What is a Hybrid? Hybrid cars and trucks that
combine an electric motor with a
gasoline engine date back to the
turn of the 20th century.
Any vehicle that combines two or
more sources of power is a
hybrid vehicle (HV). Today,
however, when hybrid and
vehicle are used together such
as the Toyota Prius, Honda
Insight and Honda Civic Hybrid or
Ford Escape Hybrid—that vehicle,
according to the U.S. Department
of Energy, is a hybrid electric
vehicle (HEV). Each of these
vehicles combine an internal
combustion engine (ICE) and a
battery with an electric motor.
Not All Hybrids Are
Created Equal There are two different hybrid
systems, a parallel system and a
series system. The auto industry
apparently believes that using
these terms would confuse
consumers, so instead a parallel
HEV is being called a "full hybrid"
and a series HEV is a "mild
hybrid."
In simple terms, a parallel
system, found in the Ford Escape
Hybrid SUV and Toyota Prius
sedan, can be powered by the
gas engine only, the electric
motor only, or both at the same
time. Honda's two-seat Insight
and Civic sedan incorporate a
series-type hybrid, where the
electric motor assists the
gasoline engine when needed,
such as during acceleration or
times of heavy load, but doesn't
power the car on its own.
Hybrids and Concept Cars
- By Cathy Gniewek, Publisher -
More than three dozen
all-new concept cars and
production vehicles made
their world debuts inside
Motown's Cobo Hall, marking
the 2006 Detroit Auto Show
as one of the most
innovative in the event's 99 -
year history.
If you had a crystal ball
and wanted a sneak peek
into the auto's future -- this
is the place. Everywhere
you looked there was green
power. From hybrid vehicles
to an ultra-futuristic solar
car, concept cars are hot.
Mainstream hybrid
technology is increasingly
more attractive in light of
recent gas spikes. One of
the hottest hybrids shown is
the 2007 Toyota Camry --
the U.S. leading seller in the
past several years.
The new 2007 Camry just
revealed will be available this
spring offering a electric-gas
hybrid powered engine with
a 43 mpg city/37 mpg
highway. The hybrid offers
a slightly sportier version of
its traditional gas powered
counterpart. The Lexus LS
460 is Toyota's hybrid
answer to those seeking a
slightly more upgraded
vehicle.
GM's hybrid introduction -
the 2007 Saturn Vue Green
Line hybrid, will go on sale
this summer. Hyundai Motor
Co. plans to sell a hydrogen
hybrid in South Korea by
early next year and in the U.
S. by the end of this decade.
The Ford Reflex, a sporty
concept car with a diesel-
electric engine with an
estimated 65 mpg might get
into production in a couple
years.
The Ford Super Chief
(F250 pickup) hybrid
prototype is huge! Despite
being almost as long as a
locomotive, it's a tri-flex fuel
vehicle: The supercharged
V10 engine can run on
hydrogen (if you can find a
supply), gasoline, or B85
ethanol (85 percent ethanol,
15 percent gasoline).
GM showed the Tahoe
Dual-Mode hybrid SUV. The
V8 engine combines active
fuel management (GM lingo
for displacement on
demand) and a hybrid-
electric drivetrain developed
in partnership among BMW,
Daimler Chrysler, and GM.
Toyota showed off the
fully redesigned Camry and
the luxury model LS 460
sedan from its Lexus
division. Nissan unveiled its
Versa subcompact and
Sentra sedan.
Mercedes-Benz
announced what it says is
the world's cleanest diesel-
engine technology, called
BlueTec. The Bluetec
technology may be
incorporated in the Mercedes
SUVs by end of the year.
Consumers can become
easily disillusioned with
hybrids if they do not
understand the technology.
Hybrids can be less efficient
at highway driving than city
driving because many use
their electric engines more to
boost power than for fuel
efficiency. (See sidebar for
more information.)
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