Hybrid Car
A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses two or even more distinct sources of power in order to get propelled. There are all sorts of alternative power sources among which we can count wind, natural gas in liquid or compressed form, rechargeable units, wood, coal and the like. The very concept of hybrid car designates electric vehicles that adapt the usage of an internal combustion engine to that of the electrical batteries.
As pointed out in the lines above, the range of hybrid vehicles is more extended than the category of simple cars. Just think of mopeds and electric bicycles. These are the rather basic forms of hybrid vehicles. The combination between a gas engine or a battery and the physical power of the muscles is definitely superior. The heavy hybrids cover the industrial or supply vehicles such as ships, hydraulic machines, buses, locomotives and so on. Usually, the term hybrid car-vehicle is used to refer to hybrid electric vehicles. This category includes the following types of automotives: AHS2 (Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade, Saturn Vue), Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight and many others. A gas-electric hybrid car usually takes its power from an internal combustion engine (gasoline or diesel engine) and an electric battery.
The origins of the hybrid car are to be found in the early 1900s when David Arthurs created the first hybrid ever. Other than the combination of gas engine and electric motor, there are other propulsion sources used, but for a single engine only. Though there is a certain similarity to a hybrid car, distinctions do exist. Actually the latter should be more appropriately called dual mode vehicles (electric trolleybuses, dual mode buses, flexible-fuel vehicles, etc).
There are lots of advantages to buying a hybrid car, and the green considerations are not the only ones. First of all, you get to do something for the environment and humankind, but you also save money on fuel. There is a triple combination of factors that make the design of a hybrid car so appropriate for our times: first there is the combination gas-electricity, secondly, the battery comes with a high storage capacity, and thirdly, the kinetic energy wasted by braking is recuperated and reused.
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