Hybrid and Electric Cars

With the rise of gas prices Americans have been searching for alternatives to the normal gas-powered vehicle. With the emergence of hybrid vehicles and the newer innovation, electric, there are now alternatives to the norm. One question is, how exactly do they work? In today’s blog we discuss how these two alternatives function.

Electric cars are literally ‘plugged in’ to juice up the engine. Electric cars with a battery use an electrical outlet to charge before they are operated. Another way is the hydrogen fuel cell. Fuel cells work when pure hydrogen combines with oxygen to create electricity. The only byproduct of hydrogen fuel cells is water. Yet another way is a solar power. Solar panels on a car collect energy from the sun and store it into the car's battery for later use.

Hybrids use traditional gas engines and an alternative power plant. There are two types: electric hybrids and hydrogen hybrids. Electric hybrids use an electric motor as their alternative energy source. Hydrogen hybrids extract the element from water and add the hydrogen to the fuel-air mixture of the vehicle. So how do hybrids help the environment? It’s important to know that oil is a limited resource; also carbon dioxide is produced when it’s burned. In addition, the oil that is extracted from the Earth damages the environment from drilling. Although hybrids still use gas, they achieve higher gas mileage than a regular vehicle because of the secondary power source. The average estimate is a five-mpg improvement in fuel economy.

The ultimate decision is up to you!