How do hybrid cars work?

“Hybrid’ is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as something derived from heterogeneous sources or composed of elements of different or incongruous kinds.  In a hybrid car two or more different sources of power to propel are used.  An electricity run motor, highest powered batteries and a gasoline engine are operated in combination in a hybrid car. Electric motor is provided energy from these high powered batteries; and the batteries are recharged by recapturing the energy that is normally lost when car runs or decelerates.

The term used for this process is called regenerative breaking.  In some specific instances of driving, the gas engine provides energy to charge the battery simultaneously due to which hybrid cars are not required to plug in.   Engines of hybrid powered car being smaller compared to conventional cars, its electric motor provides additional horsepower or backup. Since the hybrid car has less dependency on gasoline engine, it gives enhanced fuel economy and creates least air pollution.  The energy generated during coasting and braking of hybrid car is converted into electricity and stored in battery for utilization by electric motor.

To understand working of hybrid cars, we can broadly categorize them as the mild hybrid cars and the fully hybrid cars.  Combined functioning of battery, gas engine and electric motor in each of these two categories is different.

In Mild Hybrid Car electric motor simply assists the operation of the main propulsion.  While accelerating, climbing height or passing, gas engine is provided additional power through electric motor.  Major need of energy is provided by gas engine.  Thus a smaller size fuel efficient engine is used in these cars.

Operation of motor depends on gas engine. Electric motor can either consume electricity from batteries or provide energy for it, but it cannot do both the functions at a time.

In fully hybrid cars the electric motor and the gas engine operate on their own.  Mostly when in low speed, the electric motor functions by itself and gasoline engine takes it over automatically once the speed is picked up. When hard acceleration is needed, the gas engine and the electric motor function together as a team.  Electricity in fully hybrid cars can be consumed and built up simultaneously.