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The word hybrid means literally a thing made from two different elements. In the case of a hybrid automobile, these two elements are an internal combustion engine and electric motor. The hybrid uses both methods of power together for the dual propulsion advantage of increased miles per gallon and reduced tailpipe emissions.
There are many different mechanical configurations of hybrid automobile but they all function more or less the same way. An on-board system decides when to use the electric motor or gasoline engine according to driver demand. The electric motor helps the smaller gasoline engine and vice versa.
Unlike a purely electric automobile the hybrid need not be plugged in to and electricity source to recharge its batteries. The gasoline engine working together with systems such as regenerative braking keeps the batteries charged up as the hybrid automobile is driven.
Regenerative braking uses the same electric motor that gets a hybrid automobile moving and turns it into an electric generator to slow it down. A moving vehicle holds a great deal of kinetic energy in its motion. The regenerative braking system sends some of this energy back to the on board batteries when the brakes are applied.
A small gasoline engine run at a relatively constant revolution can be very energy efficient but does not produce much torque. An electric motor can produce a great deal of torque for short periods, but is not very efficient at constant speed. The hybrid automobile utilizes the best aspects of both powerplants.
Hybrid automobiles need not be purely about economy. Torque is what gets a vehicle going from a standstill. Since an electric motor can produce vast amounts of torque, a powerful version in conjunction with a smaller gasoline engine can deliver the high performance of a large V-8 along with the mileage of a small four-cylinder.
The main drawback to the hybrid automobile stems from the cost of complex systems required to keep the relationship between the gasoline engine and electric motor a happy one. The initial and long-term costs of maintaining such systems are of concern if considering a hybrid automobile.
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