Hybrid Cars, Using Two Types of Power - Report Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Abstract A hybrid car has been in existence for decades now, however, it has been undergoing innovation processes to enhance its reliability. It has brought many advantages to the environment and the motor industry such as reduced green house emission and fuel efficiency. Such advantages have propelled the vehicle to its current status. There has been slow growth in acceptance of the hybrid vehicles due to several drawbacks such as the high cost that is associated with acquiring the vehicle as compared to gasoline powered cars as well as accusations by some environmentalists that the making of the car brings about environmental damage. Engineers have worked hard to improve the lives of the human race with success in many areas. There work can, however, be seen as degrading the environment to some extent. After all the talk, the hybrid car is seen as the savior from over reliance on oil and with some more developments, it could mark history in the motor industry. Introduction Most of the cars used worldwide rely on carbon-based fuels such as diesels and petrol. However, due to environmental issues concerning pollution and depletion of oil deposits, scientist have researched and tried to come up with a car which can entirely depend on electricity for their motion. The source of electrical energy to be used in propelling the machine has been tapped from the solar energy which gets converted to electricity. Solar panels have a large number of cells which comprises of; metal plates which are made of silicon, carbon and other metallic elements which can easily release electrons and semiconductor materials. These metal plates, get bombarded by energy photons from the sunlight to generate electrical pulses. Photovoltaic or photoelectric effects are generated when a solar energy bombard the solar panels. Since the number of cells in a solar panel is high, these pulses can be accumulated to provide an energy base essential to propel electric cars. These solar panels are placed at strategic positions on the car’s exterior part to trap solar photons as it moves. A part from the use of solar panels, engineers have innovated a heavy capacity battery which can store the electric energy from the solar panels. This acts as a backup mean in time of cloudy days or at night (Black 78). Technological advancement In 1839, Robert Anderson a resident of Aberdeen, Scotland built the first electric car and in 1902 Porsche developed hybrid car (Schobert). Since then researchers all around the globe contended on building the best electric cars, or as called today Hybrid Cars. Hybrid Cars are the accumulation of years of research and experiments that were fuelled by the urge to create a car that used a power source other than gas, or commonly called petrol. It is thought that Hybrid Cars should use a cheaper form of power which is environment friendly. Hybrid Cars used nowadays use two or more power sources to run a vehicle. Our research searches the effect of mileage and price of hybrid cars on the decision of a consumer. Last 20-30 years Hybrid Cars designs Hybrid cars appear in different forms, depending on the mix of energy used and propulsion systems used on the vehicle. There are two designs of hybrid cars namely the series hybrid and the parallel hybrid car. In parallel, the electric motor and gasoline engine work together to supply the power that drives the wheels while in a series hybrid, the gasoline engine produces electricity that charges the batteries and the electric motor drives the wheels. Parallel hybrids are used in cars with low power so that the gasoline and electric motor can be operated together to produce power. On the other hand, series hybrids are used in high power systems. They have a gas turbine that drives a turbo alternator in order to feed electricity into the electric drive. Series hybrids are used in cars with high voltage including trucks between 150 Kw and 1000 Kw (Crolla 175). Advantages Fuel Efficiency Gas is one of the most demanded commodities in the world. Most economies depend on oil for continuity and thus the demand goes higher. Since the hybrid vehicle does not fully rely on gas, it is possible to reduce over reliance on the commodity and hence move towards renewable and sustainable energy (Kibbe). With the rising cost of gasoline, using a hybrid car would bring about fuel economy to the owner of a hybrid vehicle as well as reduce reliance on countries that produce oil. This is because hybrid cars are designed to consume two thirds of the fuel consumed by gasoline cars. Unlike gasoline cars, the engine of a hybrid car can shut off automatically when it is not being used. For instance, in a traffic jam or in a red light, the engine shuts off temporarily and will restart automatically once the car is put back into gear. Since the hybrid vehicle does not fully rely on gas, it is possible to reduce over reliance on the commodity and hence move towards renewable and sustainable energy (Kibbe). Reduce Pollution An additional advantage of hybrid cars is that they can be used to reduce global warming. Environmental conservation has taken root due to changes in the climate that have had disastrous consequences. Gasoline powered vehicles emit toxins that damage the environment in several ways and a move to hybrid vehicles would reduce the emissions that harm the environment. This is one of the greatest advantages of hybrid vehicles. Pollution of the environment is also reduced which is unlikely using gasoline powered vehicles. This is because they consume less fuel and produce fewer emissions. Although they are not absolutely environment friendly because of the internal combustion, hybrid cars reduce emission of pollutants such as carbon dioxide that are the main cause of the current climate changes. It is therefore important for consumers to utilize these cars in order to overcome global warming (Hantula 12). Cost of Transport Using a gas powered vehicle means that use of fuel is increased since the fuel is used in the entire journey. However, with a hybrid vehicle, better mileage is achieved since the vehicle will use the electric energy and the gas energy is only called upon when more power or speed is needed. A combination of these two energies therefore helps cover more distance at a cheaper cost and thereby reduce the cost of transport. Cost of the Vehicle While the vehicle is generally expensive than gasoline powered vehicles, it is important to note that most of the parts of the vehicle come with batteries and other devices that have a warranty from the manufacturer. Unlike gas powered vehicles which do not have such warranties, a hybrid vehicle can be repaired at the cost of the manufacturer hence giving it an advantage over the other vehicles. Maintenance costs are therefore lower hence saving the person from other liabilities. Regenerative Breaking Hybrid cars also use regenerative braking to reduce wear on the brakes. The electric motor in hybrid cars functions as a generator in this case. It initially applies pressure to the drive train thus slowing down the wheels. The motor then converts the energy into electricity to recharge the battery. This means that the car does not loose the energy that is usually required when braking and coasting. This prevents the breaks from wearing off since the driver uses them less often (Goodall 145). No plug-in Another advantage of hybrid cars is that they do not need to be plugged in to recharge. They get power from large generators and they have a generator to produce electricity. The gasoline engine charges the generator and in some cars the electric motor is the generator. This means that the user is not required to pull over