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Types of Electric Cars in the Market – EV Variation Explained

Hybrid Center Team
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Types of Electric Cars in the Market – EV Variation Explained

There’s so much buzz around electric vehicles and their different variations that it’s hard to keep up. Usually when the media refers to ‘electric vehicles’, they are generally referring to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) such as Teslas or Hybrid Electric Vehicles. In general, ‘Electric Vehicles’ is an umbrella term that refers to any vehicle that uses electricity to propel the vehicle.

However, there are types of electric vehicles that people don’t realise are electric vehicles, because they receive little media coverage. For example, hydrogen fuel cells vehicles or commonly referred to as Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) are also electric vehicles.

What exactly counts as an Electric Vehicle (EV)?

In short electric vehicles use an electric motor that is powered by an electric current to propel the vehicle. Full electric vehicles only use the electric motor as a source of propulsion and has no internal combustion engine or associated parts such as gas tanks, pumps and pipes. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) are full electric vehicles.  BEVs use stored in electrical energy in their battery packs to drive the motor. Meanwhile, FCEVs utilize the electric current produced by the electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

However, vehicles that aren’t fully electric such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are also classed under EVs.

The Types of Electric Vehicles (EVs)

EVs are starting to overtake regular gasoline powered vehicles. Electric vehicles are more efficient because the electric motor itself has a much higher efficiency (~80%) compared to internal combustion engines (a mere 30%). They are also cleaner than gasoline cars as they don’t produce CO2 emissions (if you discount the CO2 emissions during the industrial manufacture of the car parts themselves).

EVs are also generally smoother in operation and require lower maintenance work as they have less moving parts than traditional vehicles.

Besides BEVs getting an advantage from the higher efficiency of the motor itself, they also employ other methods to conserve energy. For example, most EVs employ regenerative braking to recover energy that would otherwise be lost as heat during braking. Here, the motor reverses direction during braking and acts like a generator. The generated electricity is stored for future use in the batteries.

What is holding EVs back?

The only thing holding EVs back from overtaking gasoline powered vehicles are their cost and low energy density. These seem to be changing though, as EV manufacturers are rigorously innovating better and cheaper ways to manufacture and operate EVs.

Electric Vehicles can be classified into five types:

  • Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
  • Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)
  • Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
  • Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)
  • Extended Range Electric Vehicles (E-REVs)

The following list will explain these types of electric vehicle and a basic overview of how they function, what they are best suited for and their limitations.

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

As its name suggests, Battery Electric Vehicles use batteries as their main source of power to drive the electric motor. They are also known as ‘pure electric’ vehicles or ‘All Electric Vehicles- AEVs’. As they rely solely on the batteries to power every task of the car, they tend to have pretty large and heavy battery packs and take a while to be fully charged.

The batteries on BEVs are rechargeable and so, need to be regularly charged. There are three primary ways of charging a BEV, both at home or at service stations:

  • Charging at home using a standard 120 V wall outlet. As the voltage is quite low, this will take a really long time to be fully charged. Typically, one hour of charging will get you about 2-5 miles.
  • Using an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Standard Equipment)- This operates on a 220/240 V circuit and can be done at home if you have an EVSE installed or at an electric vehicle service station. While this is faster than charging with a 120V outlet, it still takes an hour to cover a mileage of around 10-25 miles.
  • Using a DC Fast charger is the fastest method to charge an EV. They can charge up to 80% of the full charge in less than one hour.

BEVs can typically cover a range between 60 and 120 miles on a full charge. The range for a BEV is a crucial factor to consider because it will determine how long you can go before needing to be recharged. And, recharging a BEV is still less convenient and more expensive than for a gasoline vehicle.

Pricing for BEVs

However, the opportunity cost of buying a high range EV is its high price tag. There are also few affordable EV options out there such as the Hyundai Ioniq Electric that has a mileage of 124 miles and is widely regarded as the top electric car in recent years.

Their Best Use: As recharging can be quite inconvenient, BEVs are most suitable for shorter journeys such as running daily errands or commutes to work.

Here are a few examples of BEVs in the market:

  • Tesla X
  • Kia Soul
  • Volkswagen e-Golf
  • Hyundai Ioniq
  • Nissan LEAF
  • BMW i3

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)

Like BEVs, FCEVs also power the electric motor though an electric current. But the chemical reaction in a fuel cell result in the production of the electric current. They also don’t use an internal combustion engine like BEVs. Electricity powers the vehicle propulsion directly, so it also counts as a ‘full electric’ vehicle.

In the fuel cell, there is a positive terminal (cathode), a negative terminal (anode) and an electrolyte. Hydrogen is delivered to the cathode from the hydrogen storage tank through a series of pipes. At the cathode, the hydrogen atoms are stripped of their electrons and become positively charged protons.

As the protons are now attracted to the negatively charged anode, they will travel towards via the electrolyte. The electrolyte is made from a special material that only allows protons to pass through them. The electrons from the hydrogen atoms will also flow towards the anode, separately in an external circuit. This flow of electrons is known as the current and it is what drives the electric motor.

FCEVs were once hailed as the future of the automotive industry, even before BEVs took over. This is because of their superior performance and how easy and quick they are to recharge, compared to BEVs. On a full tank, FCEVs can cover a much higher range than a fully charged BEV.

However, FCEVs have limitations around the cost and convenience of refuelling that prevent them overtaking BEVs, let alone regular gasoline vehicles. The technology is still quite new and it is much easier to find a gas station than a hydrogen refuelling station.

Here are some examples of FCEV models:

  • Honda FCX Clarity
  • Toyota Mirai
  • Mercedes Benz F-Cell
  • Hyundai Nexo

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

HEVs are the second most popular type of electric vehicles. The introduction of the Toyota Prius in the late 90’s helped with their popularity.

HEVs use both electricity and petrol/diesel as their fuel source. They also have an internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor. At low engine speeds, they use the electric motor as they provide higher torques at lower speeds. As the speed increases, it employs the internal combustion engines that provide higher torques at higher speeds.

The motors are controlled by an electronic system that makes the decision on if it’s better to use the engine or the electric motor, depending on driving conditions.

Like BEVs, they also employ regenerative braking. Some models of HEVs include:

  • Honda Civic Hybrid
  • Toyota Prius Hybrid
  • 2010 Tesla Roadster
  • 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles use an external source to charge the electric motor like a BEV, and hence its name. As a result, they are able to achieve a zero-emission range meaning that emits less than 75g of CO2 per km. They are also able to make significant savings on energy costs, compared to other hybrids.

As they aren’t fully electric and don’t need large batteries, they are smaller than BEVs.

However, they can only rely on electric power for short distances before having to turn to gas power. So, if you don’t want to use gas on a PHEV, they are terrific for short journeys at low speeds.

Some examples of PHEVs include:

  • Volkswagen Golf LTE
  • Toyota Prius Plug-In
  • Ford Fusion Energi
  • Audi A3 E-Tron

Extended Range Electric Vehicles (E-REVs)

E-Revs are similar to HEVs and PHEVs. They are not fully electric and use both electricity and petrol/diesel. They have both an electric motor and a combustion engine. However, the design is to primarily run on electricity while using the combustion engine as a back-up.

The engine only employs when absolutely necessary, such as when the battery runs out of power.

They produce low CO2 emissions due to their reliance on electric power, about 20 g/km which is lower than that of HEVs. They can also cover large ranges solely using electric power, and hence the name, Extended Range Electric Vehicles. Some can go up to around 125 miles using only electricity.

Some examples of E-REVs are:

  • BMW i3 and i8
  • Chevrolet Volt

Do Electric Cars Really Save Money? HybridCenter Explores!

Hybrid Center Team
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Do Electric Cars Really Save Money? HybridCenter Explores!

Electric cars have been all over the news lately. They have been heralded as the future of the automotive industry. With companies like Tesla helping to publicize their technology and pushing technical boundaries. It’s not a surprise that electric cars are getting so much attention.

Societies and governments are starting to realize how detrimental vehicle pollution is from regular diesel and petrol cars. They are not just bad for the environment, but also bad for people’s health. As our population grows rapidly, and more people are looking for transport. The automotive industry has to find a quick solution to tackle these issues.

Electric cars first gained attention in the late 1990s with the introduction of hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius. The Prius was the pioneer for all electric vehicles, and sole-handedly created the market for hybrids in the US.

Supporters of electric vehicles have touted a myriad of benefits for electric vehicles. They are cleaner, have potential to be more efficient than gasoline vehicles and require less maintenance than regular cars. But, the main reason electric vehicles have gained so much popularity over recent years is the claim that they can lower fuel costs and save you money.

