Definition

• A hybrid vehicle is one which uses an electric motor and battery pack to supplement a gasoline or diesel engine. Such electric motors can either add power to the gas engine under cruise, or power the vehicle at low speed without need of the gas engine at all.
  
  

Idling

• Many cars operated in urban environments burn more than one-third of their fuel simply idling in traffic. Hybrid cars don't need to idle, making them inherently more efficient in urban areas.
  
  

Low Speed Cruising

• Cars operated in heavy-traffic areas during rush hour may average no more than 30 mph during the entire trip. This makes hybrid cars ideal for rush-hour situations, as they can easily operate at such low speeds without recharging.
  
  

Regenerative Braking

• A great deal of any vehicle's kinetic energy (which began as chemical energy in the form of gasoline) is lost when using the car's brakes. Hybrid cars use their generators to slowing the car while recharging its batteries, helping to reduce work-load on the brakes and the efficiency losses they cause.
  
  

Fun Fact

• One of the first hybrid cars ever devised was the four wheel drive 1901 Mixte. The Mixte was a series gas-electric hybrid designed by Ferdinand Porsche, and driven by it designer to a win in the 1901 Exelburg Rally.