Why You Should Consider a Hybrid Vehicle

As you are aware gas and diesel fuel is not getting any cheaper (as this article is being written gas prices are down but they will go back up). Most people are trying figure out what to do about the prices besides stop driving. Some people are in a position of being able to drive less but the drivers that have to use their vehicle everyday don't have that luxury. If they can't take public transportation, ride a bike or car pool then their only choice is to get a different vehicle. At this point they should consider a new or used hybrid vehicle.

Hybrid cars are a known factor today. They have passed the test for the car buyer, who is buying a larger percentage of hybrid vehicles every year. Most manufacturers offer them now in great colors, sleek styles and in all types of configurations from cars to SUV to pickups. Not only can you drive the type you want but you can save money doing it. Before you decide to buy a hybrid vehicle you should learn more about them. Below you'll find a simple overview of hybrid vehicle power trains , This will get you started in your quest to learn more about them.

A hybrid vehicle runs on two or more energy systems. At present there are 3 basic types of hybrid systems powering most of the personal use hybrid vehicles. Explained below in very simple non-technical terms they are:

Parallel Hybrid Drive train-This drive train has a transmission that both the gasoline engine and the electric motor can turn. In this configuration either of the two power sources can drive the vehicle independently or they can work together when more power is needed. The most common usage is for the gas engine to run on the open road where a lot of horsepower isn't needed and when you need more power to pass cars or go up a hill then the electric power gives the extra boost needed. The electrical power is also used for low speed driving around town, for initially starting out and for reversing.

Because the engine is only used on the open road where fuel economy is the greatest, it gets great gas milage. The batteries in a parallel hybrid vehicle don't have to be charged by an external source as they are charged by regenerative braking.

Series Hybrid Drive train-This drive train is different from the parallel hybrid in that a gasoline engine turns a generator, and the generator can either charge the batteries or provide power to an electric motor that drives the transmission. The transmission can also be driven by the batteries. In this configuration the gas engine never directly powers the vehicle. This is the simplest of the drive trains but also more expensive due to the larger batteries required. It performs best in around town stop and go driving.

Parallel/Series Hybrid Drive train-This drive train combines the advantages and disadvantage of the parallel and series drive trains. With the two designs combined, the engine can either drive the wheels directly (as in the parallel drive train) and be basically disconnected from the wheels so that only the electric motor powers the wheels (as in the series drive train).

All of the above have different features with pluses and minuses. All three systems are being used on passenger cars and trucks in the basic configurations described above. Because there are differences in the systems you will need to do some home work and test driving as well as price checking before you can make a choice that you will be happy with.