Rising fuel prices may mean alternatives like hybrid cars are popping up in conversations. www.cars4women.co.za tells you what hybrid cars are and how they actually work so you won’t feel like a dumb blonde the next time the topic is raised.

Hybrid cars an option

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With the recent record fuel price hike, most of us are looking for ways to save money on fuel costs. Unfortunately, for South Africans who can afford one, having a car is central to freedom and mobility and driving less isn’t usually an option, so consumers have to find other means of cutting back.

One way is to drive a hybrid car rather than a petrol-only vehicle. Although hybrid cars aren’t new, internationally their popularity has greatly increased in the last few years.

What exactly is a hybrid car?

A hybrid car uses more than one power source: it contains both a conventional petrol-powered internal combustion engine and an electric motor or generator. Hybrid cars combine the best of both worlds: petrol power for quick acceleration and electric power to increase mileage and reduce emissions.

How do hybrid cars actually work?

There are two types of hybrid car technology:
• A parallel hybrid uses both a petrol engine and a set of batteries that supply power to an electric motor. The engine and the electric motor can turn the transmission at the same time, and the transmission then turns the wheels.
• A series hybrid uses its petrol engine to turn a generator. The generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission. The petrol engine never directly powers the vehicle.
An onboard computer continually determines the optimum use of both the petrol engine and the electric motor, minimising fuel consumption and pollution.

Starting a hybrid car

The electric motor in a hybrid car operates most efficiently at lower engine speeds; this is why:

When starting a hybrid car, the electric motor and battery alone move the car. The car uses the electric motor to travel at slow speeds, generally below 30kms per hour. As you accelerate and reach a higher speed, the petrol engine kicks in and operates the car at higher speeds while the generator recharges. Thus, the hybrid car doesn’t rely on the petrol engine all the time. The motor/generator’s ability to augment internal combustion power allows the use of a smaller internal combustion engine, resulting in reduced fuel usage.

Charging a hybrid car

The electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car slows down. This means that the battery does not need to be separately charged — the battery automatically recharges in the normal course of cruising and braking. In many hybrid cars, the petrol engine turns off when the vehicle stops at intersections, idles, or moves in reverse.

Some hybrid cars allow you to swap between running the electric motor or the petrol engine. For example, the Toyota Prius (http://www.cars4women.co.za/articles/235/1/Toyota-Prius-Review--Green-Hybrid-takes-world-by-storm/Page1.html) (available in South Africa) has a special device that allows the car to switch between electric-only and petrol-only modes, or use both.

Advantages of hybrid cars

Because the electric motor assists the petrol-powered engine, a hybrid car doesn’t need a large engine. Hybrid technology requires very little horsepower to move a car along on fairly flat terrain at normal driving speeds. When more power is needed, such as for initial starts, passing, and for climbing hills, the electric motor helps supply it. The smaller and more-efficient engine burns less fuel, resulting in fewer emissions into the atmosphere.

And of course, as important as doing our bit to save the environment, are lower petrol costs, as increasing improvements in technology mean that hybrid cars operate efficiently at a fraction of the price.

Manufacturers producing hybrid cars

Hybrid cars became widely available to the public in the late 1990s with the introduction of the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius.
The 2000s saw development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which can be recharged from the electrical power grid and do not require conventional fuel for short trips. The Renault Kangoo was the first production model of this design, released in France in 2003.

Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Lexus, Toyota and Nissan produce Honda cars, SUVs and even bakkies, and BMW has announced that they will enter the hybrid market in the near future too. From this year, all European Volkswagen cars models will offer a hybrid option.

In South Africa, we presently only offer the Toyota Prius, but Honda plans to introduce a hybrid model here soon and other motor manufacturers plan to make plug-in hybrids available in the next couple of years (depending on our electricity supply, of course).

Are hybrids limited to petrol for fuel?

Petrol engines are used in most hybrid electric designs, and will likely remain dominant for the foreseeable future. While petrol is the primary fuel, it is possible to mix in varying levels of ethanol created from renewable energy sources. Hybrid cars can typically use up to about 15% bioethanol and manufacturers may move to flexible fuel engines which would increase allowable ratios, but no plans are in place at present.

Diesel-electric hybrid engines have begun to appear in commercial vehicles (particularly buses), but currently no light duty diesel-electric hybrid passenger cars are available, although prototypes exist. Peugeot is expected to produce a diesel-electric hybrid version of its 308 in late 2008 for the European market.