Many modern cars are powered by hybrid drive systems, and this trend can no longer be considered a coincidence – these technologies already allow extremely low fuel consumption, approaching the economy of a diesel engine. How did hybrids become so effective? What is the difference between hybrid technologies? And why does even the mild hybrid system significantly improve fuel economy, which is a very important aspect in the family car segment?
It is becoming less and less common for car manufacturers to offer new models that can only run on gasoline or diesel. Hybrid technologies are becoming more and more important in the vehicle industry, and their benefits are appreciated by both private car owners and fleet managers around the world. There are several benefits of hybrid drive cars – more environmentally friendly mobility, lower fuel consumption, additional power from the electric motor and more pleasant driving.
But how not to get confused in the designations of hybrid technology? What do these mystical abbreviations – MHEV, FHEV and PHEV – really mean?
The first is the mild hybrid or MHEV (mild hybrid electric vehicle). It uses a low-voltage 48-volt battery system to assist the internal combustion engine and thus reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions. The second type is called full hybrid or FHEV (Full hybrid electric vehicle). It has a larger battery and regenerative braking takes care of charging it. The benefits with an FHEV are similar to those of a mild hybrid, but the economy is even more tangible. In both of these cases, the car mainly runs on an internal combustion engine.
The third type is plug-in hybrid or PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). This is where real electromobility begins, which gives us the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of electric vehicles and at the same time use traditional infrastructure. This makes hybrid drive cars popular with an audience that wants to take care of preserving the environment while at the same time trying out the latest generation of modern technology. In the case of a PHEV, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor and a larger battery is used. The biggest benefit of this system is the ability to travel a certain distance on electricity alone, thus significantly reducing fuel consumption and your footprint in the ecosystem.
“For now, a rapid transition from cars with an internal combustion engine to cars with a fully electric engine is being suppressed by several factors. The main ones are various infrastructural shortcomings and high prices of electric cars. Although these cars should soon become more accessible and the network of charging stations more dense, at the moment some people may also be deterred by ignorance or insecurity about using an electric car – unlike hybrids, which are much more similar to conventional cars. Plug-in hybrids can be considered an intermediate stage between an internal combustion car and a fully electric car, because they can be charged, but they can still run on fuel as well,” says the magazine “Klubs” Toms Timoško, car expert and jury member of the “Latvian Car of the Year” competition.
One of the most successful examples of the use of hybrid technology is demonstrated by the car manufacturer “Ford”. The brand family includes several hybrid drive cars, including “Puma” and “Kuga”, which has become the best-selling PHEV in Europe for the second year in a row.
“Puma” is offered not only with gasoline, but also with a 48V light hybrid drive, which provides 10% less fuel consumption and 20% faster acceleration. On the other hand, the choice for the “Kuga” crossover is even wider – starting with the usual gasoline and diesel engine models, ending with the full and plug-in hybrid. In the full hybrid version, the battery charges automatically thanks to regenerative braking. As soon as the driver releases the accelerator pedal or brakes, charging begins. As a result, “Kuga” uses more electricity, so fuel consumption is less than 5 l per 100 km.
The PHEV version offers even greater benefits. Despite the fact that “Kuga” is equipped with a relatively large 2.5-liter engine by today’s standards, it consumes only 1.2 l per 100 km thanks to the 14.4 kWh battery. The plug-in hybrid can travel 62 km on electricity alone. Since the amount of emissions will become more and more relevant, the “Kuga PHEV” can boast only 23-25 g/km.
“If in reality we can drive 50 km every day with only the energy stored in the battery, then for most drivers it will be completely enough to forget about gas stations. A large number of people do not drive more than 30-40 km in the saturated rhythm of their working days, so with hybrid charging at home or at work will be enough so that changes in fuel prices do not affect the family’s overall budget,” says Tom Timoshko.
“The time is inevitably approaching when cars with a traditional internal combustion engine will be banned from entering Europe’s largest cities. As low-emission vehicles are already an important issue in EU discussions, the number of cars with a hybrid system will only continue to grow,” sums up Tom.
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2023-08-08 01:26:01
#Hybrid #drive #car #family #fuel #economy #emissions