So, do electric cars really save you money? That’s quite a difficult question to answer. There are many different types of electric vehicles with different technologies. Which means they will have their own specific costs that are incurred in their manufacture and operation. For example, with plug-in hybrids and full-electric vehicles such as Battery Electric Vehicles, you need to consider the cost of electricity for charging the battery. But, for conventional hybrids, you don’t need to think about electricity costs. Because their batteries don’t need to be charged via an external source, like in the case of BEVs and plug-in hybrids.

So, whether electric cars can save you money will depend on the type of electric car you’re considering.

Costs to Consider For Electric Cars

Apart from the cost of the vehicle itself, there are other costs and benefits you need to consider when purchasing an electric car:

Upfront Cost

First up is the actual cost of the car. Electric cars tend to have quite high upfront costs because some of the technology is still relatively new, such as battery packs.

‘Fuel Costs’

Depending on the type of electric vehicle you are going for, you need to consider the cost of recharging or refuelling. For ones that need charging, like Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-In Hybrids, you need to consider the cost of electricity. If you’re considering buying a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), then you need to consider the cost of hydrogen fuel.

Taxes or Subsidies

Depending on where you live, certain countries have lower taxes and purchase subsidies for electric vehicles to encourage people to buy them.

Additional Supporting Costs

Certain types of electric vehicles will need specialized equipment to keep them operating. For example, BEVs and plug-in hybrids are quickly chargable using EVSEs (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) which you can purchase for your home, so that you don’t need to go to a service station to charge your car.

Replacement Part Costs

You also need to consider how much replacing a certain part of the car will cost you. In almost all electric vehicles, one of the most important replacement costs you need to consider is that of the battery. Especially if you are considering a BEV that is entirely dependent on a battery pack for power, you need to research how expensive that would be to replace.

Also, not all types of EVs use the same kind of batteries. There are different types of batteries used in EVs such as Nickel-Metal Hydride, Lithium-Ion and Lead Acid Batteries that all have different costs. For example, BEVs mainly use Lithium-Ion because they offer the best power-to-weight ratio but are also the most expensive to replace. So, the battery replacement costs for a BEV can be costly since they solely rely on them for power.

Cost of your Efforts and Time

Though not an explicit cost, it is an important thing to consider if you’re busy. Some EVs like BEVs and Plug-In Hybrids need to be charged regularly and charging EVs isn’t the most convenient. It can take several hours for the car to reach full charge

Measures to Compare Vehicles

One method to effectively compare the fuel costs between vehicles is to look at their fuel economy. Fuel economy is simply the maximum distance that can be travelled per gallon of fuel, known as miles per gallon (mpg). This can be used for FCEVs (miles per gallon of hydrogen fuel) and regular petrol and diesel cars.

Because you can’t measure electricity in gallons, there is a measurement – equivalent miles per gallon. This measures the amount of electricity that has the same energy as a gallon of gasoline and how many miles can be covered for this amount of ‘equivalent’ electricity.

The higher the fuel economy, the less often you will have to charge the vehicle and the more you will save on fuel costs. If the fuel economy is low, this could mean that the car doesn’t use the fuel effectively and a lot of the energy is wasted. So, you will end up with high fuel costs.

Costs of Owning an Electric Vehicle

In general, there are several ways that electric vehicles save money:

Higher Efficiency and Fuel Economy

Electric motors are inherently more efficient than internal combustion engines, so they waste less fuel as heat. EVs also employ regenerative braking which recovers energy that would otherwise be lost during braking. As a result, they have higher fuel economies which means you save on fuel costs.

Lower Cost of Electricity

The recharging cost of BEVs and plug-in hybrids will be lower than if you use that same energy in the form of gasoline. Electricity prices are more stable in comparison to the price of gasoline that fluctuates in the range $1.50-$4.0 for each gallon. To travel the same distance as a gallon of gasoline, the cost of electricity would only be around $1.20.

Tax Reliefs

Some countries such as in Scandinavia will encourage people to buy more electric vehicles by offering tax cuts and vehicle purchase subsidies.

Less Maintenance and Repair Costs

The transmission system for an EV is much simpler than that of a regular car because there is more electronic control over it. To change an EV’s speed, all it has to do is to change the current that is feeding into the motor.

This means that EVs have less moving parts and hence lower chances of breakdowns and repairs, since moving parts are the main cause for vehicle failures. This will save you maintenance and repair costs.

On average, the annual average cost of operating an EV is approximately $485. While that of a gasoline car is around $1,117. So, you definitely save up on annual operating and fuel costs.

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

These are electric vehicles that solely rely on electric power and a battery pack. They don’t have an internal combustion engine, only have electric motors and don’t use gasoline. The battery pack is the most important component in terms of cost.

BEVs are reliant solely on the battery pack, so the ones they have need to be light and powerful. This is why a lot of them use Lithium-Ion batteries, because they offer the best power to weight ratio. However, they are also the costliest battery type. The cost of replacing the battery depends on the car model and manufacturer. The battery on a Nissan Leaf, for example, costs $5,499 to replace without the installation charge.

The upfront cost of a BEV is also quite high since they use expensive Lithium-ion batteries. High range, high-end cars like the Tesla Model X costs around $85,000 and $35,000 for the Model 3. They can cover a range of just under 240 miles on a full charge. A Chevy Bolt is around $38,000. So, they’re not really the cheapest.

However, with BEVs, there is a trade-off between the upfront cost and the savings in fuel costs. They can effectively half your ‘fuel’ costs. Primarily due to the low cost of electricity. It will take years to pay off this upfront cost, so it depends on how long you own it.

For charging, you can charge a BEV at home on a standard 120V outlet at home. But, this will take hours. An EVSE is a faster method of charging because it uses a 220V circuit. They are available at service stations but it can be convenient to own one. This is an additional cost that can set you back around $700 for a good charger.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)

If you’re going for a FCEV, the main ‘fuel’ cost will be that of hydrogen fuel. Currently, hydrogen fuel costs are almost the same as that of gasoline at around $0.13 per mile. The upfront costs are very high, however. The Toyota Mirai costs around $57,500 compared to the cost of a Prius, $23,475.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

PHEVs can rely more on electric power because they can charge externally like a BEV. So, like a BEV, the costs here include that of electricity for charging, cost of an EVSE charger and a battery replacement. Different manufacturers use different types of batteries, so the cost can vary.

With PHEVs, you also need to factor in the cost of gasoline in addition to electricity. A plug-in hybrid can cost you upwards of $25,000 upfront.

Factors to Consider When Comparing Electric Cars – What to Look For?

Hybrid Center Team
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Factors to Consider When Comparing Electric Cars – What to Look For?

These days when you think of going for an electric car, there are a variety of options available on the market. The electric car market has boomed as car manufacturers and people have realized how much better electric cars are for the environment. There are various types of electric cars that employ different technologies, so it can sometimes be hard to choose as the choice can be quite overwhelming for people new to electric cars. They all have different characteristics based on things like emissions, mileage on full charge, charging times, cost, etc.

The types of electric vehicles (EVs) can include fully electric ones like Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) or partially electric ones like Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). Due to their different working mechanisms, they all have different characteristics and factors to consider before buying them. There are also different trade offs you will need to make, such as mileage range and cost.

The factors you need to consider can also vary depending on your own personal preferences and circumstances. For example, you may need to ask yourself questions like:

  • Are you buying this car to mostly do short distance or long-distance journeys?
  • Do you have a particular budget in mind?
  • Would you prefer a lower upfront cost, or are long-term cost savings more important to you?
  • Do you live in an area were EV technology has been established, and where there are numerous charging stations?

The Different Types of Electric Cars

The term ‘electric car’ is rather a broad term as it can cover many different types of electric cars. The term can refer to full electric cars such as BEVs and FCEVs that rely solely on electricity to drive the vehicle, to hybrid vehicles that use both gasoline and electricity in conjunction. The one thing all electric cars have in common is that they use an electric motor to carry out all or even a part of the car’s key functions. The electric motor is driven by electric current drawn from a power source such as a battery pack (in BEVs) or fuel cells (FCEVs).

Most electric cars also employ regenerative braking to prevent the kinetic energy during a car’s deceleration from being converted to and wasted as heat. In regenerative braking, the car’s motor turns in the reverse direction during the braking. In the reverse direction, the induction motor now becomes a generator and converts the kinetic energy of the braking to electrical energy which can be stored in the battery pack for future use.

