Presented By: Kunal ME-2, 3rd Sem.

Any vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources is a Hybrid Vehicle. The term most commonly refers to a hybrid electric vehicle, which combines an IC engine and an electric motor to drive the Vehicle. The era of Hybrid vehicles started a decade ago, but still, it has to go further. Different Power SourcesDiesel+Electric Gasoline+Electric Gasoline+Diesel+Electric et cetera.

Rail-Transports In the U.S., General Electric introduced a prototype rail engine with their "Ecomagination" technology. They store energy in a large set of sodium nickel chloride (Na-NiCl2) batteries to capture and store energy which is dissipated during dynamic braking. There is at least a 10% reduction in fuel use with this system. Aircrafts In 2013, the Boeing 737NG will also be launched as a Hybrid Aircraft which uses Electric Energy for all the movements on ground and to provide more power during take-off and climb, whereas the Engines will work on flight, take-off and landing only.

Road transport and Commercial Vehicles

Since hybrid technology is fuel efficient, the transportation cost will be reduced. Hence, Hybrid technology is being made common in many buses and trucks.

A hybrid bus runs at Montreal (Canada)

Carso Here are some On-Road hybrid cars

Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight, Honda CR-Z, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mercedes Benz S400 , BMW 7Series hybrids, Toyota Prius, Ford Escape, Ford Fusion, Lexus RX400h, RX450h, GS450h, LS600h and CT200h.

Honda Insight

All Hybrids have

An IC Engine (usually Gasoline is used as fuel) Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH; usually 144V,6Ah) An Electric Motor (also acts as Generator) Regenerative Braking System (which, while Braking, converts the K.E. of the vehicle into the Electric Energy which is stored in batteries and used to run the Electric Motor.)

The two power sources can be assembled in two ways- either in Parallel or in Series. When both the sources (IC Engine & Electric Motor) provide power to the drivetrain, then its Parallel Hybrid. When only one source(electric motor) provides power to the drivetrain and the other (IC Engine) is required just to run the Motor and for the charging of batteries at times but not to provide power directly to the drivetrain, then its Series Hybrid.

o It can be seen in the picture that both, the Electric Motor and the IC Engine are directly providing power to drive the vehicle. o The IC Engine also charges the batteries, using Electric Motor as a Generator. o The Regenerative Braking System also charges the batteries when brakes are applied.

o It can be seen in the picture that, the IC Engine is coupled with a Generator to run the motor and to charge the batteries but not to drive the vehicle. o Only the Electric motor drives the vehicle.

o The Regenerative Braking System also charges the batteries when brakes are applied.

To be more specific, lets see the configuration and specifications of the successful Hybrid-Honda Civic. o The Civic hybrid was first introduced in Japan at the end of 2001 and ranks as the second best selling electric hybrid car in the U.S.
Honda Civic Hybrid Engine

TypeEngineBatteryMotor-

Parallel Hybrid. In-line 4-cylinder; 1497CC. Li-ion; 144 V; 20kW. Permanent Magnet Assist; 15kW; hp@rpm= 23@1546-3000. Transmission- Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Brakes- Regenerative Brakes.

When compared to a gasoline engine Civic with an automatic transmission, the Civic hybrid provides an increase of fuel economy in city driving of about 63 percent and an increase of fuel economy in highway driving of about 27 percent.

Savings at the Pump. Since, fuel prices are hiking with the speed of a chain reaction now-a-days, and all Hybrids get a better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts. Lower Emissions, Lesser Pollution as less Carbon Monoxide is being added to the Environment which prevents Global Warming. Hence, its eco-friendly.

General Maintenance and Repair Cost is quite higher. Expensive new Batteries. Batteries need to be changed out in every 8 to 10 years. Higher Depreciation Rate of vehicle. Higher Prices of Vehicles. Hence, not efficient for pockets.

Based on hard evidences, the hybrid vehicles are at least as reliable as a standard car with more than twice the fuel economy. Hybrid Vehicles are fuel-efficient but not efficient for pockets. To encourage this eco-friendly drive, we must work to lessen its problems such as high costs as its benefits are all that we need.