Can someone explain hybrid cars to me, please?

[mousme]

I am Posty McPostalot today!

Here's the deal. I don't understand the concept of hybrid cars, except in the most minimal of ways (they use both electricity and fuel to run: yay!).

So... can someone explain this to me? Or point me to a good web page/resource for them?

Sometime in the not-so-near future, when I move far away from my job, I will likely look into getting one, but only if it makes sense to do so. If I end up spending just as much on gas as I would with a normal car, then it would defeat the purpose of getting a hybrid. Also, maintenance and overall reliabilty/functionality will be a major consideration. If my car spends half the year in the shop, that too will defeat the purpose.

Help?

Comments

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

Regular gas cars are less efficient because the driver is constantly making the engine do things that are not as efficient as cruising at 55mph at 3000rpm. Hybrid cars take some of that inefficient stop-start usage away from the gas engine and drive it from the electric engine instead, which is a lot more energy efficient at low speeds. Electrics can also use regenerative braking to turn forward momentum into charge when you slow down the car, something which is completely wasted in a regular gas powered car.