How Does a Hybrid Car Work?

Traditional cars have a gasoline tank which supplies fuel to the engine. This turns the transmission which makes the wheels spin. An electric car has batteries that send electricity to the motor. This also turns the transmission and makes the wheels spin. Even though electric cars do not produce emissions, with today’s technology they are not ideal for transportation because they can only go 50 to 100 miles between charges. They are also slow and inconvenient to charge.

A hybrid car is an automobile with more than one power source, such as an electric motor and a motor that runs on traditional fuel. A hybrid car is the best of both worlds because it offers the convenience of a gas-powered car but also helps the environment and saves on fuel cost.

There are two types of hybrid cars, a parallel hybrid and a series hybrid. A parallel hybrid has a fuel tank that supplies gas to the engine and an electric motor that runs on a set of batteries. Both the engine and the electric motor can turn the transmission at the same time, hence the name parallel hybrid.

A series hybrid has a gas engine that turns a generator. In turn the generator can either power an electric motor to turn the transmission or it can charge the battery. This means that the gas engine never directly powers the car.

Clean Air Cab uses the Toyota Prius which has a power split device. This special device is a gearbox that allows the vehicle to operate as a parallel hybrid or a series hybrid by connecting the gasoline engine, generator and electric motor together. The electric motor can power the car independently, the gas engine can power the car independently or they can both power the car simultaneously. The power split device also acts as a continuously variable transmission which means the car does not need a manual or automatic transmission. Also since the generator is connected to the engine by the power split device, the Toyota Prius does not need a starter and can be turned on by the simple push of a button.

From initial acceleration to low speeds, the Prius is powered solely by the electric motor.

When light acceleration is applied, the Prius uses a combination of electric and fuel power. During heavy acceleration the Prius uses fuel power assisted by the energy in the battery for extra horsepower.

When slowing down or stopping the gas engine shuts off and car is powered by electricity from the battery. When the Prius is at a complete stop no tailpipe emissions are produced, unless the drive battery needs to be recharged.

By driving a hybrid car you are reducing tailpipe emissions and improving mileage which in turn puts money in your pocket. That is why Clean Air Cab uses hybrid cars to save green by going green, and we pass that savings onto you, our valued customer.

Go Green for Less with Clean Air Cab!