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Hybrid cars still burn regular gasoline, but since they consume less gasoline than regular conventional cars, they require less gasoline to run the same distance as regular gasoline powered cars do. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, hybrid cars' average mileage are set at 39 mpg compared to conventional vehicles with 27 mpg. Every gallon of gasoline may contain about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, regular conventional cars would emit about 75 pounds of carbon dioxide while hybrid cars would only emit 52 pounds. (U.S. Department of Energy, 2012) When those numbers are multiplied over the lifetime of the cars, how would it affect the environment? Some believe that hybrid cars contribute in saving the environment and are very essential in this era, while others say that this new technology is just a hoax. .
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) are contains both electric battery powered, and gas-powered components. They are very popular nowadays due to their high fuel efficiency. Hybrid vehicles have smaller engine than conventional vehicles therefore hybrid cars have lighter parts and engine is capable of operating at higher efficiency. Hybrid cars are recharging or capturing energy during braking action or during engine brake. Hybrid technology is categorized into two different parts. First is the series drivetrain, second is the parallel drivetrain. In the series drivetrain, the car is driven by electric motor that gets its energy from a battery that is driven by an engine. Engine components basically convert the mechanical energy into electric energy. Series drivetrain is not that popular since it is not that efficient in heavy load conditions and long distance driving. On the other hand, parallel hybrid drivetrain uses only electric motor at startup .
and low speeds. When car is in cruise mode, engine power is separated between the battery and the wheels. When accelerating, and motor needs to increase power, it gets its energy from the battery.
