Hybrid Technology

The idea of the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) has been around for longer than a decade, as many people may not have originally thought. In fact, hybrid vehicles have been in development for the past century. The combination of an electric motor and a gasoline engine has been stirring in the minds of scientists and inventors alike for many years. Hybrid cars have surpassed many feats as it's progressed through the years, such as increased gas mileage and reducing the pollutants that regular internal combustion engines expel. While the hybrid car is in high demand at the present time, some people believe these cars are just a quick resolution before bigger and better ideas, such as fuel cell vehicles, begin taking over the automobile industry. Still, the development of the hybrid car has had many effects on today's society and may continue to in the future.

When the 1970s rolled around and the oil crisis struck, gas prices rose tremendously and people were very concerned about the dependency for oil and the idea of hybrid cars once again came up. The main financial support came from the U.S. Department of Energy, with a few automobile companies also investing some money. By the early 1990s Volkswagen was the only automaker that considered marketing a hybrid vehicle, only in Europe though. 1993 sparked a major event for the advancement of hybrid cars. The Department of Energy signed a five-year $138 million development agreement with General Motors and a $122 million agreement with Ford to design and build preproduction hybrid prototypes that could be marketed in less than 10 years. Four years later brought about a new generation of hybrid vehicles with the introduction of the Toyota Prius (Sperling, p. 101).

Today's hybrids come in many different varieties such as mild or full and series or parallel. Mild hybrids require the use of an electric motor to assist the gas engine when extra power is needed. It can only move from the stopped position if the internal combustion engine is engaged. The mild hybrid can be broken down into 3 sub-systems. The Start/Stop system, which is also called a micro hybrid, will shut off the engine when the car would normally be idling and instantly restart the engine when pressure is applied to the accelerator. This type of system only increases fuel efficiency by approximately 10 percent and is the most basic of all hybrid vehicles. A few GM trucks use the start/stop feature. Some people question whether the micro hybrid should actually be considered a hybrid at all.

In a series hybrid vehicle the electric motor is the only thing turning the wheels. While it does have a gasoline engine, it does not have a direct connection to the drive train. Its main purpose is to power a generator, which either charges the batteries or turns the electric motor. Currently there are no series hybrids in mass production, although the Prius is considered to have a few characteristics of both the series and parallel (Sperling, p. 104).

Like the series hybrid, the parallel hybrid system is much more complex than the mild hybrid system. The parallel hybrid is also sometimes called a full hybrid. This system basically allows the vehicle to run solely on the electric motor at lower speeds and in stop and go traffic. This makes it much more fuel-efficient as this is when the gas engine is the most inefficient. It also explains why cars such as the Prius get better gas mileage in the city when at times its run mainly by the electric motor and not using the gas engine at all (Sperling, p. 103). At higher speeds the gas engine splits its power usage to the wheels and to a generator, which in turn runs an electric motor that helps to turn the wheels as well. Not only do the batteries get replenished by the generator when full power is not needed but also while the vehicle is coasting or braking; as this produces energy as well which is sent to the batteries to recharge them. This method makes the car efficient at all times. Parallel and mild hybrids are currently the most produced hybrid vehicles today.

There are many benefits to owning a hybrid vehicle. Probably most important to consumers is the gas mileage. HEV's can get anywhere from 40 to 70 miles per gallon (Sperling, p. 109). This means saving time by refueling less often and getting more miles on a tank of gas then a regular conventional vehicle. Another important benefit of hybrid cars is the decrease in pollutants it puts out. This varies depending on the vehicle and its configuration, but in general they have lower emissions than internal combustion vehicles. This is due to the electric motor that can either assist or solely run the vehicle. While the electric motor is running the vehicle by itself produces zero pollutants and when it is assisting the gas engine, a lower level of gasoline is being used which in turn reduces the amount of emissions emitted from the gas engine.

There are also many incentives for purchasing a hybrid vehicle. Consumers who purchase a hybrid vehicle are eligible for a tax credit. "They range from a one-time credit of $250 for the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra--light-green hybrids that improve gas mileage only 10% - 15% -- to $3,150 for the Prius (Solheim, p. 103). This credit depends on the fuel-efficiency of the car and how much fuel the car is expected to save over its lifetime. The twist to the tax credit is that congress has set a cap of 60,000 on the total number of people that can claim a tax credit from any one automaker between 2006 and 2009 (Meckler, pg. D2). The opening of HOV lanes to hybrid vehicles that contain only one passenger may also be seen in the near future (Meckler). Many local and state governments offer incentives as well. "In New Mexico, any hybrid that gets at least 27.5 miles per gallon is exempt from state sales tax. New York provides a state income-tax credit worth $2,000. The city of San Jose, Calif., offers free parking in city lots and at meters" (Meckler). All these incentives are ways to decrease pollution and better the environment.

As there are benefits there are also disadvantages to the hybrid car. One aspect that's making people choose internal combustion vehicles over hybrid vehicles is the loss in performance. The acceleration speed is slower than a conventional gasoline