Why a Hybrid Car?

Kenneth Cortes Barreto

A hybrid car is a mix technology. It combines the power of a gasoline engine with the power of an electrical motor and battery (a rechargeable energy storage system). Hybrid cars automakers claim that its cars can give you 20 or 30 more miles per gallon than the standard automobile. There are a lot of hybrid car models, and most automobile manufacturers have announced plans to manufacture their own versions in the future.

Besides the increased price of gasoline in the past months, there are other considerations and reasons to buy a hybrid car. Gasoline is a byproduct of petroleum, a chemical substance rich in hydrocarbons which are considered harmful to the environment and a great contributor to the “greenhouse effect” and global warming.   Global warming, as defined, is a significant increase in the Earth's climatic temperature over a relatively short period of time as a result of the activities of humans. This climatic effect is found in 

warmer summers and colder winters, flooding and droughts around the globe. In short, it causes unbalances in the climatic system of the Earth. Ocean temperatures have increased causing all kind of issues; glaciers are melting causing the sea level to rise and beach erosions. Hurricanes in the tropics are becoming more intense and increased in quantity.

So gas price is not the main consideration in buying a hybrid car, if you are really into nature conservation for the future.

In the concept, as it is not a matter of sitting in front of a wheel and push pedals, you needto understand the technology and how it works and how to drive a hybrid car for maximum efficiency. We have seen through history many hybrid vehicles like the locomotives, which are diesel-electric hybrids, submarines which some are nuclear-electric hybrids; and the precursor, the mo-ped a motorized pedal hybrid that you can imagine seen on eastern countries.

Hybrid electric vehicles were first introduced in late 1990s by Honda (Insight) and Toyota (Prius). The combination of an internal combustion engine that generate electricity via an electrical generator to charge its battery; and the use of an internal electrical motor, produce the power to move the vehicle. When the vehicle is moving and goes to a stop, it uses the kinetic energy involved to charge its battery. The scientific name for this process is “regenerative braking”. This is the similar concept used in some watch makers to wind the mechanism of a watch. Still the regenerative braking needs to be helped by the traditional friction braking to stop the car.

The future is to eliminate the use of hydrocarbons and its dependency not only for its origin, but for the damage that this source of energy causes to the environment. Now the world is concentrated in “fuel cells” and “full electric” cars. Today Honda produces the “Clarity” which its propelled power is based on “fuel cells”. According to a conference session held on 2009 ( World Congress in Detroit), were officials from Toyota, Nissan, NREL, GM, Daimler, Honda and Bosch stated that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would be an important part of the total vehicle mix by 2050. In fact, the internal combustion engines are expected to still be an important part of the mix in 2050. No matter how much we talk about the consequences of using hydrocarbons in internal combustion motors, automakers will still build them. The majority of the auto industry sees hybrid and electric cars viability for small, short range commute. Not as a power train for America’s truck and SUV culture. For these vehicles, the US auto industry are looking for more efficient internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cells engines in the future.

My hope is that a more conscious people will look at the environment because, if we continue destroying our environment our “spaceship earth”, as EPCOT defines our planet, will not last for the people of the future. Hybrid cars were just a start in this journey for a cleaner environment safe means of transportation. The future, as I have mentioned, lies on the shoulders of those looking at renewable means of energy to produce power.  Global warming was once an uncommon term used only by a few scientists, now the concept is well known, but not well understood …we only complain about these hotter days… and for a better future the hybrid cars are the solution.