Electric cars can be classified into:

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

These are fully electric vehicles that produce no emissions or waste products while driving. They rely solely on electrical energy stored in the battery packs for all the functions in the car. They do not have an internal combustion engine, just the electric motor to run everything.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)

These are also fully electric vehicles and they draw the electric current to run the motor from a fuel cell. The fuel cell generates electrical current from the electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. These don’t cause CO2 emissions, but they do produce steam or water vapor as it is a by-product of the chemical reaction.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Hybrid Electric Vehicles use both electricity and petrol/diesel for key functions. So, they have both an electric motor as well as an internal combustion engine. They use the electric motor at low speeds where the motor can produce higher torque and the ICE at higher speeds as the engine is more efficient at higher speeds.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

These are hybrid vehicles that can be charged with an external power source, unlike your typical HEV that cannot be recharged. Similar to typical hybrids, however, they can also alternate between electricity and gasoline.

Extended Range Electric Vehicles (E-REVs)

E-REVs are a type of PHEV that can cover a greater range on electricity alone.

A General Guide to Important Factors When Comparing Electric Cars

Range of the Electric Car

This is perhaps one of the most important performance indicators to keep in mind when comparing any cars, not just electric cars. In a traditional gasoline powered vehicle, the range refers to the maximum distance that the car can travel on a full gas tank. For electric cars, the maximum range refers to the maximum distance that can be covered by the car on single full charge of the battery. With FCEVs, the range would refer to the maximum distance that can be covered on a full tank of hydrogen fuel.

Charging Times and Range

Especially for BEVs and PHEVs, range is extremely important because it will determine how often you will have to recharge the battery. One of the biggest complaints about electric cars is that they are inconvenient to charge and take a long time to do so. If you don’t have the necessary equipment and charge the car on a standard electrical outlet at home, it can take the whole night to charge. This method of charging will give you 2-5 miles per hour of charging.

To get a faster charging time, you would need an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) that operate on a 220/240 V circuit and can charge quicker than a standard outlet. An hour of charge will get you a mileage of about 10-25 miles.

The fastest charging method is to use a DC fast charger. These can give a full charge within an hour. Companies like Tesla have taken these even further, where their superchargers can get you a full charge in 30 minutes.

To put out a few numbers for perspective, here are some typical mileage values that can be achieved with an hour on an EVSE for some typical electric car models:

  • Chevy Spark- 11 miles added per hour
  • Fiat 500e- 22 miles added per hour
  • Ford Fusion Energi- 11 miles added per hour
  • BMW i3- 25 miles added per hour
  • Kia Soul- 22 miles added per hour
  • Mercedes B-class Electric- 29 miles added per hour

Speed of Charge and Maximum Range

So, here there are technically two things to consider when thinking about the range of an EV: how quickly it can be charged to full (how many miles are added per hour of charging) and the maximum range itself.

In EVs in general, it is hard to get a large range when running on electricity alone. Here are some typical maximum ranges (maximum distance per full single charge) for some popular EV models:

  • Nissan Leaf- 107 miles
  • Tesla Model S- 250 miles
  • Tesla Model X- 300 miles

Note that these electric car models are all BEVs, so they are fully electric.

Price of the Electric Car

As with any product, important decisions all boil down to the price tag and operating costs. With EVs, there are many costs to consider before making a purchase. You need to consider the upfront cost of the car, the charging or fuel costs and any potential replacement part costs.

For EVs, there are a lot of trade offs with price and cost. For example, a lot of high range EVs have high upfront costs. So, while they don’t need to be charged as often and you would save on refuelling costs, you still would need to pay up a lot of money. This upfront cost can take a while before they pay off over the years with reduced fuel costs.

High-end EVs with high ranges can cost over $80,000 for models like Tesla’s X model. More affordable options are also available, however, such as the Nissan Leaf and the Hyundai Ioniq series.

Other costs could include the cost of an EV charging station if you plan to get one. A good charger can cost you around $700.

Electricity Prices

The most important operating cost for an EV is the price of electricity. This could vary, depending on where you live. In general though, electricity is cheaper than gasoline fuel, so your ‘fuel’ costs can be significantly cut down with EVs.

Hydrogen Fuel Prices

If you’re one of the brave few who are planning to go for an FCEV, you would need to consider the costs of hydrogen fuel. As the technology behind FCEVs are relatively new and there’s not much demand for FCEVs compared to other EV types such as hybrids and BEVs, hydrogen fuel is not that economical.

Charging Stations

If you don’t have a charging station of your own, you should consider how many EV charging stations there are close to where you live. If there aren’t many, it could be inconvenient for you to buy full electric cars such as BEVs.

Fuel Economy

Another important factor to consider is fuel economy or what’s traditionally known as miles per gallon (mpg) for traditional vehicles. For electric cars, because full electric cars don’t use gasoline and electricity isn’t measured in gallons, there’s something known as eMPG or equivalent miles per gallon.  These values can be used not only to compare EVs with each other, but also EVs with traditional cars.

The eMPG is somewhat similar to the range we talked about before. eMPG is the distance covered by the EV for the electricity equivalent of a gallon of petrol or diesel.

Before deciding to purchase an EV or what kind of EV, you need to consider general factors like cost and range. However, you also need to think about your individual demands. What kind of trips do you make? If you only need to make short-range trips, then you wouldn’t need to invest in an expensive, high-range EV. So, it all depends on making trade-offs with cost and performance.

Top 5 Fuel Efficient Cars – How Hybrid Cars are Changing the Game

Hybrid Center Team
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Top 5 Fuel Efficient Cars – How Hybrid Cars are Changing the Game

Fuel efficiency is an important measure of a car’s performance. In simple terms, it is a measure of how effectively a car performs per a given unit of fuel. Improving fuel efficiency is always high on the agenda of car manufacturers and governments are also heavily invested in it. If cars have lower fuel efficiency, it means that the car will waste fuel as heat instead of going the distance. It will be expensive for the customer, so it is in the manufacturer’s interest to improve it as well.

For governments, especially those that have to import diesel and petroleum, this means that people will be spending a lot of money importing fuel. This is obviously not good for their trade balance. Another reason is that lower fuel efficiency for fossil fuel powered cars will mean more carbon emissions and hence more air pollution. So, governments are also trying to incentivize car manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency as much as possible.

Car Features that Affect Fuel Consumption

The shape and aerodynamics of a car body is a major contributing factor to how efficiently the vehicle will use fuel.  The chemical energy in the fuel is not only used to drive the car, but also to cover other losses such as air resistance.

A car spends a lot of energy, and hence fuel, in overcoming air resistance. Hence, car manufacturers are continuously improving the aerodynamics of their car models. This is mostly done by streamlining the car body as much as possible.

Car body shapes that have sharp turns and edges will have to spend more effort in trying to overcome air resistance. More rounded, streamlined car bodies tend to be the most aerodynamically efficient. You will see this in nature as well, where most fish will have smooth elongated bodies to overcome drag easily. Air and water are both fluids, so the aerodynamic shapes behave in similar ways in overcoming resistance.

Aerodynamic research is a huge field of study in both the automotive and aviation industry. There is specialized, dedicated software for optimizing aerodynamic designs. The reason that a lot of resources are dedicated to aerodynamics is because a small change in the shape (in aviation, even dirt particles are enough) can have significant effects on overcoming air resistance and hence the fuel economy.  

Aerodynamics is just one of many car features that will affect fuel consumption. Engine design also has a significant impact on fuel efficiency.

Other Factors that Increase Fuel Consumption and Efficiency

  • Added cargo that can change the aerodynamic shape of the car will increase air resistance and hence fuel consumption. Not only does this increase air resistance, but it also adds weight which means the car expends more energy.
  • Driving in cold weather regularly can increase fuel consumption
  • Taking too many short drives. Engines work most efficiently when they have had time to warm up.
  • Driving at higher speeds. Higher speeds generate more air resistance, so it will use up more fuel.
  • Alignment issues in the tyre can reduce fuel efficiency. Also, higher pressures in the tyre prevent deformation and increases fuel efficiency.
  • Problems with the fuel injectors can mean fuel is wasted from the start.

Technologies that Improve Fuel Efficiency

  • Transmission types also effect fuel efficiency. Continuously variable transmission (CVT) will give a higher fuel efficiency as it enables the engine to run at optimum RPM.
  • Reusing waste heat from the exhaust improves fuel efficiency
  • Novel lightweight materials can reduce the rolling resistance of the vehicle.
  • Cylinder shut-off mechanisms can increase fuel efficiency only running cylinder that are needed.
  • Generally, hybrid vehicles have a higher fuel efficiency because an electric motor is used in conjunction with the engine. The petrol engine is used when it is really necessary. (More on this later).

