Hybrid Vehicles in India: Types and Top Models

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Meaning of Hybrid

Simply put, a hybrid vehicle/car combines at least one electric motor with a gasoline/petrol motor to move the car. Its system recaptures energy using regenerative braking. At times, the electric motor does all the work and the other times it’s the gasoline engine. At times, they work together as well. This results in less fuel being burnt, resulting in fuel economy. The electric power boosts the performance of the vehicle.

Electricity comes from a high-voltage battery pack, exclusive of the car’s conventional 12-volt battery, that is replenishable by capturing energy from deceleration that is typically lost to the heat generated by the brakes. This process takes place through the regenerative braking system. Hybrids also use the fuel engine to alter and maintain the battery to last longer. Car manufacturers use different hybrid designs to accomplish different missions, from maximum fuel economy to keeping the car’s cost as low as possible.

Types of Hybrid Vehicles

Parallel Hybrid

This is the most common design, the electric motor(s) and fuel engine are connected in a common transmission that blends both power sources. That transmission can be manual, automatic, or continuously variable transmission. One popular hybrid transmission is a power-split CVT, which is used by the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt. The transmission kind and the size of the fuel engine are the primary factors that determine how a parallel hybrid will accelerate, feel, and sound. Brands in the market that use this parallel design include Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Honda, Lincoln, Nissan, and Infiniti.

Series Hybrid

In this case, the electric motor provides all the thrust and there is no physical mechanical connection between the wheels and the engine. The fuel engine is there to recharge the battery when in use. This results in a driving experience that is more indicative of an electric car along with more powerful and smoother acceleration. There is usually minimum vibration when the fuel engine is run. However, running does not always happen in concert with the acceleration you give while driving. Hence, the engine might rev a bit while the car is cruising at a steady pace. A few car users find this behavior disconcerting and not something they would prefer. The BMW i3 with the range extender is an example of a series hybrid.

Plug-In Hybrid

A plug-in hybrid improves the usual hybrid concept with a larger battery that, like an electric car's, must be completely recharged using an external electricity source—from your home, or public charging station. This bigger amount of energy storage is like a larger fuel tank: It allows for extended all-electric driving and can largely minimize fuel consumption. Also, if you have a short distance to cover and recharge nightly, you'll be running on electricity most of the time. Should you deplete the all-electric range, the car reverts to being a conventional parallel hybrid, using the fuel engine.

Variations on the Hybrid Theme

Hybrid technology has evolved over the last twenty years. It is even today complicated to answer the question – “what is hybrid?” For example, Honda’s new hybrid design does not fall under the series hybrid range or the parallel hybrid range bucket. In this situation, the engine turns on a generator often while the vehicle is in motion like the series hybrid. Other times, the engine directly drives the wheels like a parallel hybrid variant. Then there is another kind called the “through-the-road hybrids” – they, like the plug-in hybrids, use a fairly conventional front-wheel drive engine and transmission paired with an electrically powered rear axle!

Mild Hybrids

Talking about hybrids, we have discussed three varieties. These are typically called full hybrids. This means that the electric motor is capable of moving the car by itself, even if it is a short distance to be covered. In the case of a mild hybrid, it cannot do so. A mild hybrid’s electric motor is present to assist the fuel engine to increase performance, improve fuel efficiency, or do both. It also renders as the starter for the automatic start=stop system, which shuts down the engine when the car is stopped and parked to save fuel.

Top Hybrid Cars in India

• Maruti Suzuki Brezza
• Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
• Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
• Maruti Suzuki XL6
• Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder
• MG Hector
• MG Hector Plus
• Toyota Camry

Wrapping Up

Ultimately, the answer to "What is a hybrid?" will perhaps be "everything." When looking to buy a car, the foremost requirement of a car buyer is fuel efficiency, especially when buying to drive on the busy city roads daily. The invention of hybrid technology came to light the need to save on fuel consumption and hence reduce emissions, leading to being more environmentally friendly.