ALT-1 How Hybrid Cars Work
I would like to take you to the snowy winter time of the year when you expect your car to be as reliable as when the sun is shining. The snow level on the road is just so much as to allow a hybrid car to travel without burying the wheels in the snow. Consider the outside temperature as freezing and the road could be icy. It is in this driving condition that the hybrid car can demonstrate more fully how it works.
Turn on the ignition and start the engine. The engine runs and continues running until the engine becomes warm enough for the engine oil to circulate effectively. The engine then stops unless there is need for the car heater to be on to maintain comfort or the hybrid vehicle battery needs charging. When you drive off from parking the electric drive part of the hybrid moves the car initially powered by the hybrid vehicle battery. The engine drive takes over depending upon how heavy the car load is or whether the car is moving down or up an incline. Once the car is on the road, the vehicle runs primarily on gasoline fuel. The electric motor powered by electricity generated by the gasoline engine automatically kicks in to help reduce the rate of fuel consumption in the engine. The vehicle senses the driving conditions and determines the best combination or ratio of gasoline and electric power to save fuel more effectively. When speed is the name of the game you drive at full throttle and the hybrid vehicle battery kicks in to help the engine in supplying electricity to the electric motor, further improving fuel economy and performance. Driving uphill may require the same power as when speed is the name of the game. When approaching a red light, release the gas pedal, coast along and then gradually apply the brakes until you finally have to stop. This stopping process replenishes some of the charge spent by the hybrid vehicle battery giving the car a smooth stop at the same time. A smooth stop is very much desired especially on an icy road. Remember that when the car stops the engine stops too unless the heater needs to be on to maintain comfort in the car or the hybrid vehicle battery needs to charge. When driving downhill especially when the road is icy, control speed by shifting the running mode selector lever to regenerative braking mode. This allows you not to step on the brake pedal too often and you can step on the gas pedal when more speed is needed. This too allows the hybrid vehicle battery to charge by gravity irrespective of whether the engine is running or not.
It is important to add that a hybrid vehicle has on the instrument panel an energy monitor screen for the multi information display. This screen can show the car's fuel consumption rate every time you step or not step on the gas or brake pedals in charts and figures. It can indicate malfunctions in the hybrid system so that the problem can be corrected or fixed in good time.