Measuring Fuel Economy/ Fuel Efficiency

In transport, fuel economy is synonymous with fuel efficiency. Fuel economy, in simple terms, is measured by how much distance can be covered by the vehicle per given unit of fuel. Inversely, it can also be represented by how much fuel is required to cover a unit distance.

In countries that use the metric system, fuel economy is measured in terms of litres per 100 kilometres. These countries include most of Europe, Australia, China, New Zealand and some parts of Africa and Asia. In countries such as the US, UK and Canada, fuel economy is measured in terms of miles per gallon (MPG). In the Middle East, it is measured by distance per 20 litres of fuel. The higher these values are, the more fuel efficient the vehicle is.

How Hybrid Vehicles Have Changed the Game for Vehicle Fuel Efficiency

Are hybrid vehicles more fuel efficient than normal cars? To give a simple answer, yes, they are more fuel efficient. They are, in fact, the most fuel efficient of all vehicles. On average they have a fuel economy of 50-60 mpg whereas it is around 40 mpg for regular non-hybrid vehicles, saving you more money on gas.

Overall, hybrid vehicles contain an internal combustion engine, battery, electric motor and generator. Hybrid vehicles are more fuel efficient because they use a combination of an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor to deliver power.  These two power units complement each other, because the electric motor can drive the vehicle at speeds that the ICE is not efficient at. Hence, you get the best of both worlds. This also means that the ICE can be smaller than in regular vehicles and can be switched off when the vehicle is in idle.

Requirement of Batteries

However, because hybrids rely on electric power they also require batteries that need to be charged. These batteries, along with the generator can add significant weight to the car which outweighs the space-saving benefit of a smaller ICE engine. So, even though hybrid vehicles are the most fuel efficient, they only win by a small margin. They are only around 20-30% more efficient than normal vehicles.

The savings of fuel costs as a result of the higher fuel efficiency also do not offset the higher cost of hybrids. It is estimated that over a 10-year period, you only save about $2,300.

But, the good news is that hybrid technology is continuously improving. It is a relatively new technology, so it is very likely that rapid technical innovation will drive down the prices and improve fuel efficiency even further.

Now that we know how hybrid technology improves fuel efficiency, we will take a look at the five most fuel-efficient hybrid cars.

Top 5 Most Fuel-Efficient Hybrid Cars

1. Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

Hyundai Ionic
Hyundai Ionic (Image Source)

At an impressive mileage of 57 MPG, Hyundai’s 2018 Ioniq takes the cake for the most fuel-efficient car in the US. The Ioniq series has been the most fuel efficient, ever since it launched back in 2016. With a streamlined car body made of lightweight materials and a very powerful engine that delivers an impressive thermal efficiency of 40%.

It also wins for being the best bang for your buck at just over $23,000. Hence, it beats out its biggest rival, the Toyota Prius in terms of cost and fuel efficiency. The Ioniq series is available as full-electric and plug-in hybrid models.

2. Toyota Prius

Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius (Image Source)

A name that has always been renowned in the hybrid world, the Toyota Prius takes the second place with a mileage of 53 MPG (highway) and with no plug-in option. This car is a four-doored hatchback that has room for five people. It is also reasonably priced, at $24,370 but not enough to beat Hyundai’s Ioniq.

The main updates to this model from the previous Prius cars is that it has more advanced safety technology with features such as blind-spot monitoring.

3. Toyota Camry Hybrid

Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid (Image Source)

The combined city-highway mileage for the 2018 Toyota Camry is 53 MPG. It is slightly pricey at over $28,000. This model revamps the Sedan to have a fuel economy rivalling the Prius. However, certain models such as XLE have lower fuel economy at around 47 MPG.

It also has good safety technology such as the inclusion of the Pre-Collision System (PCS) which alerts the driver of a potential collision and also has Pedestrian Detection system.

4. Kia Niro

Kia Niro
Kia Niro (Image Source)

The best fuel economy is in the FE version of the Kia Niro series of hybrid hatchbacks. The highest fuel economy is 49 MPG (highway) for the FE models. The other models have slightly lower mileages ranging from 40-46 MPG (highway).

The 2018 Kia Niro also comes at a modest price of $24,280 which is more economical than the Camry.

5. Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Malibu (Image Source)

Another sedan-turned-hybrid from Chevrolet comes in at the 5th spot with a highway MPG of 43. It is quite expensive at $28 795 comparable to Toyota’s Camry. However, it has a lead of 10 MPG over the Chevrolet Hybrid. It also has a more spacious cabin than the Chevy Hybrid. But, in general, the Malibu is a decent mid-size car with great fuel economy.

Hybrid Cars – Your Most Common Questions Answered

Hybrid Center Team
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Hybrid Cars – Your Most Common Questions Answered

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) were first popularized in the late 1990s. Primarily, through the introduction of hybrid car models such as the Toyota Prius. The Prius is considered to be the pioneer of hybrid cars. It single-handedly created the market for hybrid vehicles in the US. Now, HEVs are soaring in popularity due to rapid innovation in the automotive industry.

It’s not surprising why major automotive players like Toyota, BMW and Ford want to get ahead in the game. As climate change becomes more and more of a pressing issue. And people continue to realize how damaging gasoline car emissions are to the atmosphere. Electrification seems like a natural way forward in the automotive industry. Electric vehicles are undergoing incredible innovations that are constantly pushing the technical limits of earlier hybrids.

However, with so much buzz around electric cars and hybrids. It is hard to keep up with them and easy to get confused. The media uses ‘electric cars’ as an umbrella term with a very broad definition. It includes both full-electric cars like Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and semi-electric cars like Hybrids.

There are many variations of ‘electric vehicles’ and they all employ different working technology. So, it is easy to confuse them all. Here, we aim to clear the air about some of the confusion around HEVs.

What Exactly Are Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)?

To start off, we need a clear picture of what HEVs really are. HEVs are a type of electric vehicle (EV). An EV refers to any vehicle that uses an electric power to carry out all or some of the key functions of the car. All full and semi-electric cars utilize an electric motor to carry out tasks in the car. This motor is driven by either a battery pack (collection of thousands of individual battery cells). Or a fuel cell (generates electricity through electrochemical reactions in the fuel cell).

Full electric cars like Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) use only electric power to drive the vehicle. The electric current from either a battery pack (BEVs) or a fuel cell (FCEVs) are used to power an electric motor, which drives the car. So, they do not have internal combustion engines or any of its associated parts.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) are semi-electric vehicles that combine EV technology with regular gasoline powered cars. They use both electric power and gasoline to drive the vehicle. So, they use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. HEVs would also need both a fuel tank and a battery pack. HEV batteries cannot be charged using an external source. They are charged internally during regenerative braking (system to capture energy while braking).

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are also a variation of HEVs and are one of the most common and effective hybrid variants.

As hybrid vehicles partially rely on gasoline, they also produce emissions, but less than regular gasoline cars.

What’s the difference between HEVs and PHEVs?

As mentioned earlier, all EVs including all hybrids employ regenerative braking to recover some of the kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost as heat when a car brakes. The main difference between conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids is that, the battery of a plug-in hybrid vehicle can be charged with an external source. In conventional hybrids, the batteries are only charged through regenerative braking. Hence, plug-in hybrids can rely more on electric power and travel a greater range using just electric power, compared to conventional hybrids.

In conventional hybrids, the electric motor is there to provide some support for the combustion engine, not to replace it. They will use electric power for small tasks instead of relying on it to drive the vehicle.

Since, plug-in hybrids can rely more on electric power, they produce less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional hybrids.

What are some examples of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Some examples of conventional hybrid models include:

  • 2005-2006 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
  • Ford Fusion Hybrid
  • Ford Escape Hybrid
  • Toyota Prius

Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles are now more common. Some examples include:

  • Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid- widely considered to be the top hybrid car of recent years
  • Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid
  • 2018 MINI Cooper SE Countryman
  • 2018 KIA Niro
  • 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  • 2018 KIA Optima
  • 2018 Honda Clarity

How do HEVs work?

In a nutshell, HEVs work by using both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor during the conditions where they work best. Usually, at low speeds, electric motors are quite effective and can produce high torque. Combustion engines can’t produce high torque at low speeds. Hence, the electric motor is used at these speeds. At higher speeds, the combustion engine is more effective, so it is used at higher speeds.

