vehicles will be part of that future, as will fuel cells, deisel, and alternative fuels such as ethanol.

But what is almost certain is that every promising solution will involve some kind of hybrid combination of technologies. So today's hybrid vehicles are an important and necessary step towards a much more promising and sustainable future.