Hybrids are finally catching on

Advanced Battery Technology, Jul 2002

Cars that run on both gas and electricity are finally catching on. Auto buyers, including actress Cameron Diaz, have begun to favor the gas-efficient environmentally friendly new hybrids over their luxury cars. Diaz reports that the batteries on her Porsche and Mercedes have died from neglect and that her Toyota Prius is the only vehicle that she drives.

The first thing that you notice in a hybrid is how quiet it is. The engine goes blissfully silent every time you stop at an intersection. During idling - when gas engines are least efficient and produce the most emissions - the electric motor takes over. Every time the brakes are used, kinetic energy that would normally be lost is recaptured by the electric motor to recharge the battery - a process known as regenerative braking. When the gas engine is running on its own, it also recharges the battery via the electric motor. Some hybrids use their electric motors to control the power steering or to give the car the extra power needed at higher speeds.

Hybrid vehicles currently cost a few thousand dollars more than their gas-only counterparts, and batteries are guaranteed for eight years with an estimated replacement cost of up to $2,000. The initial added cost may be recouped in fuel savings over 10 years and President George Bush has proposed tax credits of $2,000 to $3,000 for hybrid-car buyers which, if approved, may be available in two years.

Recently, a hybrid version of the Honda Civic rolled into U.S. dealerships with a 28.6kg nickel-metal-hydride battery and controller that power its Scm wide, 13hp electric motor and feature 20km/L in the city. Next year, Ford plans to be the first U.S. manufacturer to introduce a hybrid vehicle with its Escape SUV to feature an impressive 17km/L for city driving vs. the current I Okm/L of the gas-- only version. Toyota, General Motors, and Chrysler have all promised a new crop of hybrid vehicles by 2004.

J.D. Power & Associates, which tracks consumers' tastes for the auto industry, expects that American consumers will be buying half a million hybrids a year by 2006.