Parallel and Series Hybrid Cars – Environmentally Friendly & Efficient
Within the last few years, advances in the automotive industry and pressures to find a more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to the classic car, hybrid cars have become a viable option to the everyday consumer. Most people who choose to drive a hybrid, base their choice on it being the least impact on the environment in long-term, however it is also a very efficient vehicle. So where does this efficiency come from?
The hybrid car has a small engine that runs on fuel, how you would imagine a ‘normal’ car to work, however it also brags an addition electric motor. When you are accelerating in a hybrid, this works with the gasoline engine to reduce the work it has to do. The electric engine is recharging its batteries automatically when you drive.
There are two types of ways that these engines can work together in a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle. The first is called a parallel hybrid car, in this type the electric motor and the gasoline engine work in conjunction with each other to get the car moving. The other type is a series hybrid, which can be easily explained as the gasoline engine enabling the electric motor to power the car. The gas engine will either directly power the electric motor, or it will charge the batteries that enable the car to move.
Although there are multiple types of hybrid cars that are currently available in North America and Europe, this is still a relatively new technology. And although in the long run it may save you money, it is still quite a substantial step up to purchase a hybrid as opposed to its gas-fueled cousin. And though the electric motors in these cars are thoroughly road-tested, they are a relatively new technology and can cost upwards of $3000 to get fixed.
In the end, the choice of car that you drive is a very personal decision, but it is nice to know that there are more options open to the environmental and economical driver than were previously.
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