after every one or two hours to recharge the car. In addition, the battery requires just a small amount of gasoline to recharge (Hantula 12). Hybrid cars are also much faster than electric cars. This means that they can cover a much larger distance within a short period of time thus making them more convenient. They combine the low emission advantage and low fuel consumption to provide a light weight car that can travel long distance (Hantula 13). Noise Since hybrid cars use an electric engine, they do not make noise associated with gasoline cars. This in turn means a quieter environment for the people. This is because they do not use the internal combustion engine which is present in gasoline cars. These cars are designed in such a way to reduce traffic noise especially in the cities. These cars offer a great relief to people who hate the noise of gasoline cars. The Hybrid Car and its Effect to the Environment and People Improved Environment Hybrid cars make a significant change to the amount of damage people inflict on the environment. Fuel compression in hybrid vehicles gives the environment a break from the pollution caused by gas powered vehicles. This substantially helps the environment in reducing the amount of toxic gases in the air. The fuel efficiency that is brought about by hybrid vehicles leads to a cleaner environment as emissions from the vehicles are lesser in quantity than those from gasoline vehicles. Reliance on Fuel Another positive impact that hybrid cars have on the environment is that they prevent the depletion of natural resources. Fossil fuel is extracted from beneath the earth and this extraction process may damage the environment in several ways. With the reduced reliance on oil, the hybrid vehicles have reduced the demand for oil and thus production of oil will reduce thereby bringing relief to the environment. However, even with such advantages, the hybrid car still brings with it several disadvantages that affect the environment. In general, hybrid cars have a positive impact on the environment and human beings because they depend on the environment. With their use, the quality of life improves and people get sick less often. Negative Impact on Environment The batteries that are used in the hybrid cars are quite expensive to make and contain a substance known as nickel metal hydrides which are mined. The mining process of these metals is quite detrimental to the environment as it leaves the places where they are mined in ruins. However, even worse is the disposal of the metals after use in the vehicles. When the batteries reach their lifetime limit, they have to be disposed off and this brings about negative impact to the environment. The metals do not decompose and they might remain in the disposal site for years. Caustic substances that are used in the batteries may leak into water bodies and lead to poisoning of the water due to their toxic nature. Effect on People The hybrid car has not been as popular as would be expected but as it continues being developed into a better and more efficient vehicle; it is thought that there will be increased interest in the vehicle. One of the deterring factors in the use of the automobiles is the high price tag that comes with the vehicle. Compared to gasoline powered vehicles, the hybrid vehicle is more expensive and the return on investment can only be realized if the cost of fuel goes lower. Despite this, there has been a marked increase in the use of hybrid vehicles primarily because of the benefits they offer. These benefits include saving on fuel and longer mileages than on normal gasoline powered vehicles. The vehicle saves on fuel especially in urban areas where the vehicle can operate on electric energy only and with the help of the gasoline engine, the vehicle can cover more distance than a normal gasoline powered vehicle. The future of Hybrid cars(20-30 years ) There have been speculations about the future of hybrid cars. These new technologies are becoming the car of the future, and consumers are willing to take the technology that these cars have to offer. Today, Toyota and Honda are the most prominent hybrid cars producers. While Toyota has its Prius, Honda has the Honda Civic hybrid. The trend is likely to increase in the near future because brands such as Porsche, Nissan, Ford, Mazda, Peugeot and Mercury have been licensed to use the Toyota hybrid technology in the future. This means more hybrid cars in the market. However, hybrid cars lack mileage and unless the manufacturers increase the mileage the market for hybrid cars is likely to decrease in the future. Another change that is likely to occur is the replacement of the current heavy battery with lighter batteries to increase the speed of these cars. The future of hybrid cars is also likely to be dominated by lithium-ion batteries which are much lighter. There is also a possibility of using diesel hybrids because diesel hybrids are much cheaper and much more fuel efficient than gasoline hybrids. Other developments that are likely to be seen in the future include plug-in hybrids and hydrogen hybrids. Plug-in hybrids consume solar power or hydrogen which is environment friendly while hydrogen hybrids use hydrogen instead of gasoline (Goodall 147). Conclusion The environmental impact of using oil as the primary source for most of the energy needs has led to the inevitable end of having a degraded environment. Vehicles have been accused of emitting green house gases that contribute to the environmental degradation. However, to make up for this accusation, the motor industry developed a hybrid vehicle that had the capability of using both oil and electric energy as its source of energy. Works Cited Andersen, Birgitte. Technological Change and the Evolution of Corporate Innovation: The Structure of Patenting. Northampton, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2001. Print. Black, Grant. The geography of small firm innovation. New York, NY: Springer Publishers, 2005. Print. Chanaron, Jean-Jacques and Julius Teske. 2008, “Hybrid Vehicles: a Temporary Step,” International Journal of Automotive, Vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 56-67. Crolla, David. Automotive Engineering: Powertrain, Chassis System and Vehicle Body. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann,, 2009. Print. Fahimi, B, Ali Emad, and Raymond Sepe B. “Switched Reluctance Machine-Based Starter/Alternator for More Electric Cars.” IEEE Transactions on energy conversion.19.1 (2004): 117. Print. Goodall, Chris. How to Live a Low-Carbon Life: The Individual's Guide to Tackling Climate Change. London: Earthscan, 2010. Print. Hambley, Allan. Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications .New York, NY: Prentice Hall Publisher, 2010. Print. Hantula, Richard. How Do Hybrid Cars Work? London: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print. Kibbe, Cindy. "It's not always easy driving green." New Hampshire Business Review 28.21 (2006): 34-35. Print. Schobert, Harold H. Energy and society: an introduction. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2002. 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Last 20-30 years Hybrid Cars designs Hybrid cars appear in different forms, depending on the mix of energy used and propulsion systems used on the vehicle. There are two designs of hybrid cars namely the series hybrid and the parallel hybrid car. In parallel, the electric motor and gasoline engine work together to supply the power that drives the wheels while in a series hybrid, the gasoline engine produces electricity that charges the batteries and the electric motor drives the wheels. Parallel hybrids are used in cars with low power so that the gasoline and electric motor can be operated together to produce power.