The switch between the motor and combustion engine is determined electronically, where the system decides which one gives the optimum performance at the current driving conditions.

What are the main components of an HEV/PHEV?

Electric Motor

This is the main motor used for propelling the vehicle and draws electric power from the battery pack. Some EVs use a motor-generator that act as both a motor to drive the vehicle and a generator to produce current from regenerative braking.

Battery Pack

A collection of individual battery cells that store electrical energy for use by the electric motor to drive the vehicle. Hybrids rely only partially on electric power, so the battery pack doesn’t have to be as big and powerful like in full electric vehicles.

The type of batteries used depends on the type and manufacturer of the car. Some manufacturers use Lithium-Ion but for hybrids, the most commonly used battery type is Nickel-Metal Hydride as it is more economical than Lithium-Ion.

Internal Combustion Engine

Fuel is injected either into combustion chamber or intake manifold. The fuel-air mixture is ignited with a spark plug to move the piston.

Gasoline Fuel Tanks

Stores gasoline onboard the vehicle.

Auxiliary Battery

Used in addition to the battery pack for small functions like starting the car and to power accessories.

DC/DC Converter

Steps down voltage of the power from the battery pack to the low voltage needed for the accessories to work.

Power Controller

This electronic system controls the amount of current that flows from the battery pack to the electric motor, thereby controlling its speed, torque and the speed of the car itself.

Transmission System

Delivers mechanical power from the engine using a system of gears to drive the wheels. This can be used with or instead of the electric motor to deliver power to the wheels.

Charging Port

For PHEVs, it allows the battery pack to be charged using an external power source.

Cooling Systems

Maintains an optimal vehicle temperature needed for the electric motor, power controller and engine to function smoothly.

Inverter/Onboard Charger

The current coming from the external power source during charging is in AC. The charger converts this AC current into DC current that is compatible with the battery pack to be stored.

What are the main advantages of a Hybrid Vehicle over regular cars?

There are a myriad of benefits of choosing a hybrid vehicle over a regular gasoline car.

Superior Fuel Economy

For regular petrol or diesel cars, the fuel economy simply means how much distance the car can travel in miles per gallon of fuel and is measured in miles per gallon (mpg). As electricity is not measured in gallons, the fuel economy for full-electric cars and hybrids are measured in equivalent miles per gallon (MPGe).

Here, consider the amount of electricity with the same energy as a gallon of fuel and how far the car can travel with this amount of electricity. Regular petrol and diesel cars, even some of the top ones have MPGs I the range 30-65. With hybrid vehicles, particularly plug-in hybrids, MPGs can reach up to 130 MPGe. The Toyota Prius Hybrid has a fuel economy of 133 MPGe (electric and gas combined) and a regular gas MPG of 54. Meanwhile the Honda Clarity has a rating of 110 MPGe (combined electric and gas) and a regular gas rating of 42 MPG.

Hybrids have better fuel economy because electric motors are more efficient than combustion engines, and they have energy saving mechanisms such as regenerative braking, which means less fuel is wasted as heat.

Better Range

As hybrids tend to have better fuel economy than regular gasoline cars, some of them can have really high ranges that are high enough to compete with top gasoline powered cars. Another important factor to look at for an HEV is the all-electric range. This is the maximum distance that can be travelled using electric power alone, without engaging the combustion engine. The higher the range, the longer you can go without charging and the less emissions you will release.  Some top PHEVs with high all-electric ranges include:

  1. 25 miles – 2018 Toyota Prius Prime
  2. 29 miles – 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In
  3. 26 miles – 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In
  4. 47 miles – 2018 Honda Clarity
  5. 53 miles – 2018 Chevrolet Volt

Lower Emissions

Because hybrid vehicles tend to have better fuel economy, they tend to use less fuel to travel the same distance. Hence, they release lesser emissions. The higher their maximum all-electric range, the lower the emissions would be.

Lower Fuel Costs

Especially for Plug-In Hybrids where you can rely more on electric power and less on gasoline fuel, you can make significant fuel cost savings per year. This is because generally, the price of electricity is lower than that of gasoline. Gasoline prices are also more volatile. In a study, it was found that using an electric vehicle can cut your fuel costs by more than half per year . This in comparison to regular gasoline vehicles.

Less Maintenance and Repair

Hybrid Electric Vehicles have more electronic control to change key functions in the car such as its speed. A lot of mechanical parts, do this in in gasoline vehicles. As a lot of moving mechanical parts are a source of failure for vehicles, with hybrids you can save maintenance and repair work, and associated costs.

How do you charge a hybrid vehicles?

Charging is mainly for plug-in hybrid vehicles as you can’t charge a conventional hybrid vehicle. An external power source can charge plugin hybrids. You can use standard 120V outlets at home, but this will take a while to reach full charge. Usually, if you charge with this method at home, you will need to leave the car overnight to get full charge.

A faster way to charge is using an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) that operates on a 220/240V circuit. The time it takes to charge can vary depending on the type of car and battery. Typically, an hour of charging on an EVSE will add 10-25 miles of range. So, it would take 2-3 hours to be fully charged. You can get your own EVSE or head to an EV charging station.

Electric Cars Unraveled – An All-Inclusive Guide to Electric Cars

Hybrid Center Team
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Electric Cars Unraveled – An All-Inclusive Guide to Electric Cars

Contrary to popular belief, electric cars aren’t actually new. The technology has been here from as far back as 1884. Due to limitations in technology, electric cars are largely a lost subject, in favour of petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles. Now that the world has realized the role of petrol and diesel vehicles in pressing issues such as climate change, the focus has returned to electric car technologies.  Electric cars in general have a better fuel economy and produces less emissions compared to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.

Electric cars are all the rage these days. It would be hard to avoid news about the electric revolution in the automotive world, with companies such as Tesla spear heading continuous innovations in the field. Electric cars have seen a massive increase in their sales, with renowned automotive companies such as Jaguar and BMW joining in on the trend.

In this article, we are going to explain the A-Z of electric cars, what they are and how they work.

What is an Electric Car?

With so many innovations to keep up with in the automotive world, it is easy to lose track of what an electric car really is.  Simply put, an electric car or electric vehicle (EV) uses an electric motor that takes its power from transportable sources of electric current such as fuel cells and batteries.

It can be easy to confuse full electric vehicles with hybrid vehicles. A full electric vehicle uses the electric motor as the only source of power. Meanwhile, a hybrid vehicle uses the electric motor in conjunction with the traditional internal combustion engine as power.

You may have heard of ‘BEVs’ a lot in automotive news. It stands for battery electric vehicles where the source of electric current is a battery.  Generally, when referring to ‘electric vehicles’, many people refer to both BEVs and fuel cell vehicles.

How Electric Cars Differ From Traditional Gasoline-Powered Vehicles

The main distinction between EVs and regular vehicles is that an electric motor replaces the internal combustion engine that is found in traditional vehicles.  In electric vehicles, there are also no gears or clutches. They just use electric current to change the speed of the motor.

Because there are no liquid fuel sources for a full electric vehicle, you also find the other fuel associated parts found in gasoline vehicles such as intake manifolds, gas tank, carburettors, gas pumps and exhaust pipes.

Electric cars also have less moving parts, so in some ways, it reduces maintenance work. The only moving part in them is the rotor.

Electric cars generally use electronic controls over mechanical methods of controlling actions, unlike in conventional vehicles. Starting, stopping and changes in speed are all controlled electronically.

Even though electric cars on their own produce less emissions than traditional vehicles, they also have more methods of saving energy, such as regenerative braking. The purpose of regenerative braking is to recover energy from the momentum during a car’s deceleration, which would otherwise be lost as heat. This feature is not available in conventional gasoline-powered cars. Additionally, in most electric cars, the power is turned off when the car is in ‘idle’ such as during traffic.

Because they have many methods to conserve energy, they tend to have a better fuel economy than traditional vehicles.  

Basics of How Electric Cars Work

In one sentence, it can be said that, direct current drawn from a battery or fuel cell is used to run the motor and propel the vehicle.

Electric cars work by converting direct current drawn from a fuel cell or battery to alternating current using an inverter, and then using this AC current to turn an induction motor. The induction motor is turned by the alternating current producing an alternating magnetic field. The turning of the motor is then used to propel the vehicle.

The source of the direct current is a battery pack. A battery pack is made from a series of around 7,000 lithium ion cells that work together to generate direct current.

The drivetrain found in electric vehicles is not as complicated as in traditional vehicles. Electric vehicles use a single speed transmission that delivers the power from the motor to the wheels.

