All About Hybrid Cars

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The Lexus CT 200h luxury hatchback offers a sleek and earth-friendly package.
The Lexus CT 200h luxury hatchback offers a sleek and earth-friendly package.
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The Honda CR-Z hybrid offers eco-panache.
The Honda CR-Z hybrid offers eco-panache.
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Toyota’s comfortable Camry Hybrid.
Toyota’s comfortable Camry Hybrid.
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Buick’s LaCrosse with eAssist uses mild-hybrid technology.
Buick’s LaCrosse with eAssist uses mild-hybrid technology.
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Kia’s well-appointed Optima Hybrid.
Kia’s well-appointed Optima Hybrid.
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The new Ford Fusion Hybrid is expected to increase the vehicle’s mpg to about 47 in the city, 43 on the highway.
The new Ford Fusion Hybrid is expected to increase the vehicle’s mpg to about 47 in the city, 43 on the highway.
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Here’s how a gas engine, batteries and an electric motor work together to power a hybrid car.
Here’s how a gas engine, batteries and an electric motor work together to power a hybrid car.
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Volkswagen’s crossover Touareg Hybrid.
Volkswagen’s crossover Touareg Hybrid.
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Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is a great-looking midsize sedan.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is a great-looking midsize sedan.
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The Toyota Prius and its Hybrid Synergy Drive have evolved over multiple generations.
The Toyota Prius and its Hybrid Synergy Drive have evolved over multiple generations.
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Even if it’s not a speed demon, the sporty-looking Honda CR-Z is a blast to drive.
Even if it’s not a speed demon, the sporty-looking Honda CR-Z is a blast to drive.
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The Lexus RX 450h has become the most efficient SUV on the market at 30 mpg.
The Lexus RX 450h has become the most efficient SUV on the market at 30 mpg.
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The Prius was first introduced in Japan in 1997.
The Prius was first introduced in Japan in 1997.
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The 2012 Prius V station wagon.
The 2012 Prius V station wagon.
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The Prius went on sale in the United States in 2000.
The Prius went on sale in the United States in 2000.
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The newly released compact Prius C is just right for urban driving and has the highest city mpg rating (53 mpg) of any car without a plug.
The newly released compact Prius C is just right for urban driving and has the highest city mpg rating (53 mpg) of any car without a plug.
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The second-generation Prius launched with the 2004 model.
The second-generation Prius launched with the 2004 model.
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The current, third-generation Prius model went on sale in 2009.
The current, third-generation Prius model went on sale in 2009.
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MOTHER EARTH NEWS first wrote about hybrid cars back in 1979.
MOTHER EARTH NEWS first wrote about hybrid cars back in 1979.

More than a dozen years after the first hybrid cars arrived in the United States, shoppers now can choose among 33 different gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles from every major automaker, with more to come. The best of these high-mpg cars offer a compelling combination of features: high fuel efficiency, long-term affordability and long driving range. The technology of these fuel-efficient cars is proven and here to stay, with more than 2.1 million hybrids on U.S. roads. Though that represents only about 1 percent of all our vehicles, it’s the first “green” alternative that has reached this level of adoption.

Hybrids have become so common — in California, the Toyota Prius outsells the longtime best-selling gasoline-powered Camry family sedan — it’s easy to forget the drastic measures previous generations took to get phenomenal gas mileage.

For example, there was the Arkansas man in the late 1970s who ripped out the gas engine of his Opel GT coupe and replaced it with an electric motor, 5-horsepower lawn mower engine and four 12-volt batteries. When he was finished, David Arthurs had a homemade hybrid car that could go 75 miles on just 1 gallon of gasoline. He published his blueprints in the July/August 1979 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS. (Go to Electric Car Conversion: The Amazing 75-MPG Hybrid Carto read the original article.)

For the adventurous DIY crowd, the mileage was great, but reliability and durability were another matter. The level of sophistication and computerization of today’s hybrids is a far cry from Arthurs’ lawn mower hybrid, but the basic idea of a hybrid hasn’t changed. In fact, the inner workings of the first known hybrid — produced in 1898 by then unknown 23-year-old engineer Ferdinand Porsche — were similar to today’s systems. Instead of solely relying on a gasoline internal-combustion engine to power the wheels, an electric motor and batteries are also called into service — especially during moments when either pure electricity or a gasoline-electric combo can maximize efficiency.

How Hybrids Work

  • Published on Apr 9, 2012
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