Battery technology is undergoing incredibly swift development. Previously, the batteries utilized had been of the nickel-metal hydride kind but in the most recent hybrid cars and also in the forthcoming models, lithium-ion batteries are fitted, giving longer range and greater driving properties. Therefore far, hybrid technologies incurs considerable additional costs. Just how much depends on the variant chosen – the further you want to be able to drive on electric power, the a lot more battery power is required, which affects the car’s cost.
At present there are five diverse hybrid car variants. They are listed below from the lowest degree of electrification to the highest (battery sizes are examples and can vary).
Typically referred to as a Micro HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle). A commence/stop function indicates the engine switches off when the car is at a standstill and restarts when the driver presses the accelerator. This is probable owing to the installation of a much more effective starter motor (4 kilowatts) compared with the regular 1.4 kW. The battery is a normal 12 volt starter battery. According to NEDC (New European Driving Cycle – the European driving cycle employed by all automobile manufacturers for calculating fuel consumption) carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are decreased by 4-five percent compared with a corresponding automobile without the start off/quit function.
(Medium HEV). This variant has a 10-15 kilowatt electric motor and a a lot more effective battery compared with the micro-hybrid, with an output of about 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh). Thanks to a generator situated by the rear axle, the medium hybrid generates energy when the auto brakes, energy that can be subsequently utilized for acceleration. CO2 reduction according to NEDC is about 10 percent.
(Parallel Powersplit HEV). Has an even a lot more effective electric motor of about 35 kW and a much more effective two kWh battery that permits the energy generated throughout braking to be stored and utilised even more efficiently. With a full hybrid, it is achievable to drive about one kilometre on the electricity that is generated. This variant provides approximately 20 percent carbon dioxide reduction.
(PHEV, Parallel Powersplit Plug-in HEV). Same principle as the full hybrid, but with an even much more powerful electric motor (50-100 kilowatts) and even a lot more battery power, up to 15 kWh. It can be recharged via a standard wall socket and can be driven for about 50 kilometres on electricity, soon after which the combustion engine automatically takes over. Here it is feasible to accomplish a CO2 reduction of around 70 percent. For e.g. Volvo ReCharge Concept.
SHEV (Series Hybrid Electric Vehicle). It has more potent electric motor (100 kW) with a 50 kW generator and a lot more effective battery (15-20 kWh) than in the plug-in hybrid. Recharged from a typical wall socket and can be driven up to 60 kilometres on electric power. Here it is the electric motor that propels the car even though the combustion engine is utilized only to create electricity for the batteries when they need to be recharged. The effective electric motor means it is feasible to use a smaller combustion engine, such as a three-cylinder petrol or diesel engine. This hybrid variant too can attain about 70 percent lower CO2 emissions.
All five variants therefore consist of a conventional combustion engine, so there is by no means any risk of coming to a standstill at the roadside due to the fact battery power has run out.
The step beyond hybrid cars is the dedicated electric car with out any combustion engine, the BEV, (Battery Electric Vehicle). This is recharged via a wall socket and runs solely on electricity. With today’s technology the range would be 150-200 kilometres (depending on battery size). Carbon dioxide reduction is 100 percent – the automobile produces no carbon dioxide emissions at all.