On the other hand, series hybrids are used in high power systems. They have a gas turbine that drives a turbo alternator in order to feed electricity into the electric drive. Series hybrids are used in cars with high voltage including trucks between 150 Kw and 1000 Kw (Crolla 175). Advantages Fuel Efficiency Gas is one of the most demanded commodities in the world. Most economies depend on oil for continuity and thus the demand goes higher. Since the hybrid vehicle does not fully rely on gas, it is possible to reduce over reliance on the commodity and hence move towards renewable and sustainable energy (Kibbe).

With the rising cost of gasoline, using a hybrid car would bring about fuel economy to the owner of a hybrid vehicle as well as reduce reliance on countries that produce oil. This is because hybrid cars are designed to consume two thirds of the fuel consumed by gasoline cars. Unlike gasoline cars, the engine of a hybrid car can shut off automatically when it is not being used. For instance, in a traffic jam or in a red light, the engine shuts off temporarily and will restart automatically once the car is put back into gear.

Since the hybrid vehicle does not fully rely on gas, it is possible to reduce over reliance on the commodity and hence move towards renewable and sustainable energy (Kibbe). Reduce Pollution An additional advantage of hybrid cars is that they can be used to reduce global warming. Environmental conservation has taken root due to changes in the climate that have had disastrous consequences. Gasoline powered vehicles emit toxins that damage the environment in several ways and a move to hybrid vehicles would reduce the emissions that harm the environment.

This is one of the greatest advantages of hybrid vehicles. Pollution of the environment is also reduced which is unlikely using gasoline powered vehicles. This is because they consume less fuel and produce fewer emissions. Although they are not absolutely environment friendly because of the internal combustion, hybrid cars reduce emission of pollutants such as carbon dioxide that are the main cause of the current climate changes. It is therefore important for consumers to utilize these cars in order to overcome global warming (Hantula 12).

Cost of Transport Using a gas powered vehicle means that use of fuel is increased since the fuel is used in the entire journey. However, with a hybrid vehicle, better mileage is achieved since the vehicle will use the electric energy and the gas energy is only called upon when more power or speed is needed. A combination of these two energies therefore helps cover more distance at a cheaper cost and thereby reduce the cost of transport. Cost of the Vehicle While the vehicle is generally expensive than gasoline powered vehicles, it is important to note that most of the parts of the vehicle come with batteries and other devices that have a warranty from the manufacturer.

Unlike gas powered vehicles which do not have such warranties, a hybrid vehicle can be repaired at the cost of the manufacturer hence giving it an advantage over the other vehicles. Maintenance costs are therefore lower hence saving the person from other liabilities. Regenerative Breaking Hybrid cars also use regenerative braking to reduce wear on the brakes. The electric motor in hybrid cars functions as a generator in this case. It initially applies pressure to the drive train thus slowing down the wheels.

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