The Concept and the Principles Realized in Hybrid Automobiles

The principle of an "electric gearbox" (the replacement of a manual gearbox for electric conductors or wires) was first applied in railroad transport and heavy off-highway dump trucks.

The reason for such a scheme implementation was considerable difficulties with manual transmission of a torque on the wheels of a capacious vehicle.

The point is that a conventional fuel engine activates an electric generator and than with the help of an engine management system the electric motor is provided with electric energy and so this electric motor drives the vehicle. This technology somehow reminds of a miniature power plant electric car is provided with as this power plant produces the energy for itself.

What concerns a hybrid automobile the scheme is a bit modified. First of, an electric battery is introduced and it is less capacious and therefore lighter than electric vehicle's.

A series-parallel configuration hybrid is an automobile that can travel at low speeds with low fuel consumption. Toyota Prius and Ford Escape can be called in this way while Honda and GM cannot boast of such a system.

Then comes mild hybrid, that is, the hybrid that can take-off only using an internal-combustion engine, which means that electric engine links in only when extra power is needed.

In the parallel hybrid, the fuel tank supplies gasoline to the engine and the batteries supply power to the electrical motor. Both the engine and the electric motor can provide the car with the power needed for travel.

However it is different with a series hybrid. In a series hybrid, the internal-combustion engine turns a generator, which either charges the batteries or powers an electric motor that drives the transmission. It turns out that the gasoline engine never powers the vehicle directly.

Anyway, only parallel hybrids are produced these days. A plug-in hybrid is a hybrid that should be plugged in to an outlet to be recharged, therefore the owner of this car can enjoy all the advantages of an electric car however escaping its main disadvantage, which is limited kilometrage. A small internal-combustion engine is linked in if an electric charge goes off and a car operates as an ordinary hybrid.