All About Hybrid Car Batteries: From Durability to Maintenance
23 November, 2023
Hybrid cars are currently an option for automotive enthusiasts to switch from vehicles with conventional engines. Compared to conventional cars, hybrid cars are more efficient in their use of fuel. The reason is that this car also uses electric power as a power supply, which is stored in the battery.
Apart from that, this electric car uses an engine powered by an electric motor. Whether it is used simultaneously with conventional machines or alternately, This is one of the advantages of hybrid cars.
Regarding electric motors, one of the main components in an electric car is the battery. Batteries in electric and hybrid cars are often a concern for potential users. The greater the battery power, the farther the cruising range will be.
Apart from that, the quality of the battery that can withstand various conditions when the car is used is one of the main concerns. Because it is still a technology that is quite common in society, not many people understand batteries in hybrid cars.
Understanding Hybrid Car Battery
In hybrid cars, there is a conventional engine and an electric motor as support. Likewise, there is a battery, which supplies power for the electric motor.
Batteries for hybrid cars usually have less power than batteries for fully electric cars. Like the battery on the Wuling New Almaz RS Pro Hybrid, which is equipped with a Ternary Lithium-ION battery with a capacity of 1.8 kWh.
Because it is an important component, this battery is designed to be a battery with strong endurance to go through various conditions. It is good for using the car during rain or flooding. Even though it has been designed to have strong durability, users still have to be careful to avoid unwanted damage.
How to Charge a Hybrid Car Battery
There are different ways to charge a hybrid car’s battery. Until now, there have been several types of hybrid cars that work differently. Some can be charged directly from the battery, like an electric car, while others can be charged using a conventional engine. Here’s how to charge an electric car battery:
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Full Hybrid
Full hybrid cars use the petrol engine completely, while the electric motor only works when needed. Full hybrid uses an electric motor to drive the car when driving at low speeds. Therefore, this car is very efficient in consuming fuel on congested roads.
A full hybrid car will be driven by both power sources simultaneously when driving at high speeds. When the drive wheel brakes, the motor’s function switches to producing electricity. This energy is then stored in the battery.
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Standard Hybrid
A standard hybrid is the second type of hybrid car, which is different from a full hybrid because the standard hybrid uses a petrol engine and an electric motor as propulsion.
This hybrid car operates by converting the energy produced by the gasoline engine into electrical energy, which functions to charge the battery. However, the petrol engine functions as full driving force when the car is moving at high speed.
When the battery lacks power while the car is moving at high speed, the generator charges the battery with energy from the gasoline engine. Then, when braking, the generator converts motion energy into electrical energy. Thus, when the car stops temporarily, the electronic equipment in the car will get power from the battery.
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Plug-in Hybrid
The third type is a plug-in hybrid. It is almost the same as a hybrid car but has a larger battery capacity, which allows it to travel longer distances. This car’s gasoline engine will only be activated in emergency situations, namely when the car battery runs out.
This car has the ability to charge, both at home and at Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (SPKLU). The gasoline engine works less due to the larger battery capacity.
For the Wuling New Almaz RS Pro Hybrid itself, it uses a standard hybrid system equipped with a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT). This system helps the car continue and divide power between the 2,000 cc petrol engine, 123 hp drive motor, and 130 kW generator motor quickly to produce a multi-mode hybrid system.
How to Care for Hybrid Car Battery
Maintaining a hybrid car battery is not too difficult; hybrid car owners can maintain it by servicing it regularly and always cleaning the hybrid car battery to avoid dust and water.
The reason is that if dust is rarely cleaned, it can cause blockage of the car battery’s coolant, which can cause it to heat up quickly. In addition, water trapped in the battery location can accelerate corrosion.
Do Hybrid Cars Need to Be Charged?
Not all hybrid cars need to be charged directly. There are many types of hybrid cars. One of the hybrid cars that can be charged is the plug-in hybrid type, which can be charged directly at home or at the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station (SPKLU).
For other types of hybrid cars, such as Full Hybrid and Standard Hybrid, they can charge themselves when the car is running. Like the hybrid engine on the New Almaz RS Pro Hybrid, which has a Series Hybrid engine mode, the engine automatically charges the battery.
This is a review of hybrid car battery that can increase your knowledge. Hopefully this information can be a consideration for switching to a more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient car, such as a hybrid car.
