If a vehicle combines two or more power sources it is referred to as a hybrid car. A moped is an example of hybrid technology since it employs the power of a gas engine with the pedal power of the rider. Locomotives that pull trains are hybrids too because they use a combination of diesel and electric power. In Seattle, diesel-electric buses can use electric power from wires that run overhead or diesel at other times. So, hybrid technology is nothing new.
The gasoline-electric hybrid car combines the power of a gasoline-powered car and an electric car. In a regular car gasoline is supplied to the engine which turns the transmission thus turning the wheels of the car and enabling it to move forward.
In an electric car a set of batteries sends electricity to an electric motor and this motor turns a transmission which, in turn, turns the wheels.
* The Structure of a Hybrid Car
There are two ways in which the two power sources in a hybrid car can be combined. The first way is referred to as a parallel hybrid. It has a fuel tank that supplies the gasoline to the engine but it has a set of batteries supplying power to an electric motor. The engine and the electric motor are able to power the transmission simultaneously and thus get the wheels to turn.
In a parallel hybrid car the fuel tank and gas engine are connected to the transmission. The batteries and electric motor are also connected to the transmission independently. This means that both options can provide power to make the car move forward.
Series hybrid cars see a gasoline engine turning a generator which can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor. So in a series hybrid car the gasoline engine doesn’t actually power the automobile. In this type of hybrid all the components make up a line that connects to the transmission in series.
