| WHAT ARE THEY ARE, WILL THEY SAVE THE | | | | energy produced when breaking, or energy generated |
| PLANET AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - ARE THESE | | | | by the motor. |
| MOTORS THAT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY? | | | | In a series hybrid, the engine never directly powers the |
| GREEN campaigners are learning to fall in love with | | | | car. The fuel engine is used to power a generator, |
| cars. New owners are switching from fuel-powered | | | | which will either charge the car's batteries or power an |
| vehicles to electric cars, citing the massive reduction in | | | | electric motor which turns the transmission. |
| carbon emissions. However, for many motorists, an | | | | REDUCED ENGINE SIZE |
| electric car is simply not practical. The most powerful | | | | One of the primary reasons why a hybrid car is more |
| electric vehicle on the market, the Tesla Roadster, will | | | | fuel efficient is that the additional electric power allows |
| set you back 87,000 UK pounds and still only travel | | | | manufacturers to reduce the size of the engine. |
| 250 miles before the battery goes kaput, taking around | | | | Reducing the engine size in turn reduces the weight of |
| 8 hours to charge back up on a domestic power | | | | the car, meaning that less energy is consumed when |
| supply. But most affordable electric cars will only get | | | | driving uphill or accelerating. Skeptics argue that the |
| you 100 miles before they run out of juice - alright for | | | | reduced energy size makes the car less powerful, but |
| the school run or the weekly shopping trip, but not for | | | | the added electric power source gives the vehicle that |
| a week of commuting or a family holiday. | | | | extra boost, making it just as powerful as a regular |
| That's why more and more attention is being focused | | | | car. |
| on hybrid vehicles, lauded by green campaigners and | | | | It's not just the engine in a hybrid car which weighs |
| money experts for cutting not only your carbon | | | | less. Most models are manufactured using lightweight |
| emissions, but also your petrol money. With most | | | | materials. This weight loss, combined with the motor's |
| major car manufacturers now producing hybrid | | | | ability to recharge using energy produced by braking |
| vehicles, they are fast growing in popularity. But what | | | | and engine use, all reduces fuel consumption quite |
| is a hybrid car and how does it work? | | | | considerably. In fact, because the car has an alternate |
| CAR RUNS ON FUEL, ELECTRIC MOTOR AND | | | | power source in the electric motor and the batteries, |
| BATTERY | | | | motorists can even shut the engine off completely and |
| In essence, a hybrid car runs on both fuel and | | | | travel using nothing but electric power, which will result |
| electricity. Ordinarily, a hybrid car will contain a fuel tank, | | | | in a serious reduction in fuel consumption and far more |
| a combined electric motor and generator and a | | | | miles to the gallon. |
| battery. But there are two types of hybrid car, the | | | | The current most affordable industry leader is the nifty |
| parallel hybrid and the series hybrid, which utilise these | | | | Toyota Prius Hybrid, which will give you 50 miles per |
| power sources in different ways. | | | | gallon. When driving at 31miles per hour or less you can |
| In a typical parallel hybrid, the fuel tank supplies petrol or | | | | switch to EV mode so that the car is powered purely |
| diesel t the engine, whilst batteries power the electric | | | | by electric. Its solar powered ventilation system |
| motor. Both the engine and the motor turn the | | | | reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions |
| transmission simultaneously, which in turn rotates the | | | | are also so low that you'll be exempt from road tax |
| wheels. The batteries also recharge by recovering | | | | too! How's that for efficiency? |