To change the speed of the vehicle, a signal is sent from the accelerator pedal to the controller. This will change the speed of the vehicle by changing the frequency of the AC electric power from the inverter to the motor.

Battery Electric Vehicles use rechargeable batteries that need to be charged regularly, much like fuelling up at a gas station. The battery can be charged by simply plugging into an electric outlet, at home or at an electric vehicle charging station.

Charging an EV

There are many ways of charging the battery of an EV. When charging at home, a 120 V outlet is needed. One hour of charging is enough to give about 2-5 miles of mileage. This is the slowest method of charging.

The second method is to use an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) which could be done at home or a charging station. The EVSE operates on a 220/240 V circuit and can be used on all plug-in vehicles. This is faster than using a standard 120 V outlet, and an hour of charge can cover 10-25 miles of distance.

Finally, the fastest method of charging an EV is to charge at DC fast charging station where they use DC-based EVSE. This method can be used for all plug-in electrical vehicles. Here, 80% of the charge will be completed in 30 minutes.

Regenerative Braking

As mentioned before, electric vehicles attempt to conserve energy by recovering energy that would otherwise be lost during braking. The loss in energy is mostly due to friction between the wheels and road surface. The loss in kinetic energy during braking is converted into electrical energy via the induction motor. How does this happen? Well, in electric and hybrid vehicles, the motor turns in the reverse direction when the driver brakes. When the motor operates in the normal, forward direction it converts electrical energy to rotational kinetic energy. When the motor operates in the reverse direction, it does the opposite. It converts the kinetic energy from braking into electrical energy, acting like a generator. This generated electricity is stored for future use in the battery pack.

The Anatomy of a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

Electric car technology is evolving at a fast rate, so the exact anatomy or technology would depend on the specific car. They all have different features such as self-driving technology, but here we are describing the basic anatomy of most electric vehicles.

Contrary to what people may think, the anatomy and operation of an electric vehicle is usually simpler than that of a traditional vehicle. There are not as many moving parts, so the structure of an electric vehicle is simpler.

The key components of electric vehicles are:

1. Electric Motor

Every electric vehicle uses an induction motor. AC current generates changing magnetic fields in an induction motor, which will make their poles turn and turn the motor. Technically, these can run on either DC or AC, but AC motors tend to be lighter and simpler and hence are more common in electric vehicles in the market.

2. Motor Controller

A motor controller is to an electric motor what the brain is to the heart. It tells the motor what to do. It is also the intermediary between the battery and the motor. Any speed change has to go through the controller as a signal, to the electric motor. The controller helps monitor the performance of the key components of the car, such as the accelerator pedal, the battery and the motor. Hence, it effectively controls all the key tasks of the car. Motor controllers can operate on either AC or DC current.

3. Batteries

This is the most important power source of an electric vehicle. There are many types of electric vehicle batteries available, such as:

  • Lead Acid Batteries

This is the cheapest of all the battery types and hence are quite popular in the electric car industry. They are also 97% recyclable.

  • Lithium-Ion Batteries

Performance wise, these are the best batteries and also the most lightweight. They are widely used in the electronics industry for things like laptops and smartphones. They are durable and give a higher range and have longer lifespans than lead acid batteries. However, they are also the most expensive of all the battery types. Also, there are some concerns about their toxicity.

  • Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries

These have a higher energy density than lead acid batteries but are less efficient in the charging and discharging process. They are appearing to be the biggest contender to lithium ion batteries because they are less toxic and more economical.

Batteries can be charged via several methods. They are chargeable both at home or at specialized charging stations. Batteries also charge via regenerative braking available in electric cars, but it’s usually not enough to completely charge it.

The battery pack consists of many individual battery cells that work together to generate current and store electrical energy. The battery pack is one of the heaviest components of an EV and is normally quite low down in the vehicle, so as to maintain the car’s centre of gravity as close as possible to the ground.

4. Inverters

The current drawn from the batteries is in DC, while most of the motors found on EVS operate on AC current. So, there has to a way of converting the DC current to AC current which is what the inverter does.

Advantages of Using Electric Vehicles

Greater Efficiency

Electric cars are far more efficient than regular vehicles because electric motors are generally more efficient than internal combustion engines. Electric motors are around 80-90% efficient while internal combustion engines are only around 30% efficient.  In internal combustion engines, most of the fuel’s energy results in the production of heat, which is waste.

Due to this vast improvement in efficiency, electric vehicles have a better fuel economy than traditional vehicles, which of course means major savings in fuel costs per year. For example, the fuel cost of running 30,000 miles for a Tesla Model S comes to about $1,048 annually, while at the same time the average annual fuel cost for a traditional car is about $5,318.

Equal or Greater Performance

EVs can sometimes outperform even the best traditional vehicles. This is because electric motors can generate high torques at lower engine speeds, which is not possible on internal combustion engines.

EVs are also smoother and quieter when running.

Less Air Pollution

As mentioned, electric motors are more efficient than internal combustion engines. Hence, they inherently have a better fuel economy as they waste less . They also don’t produce any emissions at all. They have additional energy saving mechanisms such regenerative braking. So, they waste less energy and pollute the air less.

Maintenance

EVs have less moving parts compared to traditional vehicles. This means less parts are likely to fail and hence require less maintenance work.

Electric Vehicles are an innovative automotive technology helping to tackle our pressing issue of climate change. They are more efficient and cause less air pollution. However, the technology is relatively new and limitations of them are preventing them from taking over gasoline powered cars. For example, the battery packs are quite expensive and heavy which might cancel any benefits from fuel savings. It’s also easier to find a gas station compared to an EV charging station. So gasoline cars are still more convenient.

Understanding Hybrid Cars – A Comprehensive Guide to Hybrid Cars

Darryl H.
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Understanding Hybrid Cars – A Comprehensive Guide to Hybrid Cars

The very mention of “Hybrid Cars” and these days everyone thinks of the Toyota Prius. But did you know that the Prius wasn’t the first Hybrid Car? And that even though we have become familiar with the concept of Hybrid Vehicle thanks to it, the first hybrid car was designed by Porsche?

Hybrid Cars – A brief history

Jacob Lohner – a coach builder from Vienna – is widely considered to be the pioneer of Hybrid Vehicles. In the early 20th century, hybridization of vehicles wasn’t to gain more fuel economy. Rather their invention was pushed by the fact that traditional cars with their internal-combustion engine were quickly becoming disliked owing to their foul-smelling emissions.

Lohner, at that time, reached out to a very young engineer in the automotive industry – Ferdinand Porsche. At the young age of 21, Porsche created an electric motor that fit inside the hub of the wheel, and was completely battery operated. Lohner loved the design and asked Porsche to fit his motor inside one of the coaches that Lohner was already manufacturing. The outcome was what is the first Electric car – The Elektromobil.

Lohner-Porsche Elektromobil made its first public appearance at the Paris Exposition in the year 1900. This was almost a century before we ever heard the name Prius.

Initially, the Elektromobil was completely powered by the electric wheel hubs that Porsche had built. But keeping the battery charged was quickly becoming a major challenge. To mitigate this issue, Porsche went ahead and built a gasoline powered internal combustion engine that ran a generator, which in turn charged the battery. Effectively, building the world’s first Hybrid.

As per estimates, Lohner and Porsche sold roughly 300 units of their Elektromobil. Post that, their work and the idea of Hybrid cars faded into the books of history.

Even after that, barring a few automotive experts, the concept of a “Hybrid Cars” was hitherto unheard of. People had no idea what a hybrid car was or that such a mode of transport even existed. And no car company was considering a hybrid to be a viable business model.

Prius makes an entrance

In the year 1997, Toyota took the reigns by launching the Prius in Japan. Widely considered the pioneering hybrid car, that took the concept of Hybridization to the mainstream. Four years later, in 2001, Prius saw a worldwide launch and car owners around the world wanted to own one. In just 6 years following that, by 2007,  Toyota surpassed one-million units in Prius sales around the world. This made it the most widely accepted Hybrid in history.

What are Hybrid Cars?

Traditional cars have an internal combustion engine that is powered by gasoline or diesel. Hybrid cars have an internal combustion engine as well that are powered by the above mentioned fuels, but over and above that – they have at least one electric motor and use both of these to move the vehicle.

The car’s movement is sometimes powered by the Electric motor alone, in which case no fuel is used. At other times, the movement is powered by the internal combustion engine alone, in which case fuel is burnt. And at other times, both engines work in conjunction to move the car.

The overall result is less burning of fuel, thereby resulting in better fuel economy for the driver.

