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Hybrid Cars vs. Diesel Powered Cars

September 25th, 2008 · No Comments

Hybrid vehicles boast of an all-encompassing operational system. They operate by combining an electrically-run motor, a diesel engine and maximum-powered batteries. The battery gives off energy for the electric motor and recharges when it recaptures the energy that is usually lost when the car is lessening its acceleration or while it is coasting.

How Hybrid Cars Work

The distinction of the full hybrid from the mild variety is that the electric motor and the diesel engine can operate on its own. In most instances, the electric motor can function by itself in low speed, and once it picks up, the diesel engine automatically takes over. Both the motor and the engine can function together if the car is in hard acceleration. This combined effort provides the car the power that it needs for that situation. Full hybrid cars can consume and build up electricity simultaneously.

The full hybrid setup can be found in models such as the popular Toyota Prius, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, and the Escape hybrid from Ford. For instance, one can look at the way the Toyota Prius works. The Prius runs on a technology called the Hyrbid Synergy Drive, which involves a power split device to combine the energy of the electric motor and the gas engine. The HSD enables a effortless switching of power sources that the car driver would not notice in the slightest while driving.Unlike the other mild hybrid types, the Prius can be operated by the electric motor alone powered by the battery pack. As a result, a motorist can drive silently for short amounts of time.

The Honda hybrids on this level cannot function just by the electric motor. While speeding up on a highway, the Prius utilizes the diesel engine as its main operator, and can get assistance from the generator if needed. Then this hybrid car shuts off the gas engine automatically during stops. This contributes greatly in mileage improvement and produces less emission.

Diesel vs. Hybrid

A good case in point is Ford’s hybrid version of the Escape SUV, which boasted of emitting less than a pound of smog substances for every 15,000 miles the vehicle runs. This is a great improvement considering that traditional diesel-powered light trucks emit around 105 pounds of smog pollutants for the same 15,000-mile distance. Even standard cars produce 67 pounds!

So really, there isn’t going to be much argument over the great savings a consumer can gain with a hybrid vehicle. Sure, it comes at a cost, but its long term gains truly outweigh the initial price shock. Over time, when more people realize the merits of hybrid vehicles, supply will definitely go up and push prices down.

Environmentally-conscious individuals would find heaven with hybrid cars. However, since they are just being introduced in the market, they can come at quite an expense. With increased demand in the future, it is hoped that more hybrid cars will become accessible to everyone.

[AlternativeFuels]

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