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Someone hasn't bothered to read GreenHybrid's LEARN section

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

from Wikipedia:
"A hybrid vehicle uses multiple propulsion systems to provide motive power. This most commonly refers to gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, which use gasoline (petrol) or diesel to power internal-combustion engines (ICEs), and electric batteries to power electric motors."

Its advantages are that for a given vehicle weight, you may get improved fuel efficiency with the same power, or greater power with the same fuel efficiency, or a little of both. Lower emissions are also a benefit.

There are other benefits, like the "coolness factor" of the vehicle, or a generally smoother ride than a comparable vehicle.

This is not an all-encompassing list, I'm pretty sure forum members will come with at least a dozen additional benefits.

The true smart man is the one who appears to be dumb in front of dumb man who appears to be smart.

sorry i'm a newbie so that's why i didn't get to notice that article.

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Thanks fernando for the little information.

fast car
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Here's the main Wikipedia HYBRID entry. Read, learn, enjoy!

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

The first section of the FEH FAQ http://www.greenhybrid.com/learn/art...ybrid-faq.html, questions 11 and 12 address it as well. 12 even has cool links to visual demonstrations on how they work.

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Have you read the FEH FAQ?

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Read My Automotive Blog at Rich Rambles

I think we should alway have some basic hybrid info at he top of the learn section. Right now we have "featured articles".

When someone asks me how my Civic Hybrid car works, I bring to mind the old 1970's Pinto and Vega.

These cars were designed as gas misers. Other than being a much smaller vehicle than others on the road, their better economy was also due to a much smaller engine but made them rather under powered.
Fuel economy often suffered because many/most drivers found it necessary to practically floor it from a stop.
They consumed a relatively large amount of fuel while accelerating or pulling a load (uphill).

My friend had a '71 Vega Automatic transmission that had a "psychological downshift." (You'd floor it and it would downshift making a loud -RRRRR- sound like you're really taking off....but the Speedo remained the same)

How much better performance and economy they would have had if it had an electric motor to help while in those situations.

That is the basis of the Honda Civic hybrid system. A small, underpowered, low emission gasoline engine assisted at times by an electric motor.

There are other differences in hybrid/non-hybrid cars such as the engine turning off while stopped and generating electricity while braking or coasting.
Hybrid cars generally get better MPG than its comparable regular car, but the MPG potential if driven differently is much, much higher.

Efficient drivers do it better.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT

csmlola, the hybrid literally means two different power plants-one gasoline,one electric. Locomotives are Hybrids-diesels drive a generator which drives an electric motor-same story on diesels subs-diesels drive on the surface,and charge batteries-the batteries drive an electric motor.
The main reason to have a hybrid car is so you can recapture lost braking energy as electrical power.Store it in batteries,and then use it to drive an electric motor that will supplement a gasoline (or diesel) motor.
THE RECAPTURED BRAKE ENERGY IS THE WHOLE PURPOSE BEHIND MAKING THE CURRENT HYBRID CARS.It is most easily recaptured by making it spin a generator.Store that power in a battery then use it in an electric motor.
Sounds complicated, expensive,and heavy-it is!!A Prius probably costs at least $5000 more to build than a Prius like non hybrid. A Highlander Hybrid is about 350 lbs more than a non hybrid Highlander. It is amazing that Toyota can overcome the weight disadvantage, and still deliver a huge mpg improvement.Not all the MPG improvement is due to the Hybrid aspect. The low CD .26, and the atkinson cycle motor are probably worth 10% of the improvement.
Now, it doesn't just recapture braking energy when you hit the pedal- it steals a bit of energy everytime you lift off the gas-it ads a bit of braking-you really don't notice it-.Luck,Charlie
It can recapture/steal about 200 watts every 5 minutes.This is about 2400 wt-hrs/hr- enough to constantly drive a 3 hp motor.