The term “hybrid” literally means – “a certain thing built by the combination of two different things”. In this case, the two different things are the traditional internal combustion engine and the modern electric motor. Hence the term, Hybrid Cars.

Electricity in a hybrid car comes from a high voltage battery pack in the car (this is separate from the traditional 12-volt battery that comes with every car). Hybrid cars also employ a system called “regenerative braking” – this charges the battery every time the brakes are applied by processing the energy/heat generated during braking. The gas engine also recharges the battery in many cases.

What are the different types of Hybrid Cars?

Though “Hybrid Cars” is an umbrella term for any vehicle that sports a gas engine and an electric engine together – not every car is built alike. Various manufacturers build hybrid cars to satiate varying requirements – some are built to increase the fuel economy to the maximum possible level, while others are built to bring down the cost of the vehicle.

Let’s take a look at the various types of Hybrid Cars in the market today –

Plug-in Hybrids

Hybrid Car Charging

This is the closest Hybrid cars get to full electric vehicles in terms of recharging/refueling. A Plug-in Hybrid as the name suggests is the kind of car wherein the engine can be charged through an electric socket.

Plug-in Hybrids sport the biggest battery pack out of all kinds of Hybrid cars and can be charged at your home, office or even at a public charging station.

Think of it like having a bigger tank of gas. Once recharged, these cars can give you a decent mileage per charge that can range from 25 to 55 miles per full charge.

These cars work exceptionally well for people with a short daily commute. Since, if recharged every night, the car is almost always powered by electric charge and never touches the fuel in the tank.

In the event that the electric charge is depleted completely, the car reverts to becoming a standard “Parallel Hybrid”, a form of Hybrid Cars explained below. However, there are some Plug-in Hybrids that are “Series Hybrids” as well – another form, explained below.

Most Common Examples of Plug-in Hybrids are the Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV, Chevrolet Volt cars and the Toyota Prius PHV.

Parallel Hybrids

This is the most common for Hybrid Cars available on the market. Parallel Hybrids, as the name suggests, boast of a design, where the electric motor and the gas engine connect to a single transmission. This moves the car by blending the two sources of power.

The kind of transmission employed by the vehicle and the size of its gas engines determines the acceleration, look & feel and even the sound of the vehicle.

Most Common Examples of Parallel Hybrids are the Toyota Prius, Lexus RX 400 and the Toyota Highlander.

Series Hybrid

In this form of Hybrid Cars, the electric motor powers the car entirely and the gasoline engine never comes in contact with the wheels. The sole purpose of the gasoline engine in a Series Hybrid car is to recharge the batteries, in order for the electric engine to power the car.

Since the electric engine powers the driving almost entirely – the driving experience is very similar to that of an all-electric car.

The only known issue is the unintentional revving of the engine. This is known to make some users uncomfortable.

The car does have an internal-combustion engine, even if only for charging the battery. And when the battery needs to be recharged, the engine begins revving on its own. So you might hear it rev, even when you’re cruising at medium speed, thereby making you uncomfortable.

Most Common Example of Series Hybrids is the Fisker Karma.

Uncategorized Hybrid Cars

The Hybrid Cars industry has had over two decades of research, engineering and development. As a result of this, there are cars that don’t conform to a particular bracket of hybrids. It’s almost impossible to classify them as a Series or a Parallel Hybrid.

Honda, for instance, has a unique design that makes it both a Series Hybrid and a Parallel Hybrid. Like a Series Hybrid, the gas engine in their design keeps on recharging the battery. However, like a Parallel Hybrid, the gasoline engine can also power the car.

Volvo, on the other hand, has a range of plug-in hybrids that use the traditional gas engine to power the front wheels. While the car’s rear axle is powered by an electric engine.

Mild Hybrids

Then there are Mild Hybrids – which are not complete hybrids. In the case of Mild Hybrids, the electric engine doesn’t power the wheels at all, it, however, assists the main internal-combustion engine to help improve the fuel economy and performance of the vehicle.

The fuel economy benefits of Mild Hybrids is nothing in comparison to other Hybrid cars. Owing to this reason, they failed to achieve mainstream popularity. However, in recent months, they’re making a comeback of sorts – with cars like Audi A6, A7 and A8 and even the Mercedes-Benz E-Class adopting a 48-volt electrical sub-system to compliment their traditional high powered internal combustion engine.

Essentially, some or the other form of hybridization is now evident in almost every new model of cars.

Features and Benefits of owning a Hybrid Car

The electric battery powering a Hybrid Car not only helps with the fuel economy. But with additional performance and energy saving features as well.

Idle-Off

This is arguably one of the best features of a Hybrid Car. Think of the small sensor located at the top of the front side of your phone, right besides the camera. When you’re in a call, as soon as you hold the phone to your ears, the sensor shuts off the screen, thereby preserving battery. Similarly, the screen turns back on almost immediately when you remove the phone from your ears. During this entire time, the phone is on and you won’t miss a text or another call or an email.

Hybrid cars have a similar feature called “Idle-off”. When the car is idle for a certain duration of time, the main engine shuts off, automatically. Such as when stuck in traffic, or when at a stoplight or waiting for someone.

The other features such as the air-conditioner and the screen or dashboard lights keep working, thanks to the electric engine. The electric motor can restart the car almost seamlessly when moving and even engage the conventional engine when needed. This results in huge fuel savings.

Regenerative Braking

This is yet another fuel-saving feature. When applying brakes in a traditional car, it almost entirely relies on friction. This results in the vehicle’s kinetic energy turning into heat and gradually dissipating in the air.

However, in Hybrid cars, some of these energy recharges the batteries. This, in turn, can power the car’s various components and even start or move the car when needed.

Power Assist

Another feature that essentially assists the traditional gas engine. This results in the load on the gas engine to become greatly reduced. Thereby, allowing a reduction in its size.

Smaller gasoline engines produce less power on their own. However, in conjunction with electric engines, their capability fairly increases. These Hybrid Engines are capable of producing power that can equal or even exceed traditional gas only vehicles.

Electric-Only Drive and Electric Assist

Hybrids that sport a larger battery-pack (such as plug-in hybrids) can allow their users to enjoy extended drives. That too at relatively higher speeds on electricity alone without using the gasoline engine at all.

In Hybrids that are not be plug-in, the electric engine starts the car and can even drive at low speeds.

In either case, this results in far less fuel utilization..

On a final note

Hybrid cars have the potential to protect the environment and the climate. Not only this, it is also capable of protecting the consumer.

Reduced fuel usage is the need of the hour. And Hybrid cars are a great solution. They also rank very highly on the maintenance scale and require very little maintenance.

As a car owner, when owning a Hybrid, you gain from the enormous fuel saving benefits of Hybrid Cars. While at the same time doing your part for the planet.

Surviving Long Car Trips with Babies & Toddlers

Darryl H.
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Surviving Long Car Trips with Babies & Toddlers

Travel Activities for Infants and Tots during Family Road Trips

Traveling with kids, particularly babies and toddlers, requires a lot of planning and preparation. Older children on long car trips can be distracted with a variety of activities due to their ability to read, write and count. But for babies and toddlers, the activities are somewhat limited. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be good traveling companions.

What parents need are some essential items for the car such as a diaper bag, tissues and wipes, first aid kit and food as well as a few fun car games to keep the little ones happy and occupied while on long car trips.

Baby Toys

Babies and toys get along just fine. And that’s why it’s a good idea to bring several small toys along. Don’t take them all out at the same time, though. Take them out one at a time so that they all stay “new”. When the baby seems to have grown bored with one toy, put it away and present her with another one. Parents can also buy some cheap and small toys when making stops during the journey.

Playing Peekaboo

Babies are often fond of playing peekaboo. Adults or older children in the car can all take turns to play peekaboo with the baby. Pulling funny faces is also highly entertaining for babies!

Dealing with Crying

The good news is that most babies can sleep through most of their journey. The bad news is when they get cranky, they may cry non-stop for a long while. Here are some tips to deal with crying while on the road.

  • Make sure the pacifier, blanket, and favorite toy are within easy reach.
  • If the crying continues, stop the car and check for rashes and other signs of discomfort.
  • Maintain the baby’s routine, particularly when it comes to feeding time and sleep time.
  • If the journey takes a few days, lodge at hotel rooms with a small kitchen or at least a microwave oven to heat up milk and cook simple, fast meals.
  • Assign someone who can tolerate loud and incessant crying for more than 10 minutes as the driver.

