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Hybrid Electric Vehicles

With the rise in the price of gasoline, more and more people are taking interest in electric vehicles as means of transport. Another major advantage of electrically operated vehicles is that these vehicles offer pollution free means of transportation. Therefore even if 70% of people start using an electrically powered vehicle, we will be free of global warming caused by emission of gases like CO and CO2. There will be almost no instances of cancer caused by pollution.

Electric vehicles are more energy efficient than the contemporary vehicles wherein the electric vehicles operates at approximately 47 percent of effectiveness, while a contemporary vehicle operates at about 19 percent only. There are studies that generally conclude that electric cars with batteries are approximately 12 to 35 percent more efficient with energy than the traditional cars which run on gasoline.

But the electric car which can truly replace a traditional car is still in the conceptual stage as the electric vehicle would need continuous electric power from the batteries. The major disadvantages of present day electric cars are the time period required for recharging the batteries and their limited range

Now, it has almost been a century since the electric car has been popularly discussed, but recent developments in the Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology and the growing concerns for the environment has revived the drive for an Hybrid Electric Vehicle and this has become a realization today

Due to this problem of recharging batteries, a new type of design conceptualized in the minds of researchers and they came out with a solution. The researchers have put forward a new electrical vehicle fitted with on board electric power storage system and means of generating power. The generated power would be stored in the storage system and would be used to drive the vehicle. This new type of vehicle is called Hybrid Electric Vehicle or HEV.

The present day storage system in HEV uses NiMH batteries and not the rechargeable nickel cadmium. Nickel cadmium batteries are usually bad for the environment, but the NiMH batteries that are used in Hybrid Electric Vehicle are totally recyclable.

Battery packs in Hybrid Electric Vehicles do not need to be replaced. Made to last over the lifetime of the vehicle, a Hybrid Electric Vehicle’s warranty covers the battery for a time period that lasts between nine and ten years. In terms of mileage, a battery pack is expected to last between 125,000 and 200,000 miles, and would probably last longer than that.

In Hybrid Electric Vehicles the generating system consists of electric generator powered by internal combustion engine which runs on fuel. Hybrid electric vehicles are the definitive alternative fuel vehicles because their power is taken from the source fuels utilized to produce electrical power. Apart from that, the flexibility of the fuel alone can offer important beneficial and economic advantages especially in relation to a variety of available energy resources.

Researchers are optimistic about the performance of the hybrid vehicles. They are sure that the HEV will be more fuel efficient than the traditional vehicle powered by internal combustion engine.

Renewable & Alternative Energy Resources: http://www.alternativeenergybase.com

Charles Miller is an electrical engineer. For more information on Hybrid cars please visit the Hybrid Cars Online Resource .

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