Hybrid cars - if you don't know what kind of "miracle" of technology it is, then you should nevertheless replenish your knowledge, because today such vehicles are coming out with enviable popularity. They are considered more environmentally friendly, which can be called the scourge of our generation, and early hybrid cars have a number of other advantages.

What is a Hybrid Vehicle?

A hybrid is a collection of something different in one version and a car is no exception. The term "hybrid" is understood as a machine that uses not only an internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine) running on traditional liquid fuel (diesel, gasoline), but also an alternative source of energy - an electric motor. Why is this needed? The second motor - electric, is an auxiliary one, which can take over the work at low revs, making the car more economical and environmentally friendly (burns less fuel and emissions into the environment too).

Their advantages

Such hybrid designs have a lot of advantages:

• low fuel consumption - savings up to 30%;
• minimal "attack" by noise during operation;
• prolongation of the brake system;
• greater power reserve and versatility in regular use;
• a minimum of harmful emissions not only due to the use of electricity, but also with the help of special start-stop systems, etc.

There are also disadvantages - the high cost of the car. The manufacturer has to spend more money to produce such vehicles in series, which affects the final market price.

What was first hybrid car?

It's hard to believe, but the first hybrid car world, combining a gasoline internal combustion engine and an electric motor, appeared in the century before last - in 1899. It was created by the legendary Ferdinand Porsche. He called his brainchild “Lohner-Porsche Mixte” and it worked according to the following principle: the gasoline engine supplied power to the electrical parts, which made the wheels of the car spin. Lohner-Porsche appeared before a large public in the French capital in 1901, and they were delighted with the invention. The car was powered by as many as 44 batteries, on which, without recharging, it was possible to drive 65 km. By the way, the sensation that the Porsche hybrid made was soon forgotten, because, despite its practicality, the use of a gasoline engine was much more convenient. Moreover, just at this time, Henry Ford pleased with an inexpensive car, which immediately went into production.

Development of hybrids

Hybrid cars were more expensive, so there was little demand for them. In the 50s, they were completely abandoned. But 10 years later, in the mid-60s, when the United States passed a law to reward those who use electric cars, TRW released the electromechanical drive, which became the progenitor for the "stuffing" of today's electric cars. The growing interest in this system became more evident with the onset of the gasoline crisis. So electric cars began to gain popularity again.