Understanding Hybrid Engines: Advantages & How it Works on Cars
19 December, 2022
Want to have a vehicle that is fuel-efficient as well as environmentally friendly? Choosing a car with a hybrid engine can be the best choice. A hybrid car is a type of vehicle that uses a propulsion system with two energy sources, namely fuel and electricity.
Combining these two types of energy sources is claimed to produce higher efficiency when compared to conventional engines. Even more interesting, cars with hybrid engines also claim to reduce air pollution by up to 90% (source to automotive.tempo.co news page).
Then what are the advantages, and how does the hybrid engine work? Check out the full review below.
Advantages of Hybrid Engines in Cars
Cars with hybrid engines offer various advantages compared to conventional cars. Some advantages of hybrid engines in cars include the following:
- Save fuel oil because gasoline is not used continuously.
- Low exhaust emissions due to a better combustion process.
- Minimal vibration and low engine sound.
- Improved acceleration and speed performance are due to a gasoline engine and a battery-powered electric motor that can provide maximum power to the car.
The presence of a CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) transmission prevents vibrations when shifting gears that passengers and the driver can feel.
The advantages of a hybrid engine make driving activities, especially in dense and polluted cities, more comfortable. Thus this type of car is the right alternative to maximize city air that is more environmentally friendly.
Differences Between Hybrid Machines vs. Conventional Engines
Cars with this hybrid engine differ from cars with conventional engines. Conventional cars use internal combustion engines or gasoline engine cars, or diesel engines. Meanwhile, hybrid cars use two types of energy, namely gasoline engines and electric motors.
The next difference is that a hybrid car engine’s sound is much smoother compared to a conventional car engine. Hybrid cars also have a longer distance than conventional cars.
How Hybrid Machines Work Based on the Type
In general, cars with hybrid engines are of three types, namely full hybrid, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Each type has a different way of working.
1. How Full Hybrid Works
The full hybrid system consists of several types, namely parallel hybrid, serial hybrid and parallel serial hybrid. For the parallel hybrid system, the power source is generated from three combinations, namely a gasoline engine, an electric motor or it could be a combination of both.
The two power sources in this hybrid engine will actively work continuously and cannot be separated. At low speeds, the gasoline engine will charge the battery while the vehicle’s wheels are moving.
2. How Mild Hybrid Works
Mild hybrid systems usually use an additional battery as a power source but with a smaller capacity than the main battery. The goal is to lighten the work of the engine during the initial batch because the workload is heavier.
The workings of this type of hybrid engine do not use a separate electric motor but utilize the optimization of the starter generator components from the starter motor and alternator found in the main engine. This system serves to help ease the performance of the gasoline engine by providing an injection of power at the start of acceleration
3. How Plug-in Hybrid Works
The workings of a plug-in hybrid system are not much different from a full hybrid system. However, this type of hybrid engine offers a longer range of use of the electric motor because it uses a battery with a larger capacity.
For plug-in hybrid engines, vehicle owners can recharge the battery. The trick is to do charging at home or SPKLU using the plug-in. Because it uses a large battery capacity, gasoline engines are rarely used.
Currently, there are more and more choices of hybrid cars in Indonesia. Almaz Hybrid is a type of hybrid car that offers various advantages. Besides being fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, this hybrid-engine car also has smooth acceleration and vibration. Almaz hybrid can be one of Indonesia’s best choices for today’s hybrid cars.