Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Hybrid Car Engine

By Anton Rowd

The hybrid car engine holds the key to its being an environment-friendly vehicle. They are a combination of a gas engine and an electric motor that assists a car as it accelerates, slows down and even when it stops. Throughout all these basic actions, the hybrid car engine plays a major role so that the least amount of gas is used and cleaner emissions achieved.

Breaking It Down

The hybrid car's gas-electric feature allow the vehicle to run both on gas and electricity. A gas-powered car has a fuel tank and it is this tank that supplies the engine with the gasoline it needs to run. The engine then turns a transmission which is what it essentially behind the turning of wheels.

An electric car has a set of batteries that provides power to an electric motor. In this case, it is the electric motor that turns the transmission that turns the wheels. Although mileage is something that gas-powered cars have been covering with great efficiency in later years, there is still the issue of air pollution, which is something a hybrid car is a solution to.

The hybrid's motor doesn't produce any pollution at all. But an electric car can only go so far before having to be charged again. Now, by combining these two functions into one, a hybrid car engine attempts to increase mileage while reducing emissions of a gas-powered car and also reducing the use of large amounts of fuel. And to make up for the electric motor having to be charged, it is now left to the gas-powered engine and transmission to charge the cells in the batteries found in a hybrid electric vehicle. It's a simple solution that has had great and positive effects with respect to fuel economy and eco-friendliness.

Cutting Costs

Since hybrid car engine keeps carbon dioxide emissions at minimum level, it also prevents too much pollution. But most importantly (to average consumers), hybrid cars can save you money gas and maintenance costs. The engines of these cars are quite small and easy to manage so they last for a very long time and are quite durable.

Considering that many car manufacturers offer free parts replacements on hybrid models, this is probably the best purchase that you can make when considering what car to buy. There is also the added tax break that the US government has promised to all owners of new hybrid vehicles purchased after January 1 2006.

Both manufacturers and consumers have finally found a way to save the environment as well as the economy. It is perhaps one of the most overlooked technologies in the world but a growing awareness of these vehicles will eventually lead to a future of more hybrid electric vehicles on city streets and highways. - 15437

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