Until recently, the concept of a Eco-Friendly Engine powered car has been in the domain of fantasy. For sure, highly streamlined Eco-Friendly Engine vehicles have been built by universities, manufacturers and researchers showing the potential for environmental or nature powered propulsion, but not all of these vehicles have been practical Eco-Friendly Hybrid Engine cars that are available in the market or used for daily travel.
Eco-Friendly Hybrid Engine: There’s More Than One Type –
With all the talk of “the Eco-Friendly Engine car”, its ability to save gas and pollute less, get high mileage and still drive like a “real” car, there is little attention being paid to exactly how those hybrids Engine work. What are the types of hybrid Engine cars?
Some questions that rarely get asked and the manufacturers almost never talk about are:
- What types of hybrid Engine cars are there?
- Is it a full hybrid Eco-Friendly Engine?
- Is it an assist hybrid Eco-Friendly Engine?
- Is it a Eco-Friendly Engine hybrid at all?
- How much help to the engine does that electric motor provide?
- Why does it make a difference?
This article will attempt to tell you what the differences are, explain the importance of each, and finally, reveal who uses what type of motive “assisted” force in their cars Engine.
Assisted Hybrid. Engine and electric motor drive wheels. Engine can charge the batteries or power the vehicle, but not both at the same time. Reservoir is the fuel tank. Gas or diesel.
Full Hybrid. Both the engine and electric motor drive the wheels, but the engine can both charge the batteries and power the electric motor simultaneously.
Series Hybrid. Only the electric motor drives the wheels. The gasoline/diesel engine drives the generator only.
Five Types of Technology involved In Production of Latest Eco-Friendly hybrid Engine-
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines a true Eco-Friendly hybrid Engine vehicle as a vehicle that will have “two or more energy storage systems, both of which must provide propulsive power, either together or independently.” As such an “energy storage system” could be a gasoline or diesel engine, electric motor/battery pack, or other source of motive power.
Mild Hybrid
This is defined as a “traditional system” fitted with a 48-volts in batteries. Marked “mild hybrid”, but in reality it is not a hybrid at all. There is only one single source of propulsion power to the wheels. This automatically disqualifies it as “hybrid” since a hybrid, by definition, must have two or more sources of motive power.
Assisted Hybrid
This is a system with a relatively small battery-pack and one moderate electric-motor that contributes propulsion power to the wheels while the vehicle is accelerating. This type shuts off the engine at full stop, provides some propulsive power to the wheels along with the gasoline engine, and does recapture electrical energy when braking. Because there is only one motor, electrical energy cannot be recaptured while the car is under acceleration. In other words, the motor/generator can only charge the batteries or drive the car, but not both at the same time.
Full Hybrid
This is a system with an ample battery-pack, one moderate sized electric-motor, one (or more) large electric-motor/generator’s), and, combined with the engine, provides an extended range of gasoline powered and/or electric powered propulsion. E.g. the vehicle can run on the electric motor only, the gas engine only, or a combination of both. The engine can be charging the batteries via the motor/generator, while the other electric motor provides motive power. This type of hybrid can shut down the gas engine at stop, recharge the batteries as the vehicle slows down (“regenerative braking”) and can provide motive force to the wheels via an electric motor and/or the gasoline/diesel engine.
Series Hybrid
This is a system with one ample electric motor, one ample motor/generator, a large sized battery pack, and a gasoline or diesel engine. This type only provides power to the motor or motor/generator never actually supplying power directly to the wheels. In this way it is similar to the diesel/generator of a diesel electric locomotive. The car may or may not shut the engine down at stop, but then since the engine generates electricity this is entirely due to demand on the batteries. It can also use “regenerative braking” to recharge the batteries. All motive force is via the electric motor. By S.A.E. standards this is not a true hybrid.
Two Mode Hybrid
This is a system with one gasoline or diesel engine, two large motor/generators, planetary gear systems between the engine, motors, and a good sized battery pack. The gasoline or diesel engine supplies power to the one motor/generator through a planetary gear or to both motor/generators via a secondary planetary gear. The engine (gas or diesel) can supply power to the driving wheels through gears or the electric motors can provide motive force through a gear-set to the driving wheels.
Hybrid Engine Types and Who Uses Them –
Assisted Hybrid – Full Hybrid – Two-Mode Hybrid
Honda Insight – Toyota Prius – Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
Honda Civic Hybrid – Toyota Highlander Hybrid – DaimlerChrysler (in development)
Saturn Hybrid – Toyota Camry Hybrid – BMW (in development)
Series Hybrid -Lexis GS 450h,Lexis GS 450h -General Motors (in development)
Chevrolet Volt (pre-production) – Ford Escape
Dodge/Chrysler EV (pre-production) – Ford Mariner
What is the Best Hybrid Type – Hybrid Performance
Hybrid Type – Mileage- Manufacturer
Full Hybrid – 50+ Miles per Gallon (MPG)-Toyota
Series Hybrid-Unknown. GM says 250 MPG-Chevrolet, Opel
Assisted Hybrid-40+ MPG-Honda
Two Mode Hybrid-Unknown. GM says 30 MPG or better-Chevrolet, Daimler/Chrysler
When the system is implemented in lighter vehicles we may see much better performance. Time will tell.
After doing the research for this article I was more than a little surprised to learn that a lot of the cars we are hearing about called “hybrid Engine” really aren’t. None of the electrics are. They are…well…electrics engine; not Eco-Friendly Hybrid Engine.
Am Maria Mcquire, an author by profession born and brought-up in UK. Am a writer and an avid blogger as well, I could pen down on any topic I come across. For now am doing my research on a DVLA Helpline .