Hybrids Have a Lot to Offer

Hybrid cars are gaining in popularity - fast. In many cities buyers have to stand in line to buy one of today's popular hybrids. With better gas mileage, in a time of rising gas prices, and tax advantages, hybrids have a lot to offer.

A hybrid vehicle uses multiple propulsion systems to provide motive power. This most commonly refers to gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, which use gasoline (petrol) or diesel to power internal-combustion engines (ICEs), and electric batteries to power electric motors. Modern mass-produced hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, recharge their batteries by capturing kinetic energy via regenerative braking. As well, when cruising or in other situations where just light thrust is needed, ""full"" hybrids such as the Prius can use the combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning a generator (often a second electric motor[1]) to either recharge the battery or directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. This contrasts with all-electric cars which use batteries charged by an external source such as the grid, or a range extending trailer. Nearly all hybrids still require gasoline and diesel as their sole fuel source though other fuels such as ethanol or plant based oils have also seen occasional use.

The term hybrid when used in relation with cars also has other uses. Prior to its modern meaning of hybrid propulsion, the word hybrid was used in the United States to mean a vehicle of mixed national origin; generally, a European car fitted with American mechanical components. This meaning has fallen out of use. In the import scene, hybrid was often used to describe an engine swap, such as the common Honda B16 engine into a Honda Civic. Some have also referred to flexible-fuel vehicles as hybrids because they can use a mixture of different fuels — typically gasoline and ethanol alcohol fuel. There are not diesel flexible-fuel vehicles, because nowadays diesel cars can use petroleum and biodiesel at the same time. [Provided by: Wikipedia]

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