The appeal and popularity of the hybrid car have grown exponentially, especially with the rising concerns about high gas prices as well as worsening air pollution. Here are some useful bits of information that could help you learn more about hybrid cars and how they may help you save money on fuel and be somewhat protected from rising petrol.

A hybrid car is the type of car, or any other vehicle, that makes use of at least two different fuel sources to make it go. Both fuel sources are used together in some instances to help propel the vehicle more efficiently. There are several different types of hybrid car possible, but the most common hybrid car so far is the gas electric hybrid.

The gas-electric hybrid car, also known as the hybrid electric vehicle or HEV, uses of a gasoline internal combustion engine or ICE and a quite separate electric motor to power it. While the ICE makes uses petrol to make it go, an electric battery is used to store the electrical energy that powers the hybrid car’s electric motor.

The HEV usually has a gas engine that is smaller in size and weight than the conventional one used in standard petrol powered cars. Use of more advanced technology makes this possible and allows the HEV to have better running efficiency as well as greatly reduced polluting emissions.

Apart from the gas engine, the hybrid electric car also has a special electric motor built in that not only provides additional power to the car but also acts as a generator when not being used. The electric motor can act as a generator, in situations where it is not being used to drive the hybrid car, to help charge the battery for additional efficiency.

In a usual HEV set up, the car uses its electric motor when being propelled at very low speeds, say, in traffic jams. The gasoline engine acts as a secondary power source when the HEV requires much more power, such as when climbing a hill. The petrol engine also compensates the electric motor with power whenever the car needs it in order to go faster such as when overtaking. The gas and the electric motor can also work in combination at certain instances when needed.

Since the hybrid electric car makes use of both an electric motor as well as a petrol motor, a substantial improvement in car mileage is achieved. A hybrid electric vehicle or HEV can run longer distances using the same amount of gas compared to a conventional petrol powered car.

When the electric motor is being used, petrol consumption is reduced. This results in quite a bit less gas being used when going the same distance as a traditional gas powered vehicle. And because the hybrid electric car has a smaller, lighter petrol engine, the hybrid car also runs more efficiently because of less engine weight compared to a conventional car’s engine.

The moving parts of the hybrid car engine are also lighter and so require less energy to move. The resulting efficiency makes the hybrid electric car quite a great choice for people worried about rising petrol prices. Using a hybrid car can help motorists save a large amount of petrol when traveling. On top of that, using the hybrid car can also help reduce polluting emissions by using less petrol while driving.