Green Vehicles – The Hybrid

Gilz

Rising fuel prices may mean alternatives like hybrid cars are popping up in conversations. So here is some info on them so you won’t feel like a dumb blonde the next time the topic is raised.
With the recent record fuel price hike, most of us are looking for ways to save money on fuel costs. Unfortunately, for South Africans who can afford one, having a car is freedom and mobility and driving less isn’t usually an option, so consumers have to find other means of cutting back. drive a hybrid car rather than a petrol-only vehicle. Although hybrid cars aren’t new, internationally their popularity has greatly increased in the last few years.

So what is it?

A hybrid car uses more than one power source: it contains both a conventional petrol-powered internal combustion engine and an electric motor or generator. Hybrid cars combine the best of both worlds: petrol power for quick acceleration and electric power to increase mileage and reduce emissions.

How do they work?

There are two types of hybrid car technology:

• A parallel hybrid uses both a petrol engine and a set of batteries that supply power to an electric motor. The engine and the electric motor can turn the transmission at the same time, and the transmission then turns the wheels.
• A series hybrid uses its petrol engine to turn a generator. The generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission. The petrol engine never directly powers the vehicle.

An onboard computer continually determines the optimum use of both the petrol engine and the electric motor, minimising fuel consumption and pollution.

The advantages

Because the electric motor assists the petrol-powered engine, a hybrid car doesn’t need a large engine. Hybrid technology requires very little horsepower to move a car along on fairly flat terrain at normal driving speeds. When more power is needed, such as for initial starts, passing, and for climbing hills, the electric motor helps supply it. The smaller and more-efficient engine burns less fuel, resulting in fewer emissions into the atmosphere.
And of course, as important as doing our bit to save the environment, are lower petrol costs, as increasing improvements in technology mean that hybrid cars operate efficiently at a fraction of the price.

The manufacturers

In South Africa, we presently only offer the Toyota Prius, but Honda plans to introduce a hybrid model in South Africa in late 2009 or 2010 which will be a little cheaper than the Toyota.  Other motor manufacturers plan to make plug-in hybrids available in the next few of years (depending on our electricity supply, of course).


"For over one hundred years, cars have made a progressive improvement in our society, and at the same time, a lot of people have viewed them as potentially being a burden, due to the issues regarding emissions," explains Toyota Motor Sales’ Ernest Bastien – the Vice President of its Vehicle Operations Group. "Now, instead of being part of the pollution, they can be part of the solution."

Now more affordable than ever

Hybrid cars are no longer the concept cars of the past – nor are they the vehicles of only the wealthiest environmentally-conscious consumers. The cost of hybrid technology has decreased overseas substantially over the years and these vehicles are now within reach of all individuals who wish to practice greener, eco-friendly motoring. 
At the moment the Toyota will cost you about R315 000 and the Honda will come in at around R210 000.

Go green – get a hybrid.