What Are The Two Different
Forms Of Hybrid Cars?
By Jackson Porter
Currently, there is a lot of interest in hybrid cars due to the gas prices of
recent years. There are two forms of hybrid cars. The first is a parallel
hybrid, where there is both a gas and electric supply attached to the
transmission of the car and the car is able to use both sources when running.
The second is a series hybrid, where the gas portion powers a generator and the
generator supplies electricity for the motor to run. These both improve the
efficiency of the car, which is why hybrids are favored today. The only drawback
for some consumers is the size.
The reason for this is that smaller cars help maintain the efficiency of the
car. With a big car the engine is heavier and so when speeding or traveling up
an incline, more energy is needed. Further more, because of the size, the hybrid
car has an engine that requires less energy to perform its tasks. Then there is
the cylinder displacement, which in a large vehicle takes more power. And in
terms of cylinders, the smaller hybrid car doesn’t need as many to perform.
The Honda Insight is one of the smallest hybrid cars on the market. It was
designed to carry two people. There is hardly any space for cargo or luggage.
This design improves the fuel efficiency considerably, but the lack of space is
a drawback.
The Toyota Prius has more space than the Insight. It can fit more than four
people and the hatchback trunk can carry more cargo or luggage. This design has
won Toyota awards and honors but for a family car, today’s consumers are used to
having much more room.
Then there is the Honda Civic Hybrid. This car is the same size as a regular
Honda Civic. The compartment spaces are maximized as much as possible in this
model. Again, for the consumer who is used to driving an SUV or a minivan, this
may still be not enough.
And for those consumers, there are some SUV and minivan hybrids available,
however they don’t perform well. The efficiency has been compromised by the
size. The price tag of these cars is a couple of thousands of dollars more than
the regular models so in the end it may not be worth it in terms of gas mileage.
So if you are buying a hybrid, it is best to go for the smaller cars and if you
are looking for something larger, a hybrid may not be worth it.
Jackson Porter is a staff writer at
Automobile Enthusiast and is an occasional contributor to several other
websites, including Environmental
Central.
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