Tip! The history of hybrid cars runs back to the time when inventors were strongly battling to switch over from steam-powered automobiles to electrically driven carriages. At best, these could be termed as trials and were limited to working with just one, two or few models.

From the first moment you step into a hybrid car, you will notice that a multitude of things are vastly different than your conventional vehicle. Turn the ignition key, and you will notice just how quiet these things are. For example, if you happen to be sitting in a Toyata Prius the car’s electric generator will quietly fire up the conventional internal combustion engine, or “ICE”. As the ICE comes up to operating temperature it will automatically be shut off, which brings the car’s electric motor completely online. The gasoline engine will remain in a dormant state until it is further needed.

Tip! And that includes hybrid cars. But hybrids still get much better mileage than conventional gasoline vehicles.

The Toyata Prius will remain completely in electric mode as long as speeds fall under the 15 M.P.H. limit. As long as you don’t exceed that speed, you are driving an entirely electric powered vehicle which is using absolutely no gasoline, nor releasing any harmful emissions from its exhaust system. Obviously, if you drive a bit more aggressively, or exceed 15 M.P.H. the ICE will again come online to produce the necessary, additional power required. A computer is constantly calculating the power requirements and sending this data to a device called a power split, which connects the electric and gasoline engines through a series of gears.

Tip! The bottom line for hybrid cars vs. gas cars gets down to your own personal priorities.

Things work slightly differently if you happen to be in a Honda Insight. The gasoline engines in these vehicles remain online from first start until they reach operating temperature, and come to a first stop. The ICE will become completely dormant at that point. As soon as you remove your foot from the brake pedal, shift into gear, or depress the accelerator the combustion will again come online to provide additional power as required. The variety of available transmissions in the Honda line of vehicles has made it necessary to utilize a bit more elaborate system of engaging and disengaging the electric motors.
The dash panel will keep you constantly informed of the amount of electrical assist that is being provided. All the while a computer is in the background calculating how much power is required, and allowing the electrical assist to occur. This type of system allows for near conventional car performance, while achieving much greater fuel economy.

The nickel metal hybrid battery systems in these vehicles are quite fascinating. Again, a computer is constantly making calculations, sending power from the batteries to the electric motors when required. When the vehicle is in braking mode the electric motor begins to act as a generator, supplying the batteries with their needed charge. The computer is constantly monitoring the amount of charge in the batteries and maintaining a 30% - 80% charge at all times. These minimum and maximum levels are what allow these batteries to last in excess of 200,000 miles. That’s a quite impressive lifecycle for battery technology, and a great thing as hybrid car batteries are quite expensive.

Tip! Even though there is an increasing awareness for hybrid cars buying one is not yet a one, two process. This is because these cars are not yet as widespread as their fuel powered cousins, and have not yet been released into the general auto marketplace.

While this is a very simplistic overview of a very complex system, it does give you a basic understanding of the inner workings of the hybrid cars of today, and will hopefully be of assistance as you continue your quest of buying a hybrid car.

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Porsche manufactured a front wheel drive electric car and then later a hybrid that used internal combustion engine pared with an electric motor. This is probably the first hybrid car on record.The history of the hybrid car reaches all the back to the 18th century. When France had a steam powered motor carriage that traveled at 6mph. Then in the 19th century an Englishman made a car with an electric motor and a blacksmith from Vermont made an electric motor powdered carriage.In the 1800s a German by the name of Porsche manufactured a front wheel drive electric car and then later a hybrid that used internal combustion engine pared with an electric motor. This is probably the first hybrid car on record. Henry Ford created the first assembly line to manufacturer gas powered vehicles.Surprisingly the US Congress began launching bills in the 1960s that stated that electric vehicles would help curb air pollution and this revamped the interest in the electric car. The tinkering back and forth over gas prices and issues with the early electric cars lead the industry through many ups and downs, but in 1997 Toyota put out the very first mass produced hybrid in Japan. […]

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Tip! The history of hybrid cars runs back to the time when inventors were strongly battling to switch over from steam-powered automobiles to electrically driven carriages. At best, these could be termed as trials and were limited to working with just one, two or few models.

Hybrid cars have been getting a lot of buzz the last three or four years, and now with the soaring cost of oil and gasoline, hybrids are expected to get hotter than ever. Here are some 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. Hybrid cars almost always have a gasoline engine and an auxiliary electric motor system that runs off rechargeable batteries.

We normally assume that the point of hybridization is to save fuel, and that is definitely the case with most of the smaller compacts and sedans. But in fact some of the more upscale hybrid models are more concerned with boosting power and “performance” without the usual loss in fuel efficiency.

2. Do you have to plug your hybrid in 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!). But this is almost never the case. Hybrid cars recharge their batteries “on the fly” by making use of unused energy which is normally wasted during normal driving.

Tip! Although not solar powered, Hybrid cars are built to limit pollution through low fuel emissions. The vehicles are primarily gas powered cars, light trucks and suvs with electrical motor assist that have bodies designed with the latest aerodynamics.

For instance, most have a system that captures some of the energy used while applying the brakes, and converts it to electrical energy to charge the battery. This is called “regenerative 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 motor(s), and use even less gasoline. But most auto makers have been unwilling to go this route, arguing that today’s batteries could not take the extra load and more extensive usage.

3. Do you have to replace the batteries?

The short answer is No. Hybrid batteries typically 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 without battery problems.

Tip! In the first place, there aren’t that many hybrids on the market to compare. And, secondly, they come in all different sizes and shapes, making ranking of hybrid cars very difficult.

In any event, since hybrid battery packs have hundreds of cells, individual cells or modules could be replaced if there was a problem.

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?

Alternatives to the ICE (internal combustion engine) in automobiles have been around since at least 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) that made gasoline 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 is only starting to change now, 80 years later.

5. Are hybrids expensive to purchase?

In January, 2006, there were 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 maker announcements there should be more than 50 models available by 2010. As sales and production increase the prices should not be significantly more than for standard ICE models.

Tip! Even though there is an increasing awareness for hybrid cars buying one is not yet a one, two process. This is because these cars are not yet as widespread as their fuel powered cousins, and have not yet been released into the general auto marketplace.

Even with the slightly higher average cost for a hybrid — usually around $3,000 — these additional initial costs can be offset by federal and state tax incentives, lower maintenance costs, and exceptionally strong resale values.

Tip! Usually hybrid cars are subdivided into two major categories.

6. Are hybrids small and underpowered?

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 ICE with additional power from the electric motor. This would result in essentially the same level of power while burning 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 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.

Tip! The bottom line for hybrid cars vs. gas cars gets down to your own personal priorities.

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.

Tip! And that includes hybrid cars. But hybrids still get much better mileage than conventional gasoline vehicles.

8. Will hybrid technology save the environment?

There’s no doubt about it. Hybrids are becoming more popular. In the past five years hybrid sales in the U.S. have grown 2000 percent. Sales in 2000 were 9,500, and by the end of 2005 had grown 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.

Tip! Another good reason to drive an electric hybrid car is because they can save their drivers a lot of money. Electric hybrid cars use far less fuel than gasoline powered engines.

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. Does that mean hybrid technology is only a fad?

No it does 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.

Hybrid Car at Carmax Actual Prices & Photos of Over 20,000 New & Used Vehicles Online.

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.

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