Everything you wanted to know about hybrid vehicles.
How do hybrids save gas?
Hybrid vehicles see increased fuel economy because the electric motor
aids the gas engine when the most power is required. This allows for a
smaller gas engine that works less, thus saving fuel. The electric
motor is especially useful when accelerating, passing or taking off
from a stop, as in city driving and stop-and-go traffic. The battery
pack for the electric motor is charged by either the gas engine, or by
converting braking forces to electricity.
Hybrid vehicles also employ
engine start/stop technology that turns off the gas engine when the car
comes to a stop, and automatically turns it back on when it is needed.
This saves gasoline that is otherwise wasted when idling at stop lights
or in traffic. Plug-in hybrids burn the least amount of fuel. Capable of
running on electricity alone, a plug-in hybrid could, under the right circumstances, never burn a drop of gas.
Pictured: Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid
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