What is a Hybrid car, and why should you choose it?, Auto News, ET Auto


Hybrid cars have both electric motor and internal combustion engine.

Why should you choose a hybrid car?

Hybrid vehicles demonstrate the type of vehicle that is a mix of a gasoline engine and an electric motor. It differs from standard gasoline cars in that petrol and diesel engine cars work solely on diesel/petrol, while in hybrids we combine either gasoline or internal combustion engine with one electric battery. You can draw power from both types, depending on the driving situation.

How does a hybrid car work?

Hybrid cars primarily put their electric motor in action when the driver wants to have low-speed driving, coasting, or decelerating; all these factors rely upon the battery’s charging capability. Hybrid vehicles are fuel-efficient; they use fuel engines only when they are climbing sloppy landscapes (mountains or hills), accelerating, or when extra power is required.

What are some of the top hybrid cars in the market?

1.Toyota Innova Hycross, INR. 25.30 lakh

2.Maruti Suzuki Invicto, INR 24.79 lakh

3.Toyota Vellfire INR 96.44 lakh

4.Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, INR 10.86 lakh

5.Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, INR 10.70 lakh

6.Honda City Hybrid eHEV, INR 18.92 lakh

What makes a hybrid car different from traditional and electric cars?

Hybrid cars are different from conventional cars because they automatically charge the car’s hybrid battery, thus eradicating the necessity of external charging stations. They are powered by two sources: an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

Hybrids provide the user better fuel efficiency and lower emissions than conventional vehicles.

Electric cars derive power from a single source, i.e., an electric motor to run.

How do you maintain your hybrid car?

Hybrid cars require more maintenance than the conventional ones. The first thing you need to focus on is your car’s battery, which is expensive to replace. If you think that the battery’s state is not good, then you need to buy a new one soon. If the battery condition is good, then take proper care of it. The fan filter is crucial that you have to do on a high-voltage battery, as it ensures that the heat is dissipated appropriately and prevents battery cells from dying. They are affordable when it comes to their operations.

Hybrid cars don’t have alternators, which implies that routine maintenance is budget-friendly.

What are the pros and cons of Hybrid cars?

Pros

1.Cleaner emissions: When we talk about internal combustion, hybrid cars have both electric motor and internal combustion engine. This leads to reduced emissions and is more environmentally friendly.

2.Compact and efficient engine: The smaller engines don’t have to power the hybrid cars all alone; there is an electric motor too. The engines used in such cars are small, thus making them more fuel-efficient.

3.Braking: Whenever the brake is applied in a hybrid car, the electric motor generates electricity and recharges the battery. Thus, you don’t have to stop the car to replace the battery.

Cons

1.Reduced performance: The main motive of hybrid cars is to increase fuel efficiency, but the power or acceleration are far behind those of conventional engine cars.

2.Not budget-friendly: Though the companies are trying to reduce the price of hybrid cars and make them comparable to conventional ones, the cars are still more expensive.

3.Increased maintenance: With two engine parts in one hybrid car, they demand increased maintenance. Plus, not every mechanical engineer knows how to repair it.

How Indian automotive manufacturers are switching to Hybrid vehicles?

For automakers the hybrid is a smooth transition between the Internal Combustion Engine to Electric Vehicles. The CTO of Maruti Suzuki, C.V Raman said in 2022 that in the coming five years Maruti will focus on Hybrid cars. Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) in 2022 launched a campaign, ‘Hum hai Hybrid’ to promote its Hybrid cars. Honda is also moving towards hybrids by launching multiple hybrid cars.

Why are automakers switching to hydrogen-fuelled cars?

In 2022, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways inaugurated its project on Hydrogen-based Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV). International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) with Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. commenced this Pilot Project for study and evaluation of hydrogen based cars. Toyota Mirai is one such example as it runs on hydrogen. Major auto manufacturers like Hyundai, Toyota, and BMW are bringing about change in the industry by extensively manufacturing hydrogen passenger vehicles. For example, Toyota brought some hydrogen cars instead of electric vehicles, like the Mirai, a hydrogen-based Sedan. Hyundai is focusing on hydrogen energy techniques. The manufacturers know about the promising longer drive range of hydrogen-fuelled cars and the flexibility they provide. Hence they are focusing more on Hydrogen cars.

  • Published On Jul 29, 2023 at 08:13 AM IST

Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals

Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis.

Download ETAuto App

  • Get Realtime updates
  • Save your favourite articles


Scan to download App


Leave a Comment