Best Hybrid Cars

Outside they look like normal cars. And unlikely that you will find something special, looking them in a side window. But inside are real mutants. Gasoline and electricity. That's what flows in their veins. The car world is gaining hybrids. In the U.S. in 2005 they were sold 130 thousand.

American and European auto concerns hurry to join hybrid revolution. However, to truly mass production of vehicles with electric traction only mastered the Japanese.

What happened and what will be?

When four years ago at the U.S. market was first-generation Toyota Prius and looked strange double seats Honda Insight with gasoline-electric traction, skeptics felt that it was regular whim of ultra-technology Japanese and three fans from Greenpeace.

But as always proved the sceptics were wrong. World leader in the production of hybrid cars, Toyota Motor, now produces 600 thousand of them a year. And according to research Oak Ridge Labs, as early as 2008 Americans will own at least 1.2 million hybrids.

So where is the truth about these unknown vehicles that reduce fuel consumption by 15-25%? Favorable whether this purchase? And what about their service? What will happen to them through the 200-250 thousand mileage?

If you have to decided on a hybrid, that is the information to meditation.

Two in One

Despite the chilling title hybrids rather easily arranged. The principle of this is follow. An ordinary petrol or diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) steep electric power generator, which feeds the electric motor and it rotates car wheels.

Now there are two main hybrid schemes. In one version of DVS has no mechanical connection to the wheels and installed generator only for rotation and nutrition traction electric motor. In another it can be connected to drive and pass on wheels. Almost always in a hybrid circuit includes a large ample battery. This allows the car to go with the engine switched off on one electric.

Hybrids is not novelty. They are known from 30s of the last century, entitled electromechanical transmission. Since the gearbox (DVS if not joined to the wheels) no longer needed the electric motor torque (pulling force) is identical on all products. Such plants are widely used on the railway and heavy vehicles.

Passenger automatic transmissions is electromechanical since the late 60s - beginning 70s. Since then, hybrids built with enviable regularity and almost every year of their new options appear. However, until recently, more concepts and test business models not move. But now dam broken. Drips trickle into the market became river and now hybrids already cease to be some exotic.