Hybrid Vehicles

A hybrid vehicle (HV) is a vehicle that uses two distinct power sources such as an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fueled power source for vehicle propulsion, Human powered bicycle with battery assist,a sail boat with electric power.

The Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles combine the best of electric and hybrid-drive technologies.What is more, these plug-in hybrids should not be much more complex, heavy or pricey than present hybrid models. First, their internal combustion engines will shrink as their electric motors and batteries grow. Second, batteries and electroniccomponents have been steadily dropping in price.

A conventional auto costs about 12 cents a mile to operate at current gasoline prices. A plug-in hybrid could run on electrons at three cents a mile using electricity costing about eight cents a kilowatt-hour, the current average residential rate. And given that half of American cars travel only 25 miles a day or less, a plug-in with a battery capable of providing power for a 20-mile range could cut petroleum-based fuel consumption by as much as 60 percent. Even along-distance commuter driving a plug-in hybrid could go most of a typical day on less expensive electricity stored in an advanced batter that was topped up overnight via a conventional wall socket and partially recharged at work during the day.