hybrid - How do they work?
- Thread starter coffeeman
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MossRoad
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I think it depends on the hybrid. The only one I was in was a Prius. That one ran on battery at starts, with gas assist if needed. The gas engine charges the batteries, along with other things, like regenerative braking. Its kind of weird to come to a stop sign and the gas engine shuts off. The thing got about 48MPG for the guy that had it. Someone is offering a plug in kit for them. Then you can plug in the car to charge the batteries and it will run on battery alone for about 30-40 miles before the gas engine kicks in. But it is really expensive.
MossRoad
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- South Bend, Indiana (near)
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- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Going back and re-reading your question, I should say that the electric motor drives the drive wheels from battery power. The gas engine charges the batteries. 
Dmace
Elite Member
Basically when you are driving slow and are given it less then 50%+/- throttle then it runs on the electric motors alone powered by some large expensive batteries. When you give it more then 50% (or something like that) throttle, the gas engine starts up and powers the wheels while charging the batteries.
HowStuffWorks "How Hybrid Cars Work"
I would get into why a Hybrid is a complete waste of money and barely gets any better mileage then the gas comparable vehicle while using a non-recyclable battery that cost $5000+ and requires more fossil fuels to produce then it "saves" but that is just another 40 page thread we don't need here.
HowStuffWorks "How Hybrid Cars Work"
I would get into why a Hybrid is a complete waste of money and barely gets any better mileage then the gas comparable vehicle while using a non-recyclable battery that cost $5000+ and requires more fossil fuels to produce then it "saves" but that is just another 40 page thread we don't need here.
Basically when you are driving slow and are given it less then 50%+/- throttle then it runs on the electric motors alone powered by some large expensive batteries. When you give it more then 50% (or something like that) throttle, the gas engine starts up and powers the wheels while charging the batteries.
HowStuffWorks "How Hybrid Cars Work"
I would get into why a Hybrid is a complete waste of money and barely gets any better mileage then the gas comparable vehicle while using a non-recyclable battery that cost $5000+ and requires more fossil fuels to produce then it "saves" but that is just another 40 page thread we don't need here.
How stuff works is just what the doctor ordered.
Thanks....Coffeeman
txdon
Super Star Member
My wife has a Prius. All Toyota Priuses are hybrids. When you accelerate both the electric and gas engine power the car when you brake or go downhill or let off the gas the batteries charge. anything in-between is both or one or the other or neither (stealth mode). We get about 48 MPG and love it. There is a display on the dash that tells you every second where the power is coming from and/or going to.
Travelover
Elite Member
To complicate things there are full and mild hybrids. A full hybrid has the ability to drive under electric power (Prius, Escape / Fusion, etc). Mild hybrids cannot power the car in motion. They save gas by shutting off the engine at stops. (Early GM hybrids / new Honda Insight, etc.)
The full hybrids cost more but give better mileage.
The full hybrids cost more but give better mileage.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
A few months ago I surfed into some web pages talking about the replacement cost of the hybrid batteries. I have NO idea why I did this but I guess I was curious. The website(s) was for owners of the cars. It seemed like most people where paying $3,000 for replacement batteries. Some might have dropped a bit less but others mentioned up to $6,000! That is the price of a new engine!
My big heavy old F350 4x4 Crew Cab and eight foot bed is getting 21.2 mpg hand calculated. I think I'll just keep the truck as long as I can! 21.2 seems to be the max mpg on my driving route. I have hit this over the last few fillups. Normally I don't this mpg until the end of the summer. I did put 0x40 oil in the truck last oil change so maybe that is why I'm getting roughly .5ish better mpg for this time of year.
Later,
Dan
That is the price of a new engine! My big heavy old F350 4x4 Crew Cab and eight foot bed is getting 21.2 mpg hand calculated.
I think I'll just keep the truck as long as I can! 21.2 seems to be the max mpg on my driving route. I have hit this over the last few fillups. Normally I don't this mpg until the end of the summer. I did put 0x40 oil in the truck last oil change so maybe that is why I'm getting roughly .5ish better mpg for this time of year.Later,
Dan
czechsonofagun
Elite Member
This guy at a gas station asked me for a boost. He had Prius and coming home from a trip he decided to eat icecream in the car while listening to a radio. Guess what? This quite normal thing drained the battery and he had to run around whith cables looking for somebody who would help him.
He even showed me manual, where it stated that listening to a radio without the engine running can drain the battery.
He even showed me manual, where it stated that listening to a radio without the engine running can drain the battery.
Dmace
Elite Member
That reminds me of a Prius I had to jump start last year on the side of a road I travel. The guy had no idea how to jump start it because the battery is in the trunk and the truck is opened electronically so dead battery means no trunk opening, not even a pull chord inside. I grabbed his manual and there is a positive lead under the hood that you can hook to and then you need to ground to the door latch. It didn't take long to start but that huge battery made my lights dim when he pushed the button.