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The Infinite Cat Project
Presented by Mike Stanfill, Private Hand
Illustration, Flash Animation, Web Design
www.privatehand.com
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A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle using an on-board Rechargeable energy
storage system (RESS) and a fueled propulsion power source for vehicle
propulsion. They are low-polluting and low-petrol consuming cars.
The different propulsion power systems may have common subsystems
or components. The term most commonly refers to petroleum-electric hybrid vehicles, which use gasoline (petrol) or diesel to power internal-combustion engines (ICEs), and electric batteries to power electric motors. Modern mass-produced hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, recharge their batteries by capturing kinetic energy via regenerative braking. As well, when cruising or in other situations where just light thrust is needed, "full" hybrids such as the Prius can use the combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning a generator (often a second electric motor[1]) to either recharge the battery or directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. This contrasts with all-electric cars which use batteries charged by an external source such as the grid, or a range extending trailer. Nearly all hybrids still require gasoline and diesel as their sole fuel source though other fuels such as ethanol or plant based oils have also seen occasional use. Hybrid cars also use Hydrogen gas. The term hybrid when used in relation with cars also has other uses. Prior to its modern meaning of hybrid propulsion, the word hybrid was used in the United States to mean a vehicle of mixed national origin; generally, a European car fitted with American mechanical components. This meaning has fallen out of use. In the import scene, hybrid was often used to describe an engine swap, such as the common Honda B16 engine into a Honda Civic. Some have also referred to flexible-fuel vehicles as hybrids because they can use a mixture of different fuels — typically gasoline and ethanol alcohol fuel. There are not diesel flexible-fuel vehicles, because nowadays diesel cars can use petroleum and biodiesel at the same time. |