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Posts Tagged ‘Hybrid’
Prius - A Decade in North America
This year, the Toyota Prius celebrates a decade of sales in North America. The Prius remains the best selling hybrid in both the U.S. and around the world. Since its Japanese market introduction back in 1997, drivers have purchased more than 1.8 million of the gas-electric vehicles, with approximately half of those ending up in the United States. The first-generation Prius was an awkward looking four-door sedan that was slow and often didn’t meet up with customer’s fuel economy expectations. It wasn’t until the second-generation model arrived in 2004 with a new tear-drop shaped hatchback body style that the Prius really took off. By 2007, sales topped half a million, with the third-generation model arriving two years later offering even more improved efficiency and better dynamic performance. This year, Toyota has begun to set up a test-fleet of plug-in Priuses with lithium ion batteries with full series production of those versions planed for 2012.
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For Earth Day, let’s break down what exactly makes a Hybrid vehicle. Hybrid Cars offer drivers an innovative, efficient, and a fuel-saving option for consumers.
A hybrid car features a small fuel-efficient gas engine combined with an electric motor that assists the engine when accelerating. The electric motor is powered by batteries that recharge automatically while you drive. There are two types of gasoline-electric hybrid cars: the parallel hybrid and the series hybrid.
Parallel hybrid systems, which are most commonly produced at present, have both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor connected to a mechanical transmission. The gasoline engine and the electric motor work together to move the car forward.
Series hybrids have also been referred to as a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) in order to emphasis that they are electric vehicles with a combustion engine assist. In a series hybrid the gasoline engine either directly powers an electric motor that powers the vehicle or charges batteries that will power the motor.
Hybrid cars also gain efficiency from:
Smaller and more efficient engines.
Regenerative braking - the electric motor that drives the hybrid can also slow the car. In this mode, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car is slowing down.
Periodic engine shut off - when a hybrid car is stopped in traffic, the engine is temporarily shut off. It restarts automatically when put back into gear.
Advanced aerodynamics - to reduce drag
Low-rolling resistance (LLR) tires - narrow, stiffer tires have less drag
Lightweight materials - increases the efficiency of hybrid cars.