Car Tribute: Hybrids & Plug-in Hybrids – How Do They Work? Where do I win?

Hybrid vehicles are still a very realistic solution to the battle that manufacturers are waging to reduce the environmental footprint of their proposals and a valuable tool in the hands of those seeking the maximum possible fuel economy.

Back in 1997, when the first generation Toyota Prius hit the production line, introducing hybrid technology to the entire automotive world, few were able to discern behind the clumsy figure of the Japanese four-wheeler the golden opportunity of the global automotive industry to reduce or even eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels. For at least a decade since the first appearance of the Toyota Prius and later the Honda Insight, hybrid technology has been the whim of a few romantics, and it could well answer the increasingly critical questions still posed by rampant climate change. Almost 25 years after December 1997, hybrid technology has not only entered our lives for good, but also leads us step by step to the complete electrification of our daily lives. In fact, during these years, the hybrid χθηκε type was developed in an effort to serve the modern needs of the global automotive industry, acquiring three basic variants.

Mild Hybrid System: The new fashion

The latest addition to the manufacturers’ hybrid arsenal is at the same time the simplest, as with the use of a few extra parts they managed to… hybridize even engines that had not been developed for this purpose. A mild hybrid set is equipped with a more powerful alternator, which is charged not only with generating the electricity needed for the car’s peripherals, but also with assisting the internal combustion engine when conditions require it. Thus, being connected to the crankshaft, the alternator contributes to the work of the engine mainly in the start-up and acceleration phases, thus limiting fuel consumption. A second more powerful lithium-ion battery ensures that the alternator is supplied with the required electricity, while the energy recovered during the deceleration phase returns to it, which starts as soon as the driver removes his foot from the accelerator. The whole process of engine assistance from the alternator and energy recovery is often not easily understood, which in essence means that the driver does not need to adapt his habits to the new, hybrid data. Another comparative advantage of mild hybrid technology is the low cost of construction, which, of course, does not significantly burden the pocket of the final consumer. Turning to the disadvantages of the new, hybrid type, we must note that the benefit in the field of fuel consumption is not so great, while the driver does not have the ability to configure the operation of a mild hybrid system.

Fully Hybrid System – Traditionally economical

Also known as “self charging”, a fully hybrid set combines the operation of a heat engine with one or more electric motors. The fundamental difference compared to the mild hybrid sets is that the electric motor is powerful enough to move the car without the contribution of heat. This creates the conditions to achieve greater fuel savings, as in urban traffic conditions, where the energy recovery process is repeated regularly, a fully hybrid vehicle is driven mostly electrically. Of course, due to the small capacity of the batteries of the hybrid set, the electric range usually does not exceed 2 or 3 kilometers, as, among other things, there is no possibility of charging from an external power source, except for energy recovery during braking or the operation of the heat engine itself. On the other hand, the use of low-capacity electric batteries keeps the cost of hybrid vehicles at affordable levels, while there are no spatial constraints that would otherwise impose higher volume and weight batteries.

Plug-in Hybrid System: It only goes with electricity

Rechargeable hybrid vehicles are the link between the glorious past and the promising future of the car, as they attempt to combine the freedom of movement offered by a conventional internal combustion engine car with the unrivaled efficiency of an electric four-wheel drive. To do this, a plug-in hybrid vehicle maintains the conventional drive system, at the heart of which is a petrol or diesel engine, yet they also have an integrated electric drive system with at least one powerful electric motor and lithium-ion batteries capable of offering autonomy. of the order of 50 km. In this way, traveling up to 50 km with the exclusive use of electricity, a plug-in hybrid achieves spectacularly low fuel consumption and emissions, while combining thermal engine and electric motor performance upgrades to impressive levels and performances. It is worth noting that, when and when the batteries are depleted, a plug-in hybrid vehicle follows the principles of a self charging hybrid, adapting the electric motor’s involvement in the car’s motion according to the conditions. The high cost of acquisition – similar to that of an electric proposal – is the main disadvantage of plug-in hybrid proposals in the European market.

This article has been published in the Big Car Tribute to KAPA tis KATHIMERINI

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