Surprise Goodie Bag

Toddlers will enjoy surprise goodie bags. Give each toddler a small bag filled with five to seven items such as small toys, stickers, balloons, picture books, coloring books, crayons, pencils, and erasers. Don’t open the bag and let them see the contents. Instead, get them to feel the bag and guess what the things inside are. Ask the children to guess the item one by one.

The guessing game itself will have eliminated a few minutes of boredom in the car. And when all the contents are revealed, the kids can get busy with them. To make drawing and coloring activities easier, invest in a snack and play travel tray for each toddler in the car.

Naming and Counting Objects

This is a good and fun way to learn new words and grasp numeracy concepts for toddlers. Use the objects you see as learning tools. Watch out for cows, horses, sheep, rivers, farms, houses, hills and other vehicles on the road. Name and count them as the car passes them by. However, be sure not to count to more than 10. Keep things simple and fun for the kids.

Singing and Rhyming

What’s a car trip without singing and rhyming? Get some CDs with children’s songs and nursery rhymes and sing along. Again, it’s a great way to learn new words. No children’s CDs? No worries! Just belt out any song to keep things alive in the car. Kids will love it too if Mum or Dad can sing off-tune or make silly sounds when singing.

Keeping babies and toddlers happy and amused on a long family road trip is challenging but not impossible. Just be sure to bring along their toys, coloring books, and crayons, have a contingency plan to manage crying and be prepared to play silly games and sing funny songs.

Recycled Grease Makes a Cheap and Green Fuel for Cars and Trucks

Darryl H.
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Recycled Grease Makes a Cheap and Green Fuel for Cars and Trucks

Powering a Diesel Vehicle on Vegetable Oil

In 1898 Rudolph Diesel showed off his invention at France’s Exhibition fair. It was the first diesel engine, and it ran on peanut oil. It’s no wonder that automotive masters are returning to these roots, popping up everywhere with new ways to power a diesel car or truck with recycled vegetable oil.

Not Biodiesel, Just Straight Vegetable Oil

Biodiesel is a great way to run any non-modified diesel vehicle on vegetable oil. But, making biodiesel requires chemicals, start-up costs, and a garage full of equipment. Users often purchase it from a professional, just like any other fuel. It’s greener, but can be more expensive than using standard diesel.

The attraction to running a vehicle on straight vegetable oil (SVO) is that the oil does not have to be processed chemically. The only processing needed is good filtering, since SVO, also called waste vegetable oil or WVO, is obtained free of charge when restaurants are done using it for cooking. The other two elements needed are adding equipment to the vehicle to enable it to run on grease, then finding an oil source.

Dual Tank and Single Tank SVO/WVO Conversion Systems

“Conversion” isn’t the best way to describe the process of altering a vehicle’s fuel system to allow it to use vegetable oil since cars and trucks that run on grease can run on standard diesel and biodiesel too. A better term would be adding a “dual fuel” system.

The fuel components need tinkering because SVO needs to be hot before entering the engine to make it the same viscosity as diesel fuel. Vegetable oil hardens more easily and tends to be thicker than diesel, and thick fuel can damage an engine.

Various SVO systems heat the oil differently. Companies like Greasecar and Dino Fuel Alternatives recommend putting a second fuel tank in the vehicle’s trunk or bed. This extra tank is specially designed to heat the vegetable oil, so it’s thin when it enters the engine. The stock fuel tank remains in the vehicle and can run regular diesel, and special controls allow the driver to switch between diesel and SVO.

Another method, the single tank system, can be used in some circumstances. Companies like Elsbett and PlantDrive offer systems that employ the stock tank to hold either diesel or SVO and instead modify the fuel injectors and other parts to heat the fuel. Although these systems save cargo space by eliminating a fuel tank, they are not as fail-safe as the two-tank system and are recommended on older diesel cars in moderate climates (for instance a 1985 Mercedes in southern California). For the latest model cars and big trucks (Ford F-250s and the like), the two tank system is the safe bet, especially if the SVO user’s hometown gets cold in the winter.

Best Places to Find Waste Vegetable Oil

The key to finding a good oil source is to pursue quality rather than quantity. Ideally, the oil will be liquid at room temperature, and non-hydrogenated. Any type of vegetable oil normally used for cooking may be used, be it canola, peanut, or corn oil. The higher quality the restaurant, the better the cooking oil is likely to be. Chinese restaurants, for example, tend to use high-quality oil and change it often. The result is liquid oil that doesn’t have too many food particles or other debris.

Steer clear of fast food restaurants, since they use mostly hydrogenated oils that could be in solid form, making it hard to filter. Getting it into a fuel tank could be even harder.

Be sure to get permission from the restaurant’s owner before taking vegetable oil. Usually, owners are happy to give it away, since they may have to pay to dispose of it. An SVO user should coordinate with the restaurant owner by setting up a regular time and method of pick up. Then the owner knows, for instance, to put a five-gallon container by the back door every Tuesday evening.

Filtering Recycled Vegetable Oil

Perhaps the most important step in using SVO is to filter properly. Without good filtering methods, the vehicle’s fuel line and filter will be clogged with food particles and debris left by the restaurant’s cooking staff.

The good news is that filtering doesn’t require expensive equipment and can be done at home or even on the spot at the restaurant. Setting up the right system of hoses, filters, and drums, along with some trial and error, will ensure good methods. For some additional equipment costs, Greasecar even sells filtering kits that mount to the vehicle and pump and filter the oil in one step, right into a container or the vehicle’s SVO fuel tank.

Get Kudos for Being Green While Saving Money Too

Recycling vegetable oil for transportation saves the environment from harsh diesel fumes while saving the driver money. After initial vehicle conversion costs, the user can save thousands of dollars in fuel costs over time. It’s true what they say, it’s not easy being green; using SVO has to be a love and a hobby since it’s not as easy as stopping at the local gas station. But the rewards are priceless and empowering, knowing how to be green and save green too.

Handy Tips for Buying a Car

Darryl H.
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Handy Tips for Buying a Car

New and Used Car Advice for Buyers

Buying a car is always an exciting prospect. In the excitement, mistakes can easily be made, from buying a stolen vehicle to accepting a high-interest finance package. Following a few simple guidelines can greatly reduce the chances of anything untoward happening when buying a car.

Tips for Buying a New Car

Before setting foot in a car showroom it is advisable to inquire about various manufacturers’ special deals. These are widely advertised on TV, radio and the internet. Unless a customer has a specific manufacturer in mind it is always better to shop around.

It is essential that, before buying a new car, a thorough test drive is undertaken. The car should be tried on a variety of road types. Particular attention should be paid to the driver’s seat and steering wheel, which should be easily adjustable and provide a comfortable driving experience. Sometimes dealers can be reluctant to authorize an extended test drive but, if they think it will lead to a sale, they will almost certainly agree eventually.

When discussing finance for a new car the dealer will usually expect the customer to haggle over the interest rate. The initial rate given by the dealer will not be the lowest they can offer the car at. It is also not always necessary to accept finance from the dealer when buying a car. By getting quotes from other finance companies it is often possible to get a much better deal. When buying a new car it is advisable to ask for the total amount repayable, as this gives a clear indication of how expensive the finance package will be.

In addition to asking for a reduced rate of interest, it is also not unusual to ask for certain extras. These can include free car mats, a free tank of fuel and a free servicing plan.

Tips for Buying a Used Car

Buying a used car can be a daunting proposition. If the car belongs to a private seller it is best to view the vehicle outside their home address. The address can be checked against the one in the car’s logbook. This lessens the chance that the car being viewed is stolen.

Several checks should be carried out while the car is stationary. These include checking for uneven wear on the tires (a sign that the tracking is out of alignment), checking for rust and making sure that the chassis number matches the log book. The dipstick should also be checked for signs of thick residue, which is a sign of engine trouble.

When buying a used car it is also highly advisable to check that the steering wheel turns from lock to lock with no grinding or clicking sound. It is best practice to pay a small amount of money for a vehicle history check to be carried out.

After making stationary checks the car should be taken for an extended test drive. This gives the potential buyer the opportunity to check the vehicle’s handling and instruments work correctly. It also provides an opportunity to test the car’s electric systems, such as windows, sunroof, and air conditioning. When standing still with the engine idling the exhaust can be checked to see if there is any sign of blue smoke, which is another sign of serious engine trouble.

When buying a new car or a used car it is essential to remain focused on getting the best deal possible, even if it means trying several different models. In the case of buying a used car, it is also critical to thoroughly check the vehicle and paperwork. By doing so the chance of leaving with a great car at a bargain price is much higher.

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