hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a
hybrid vehicle which combines a conventional
propulsion system with a
rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better
fuel economy than a
conventional vehicle. It includes a propulsion system additional to the electric motors, to be not hampered by
range from a charging unit like a
battery electric vehicle (BEV).
Modern
mass-produced HEVs prolong the charge on their batteries by capturing
kinetic energy via
regenerative braking, and some HEVs can use the
internal combustion engine (ICE) to generate electricity by spinning an
electrical generator (often a
motor-generator) to either recharge the battery or directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. Many HEVs
reduce idle emissions by
shutting down the ICE at
idle and restarting it when needed (
start-stop system). An HEV's engine is smaller than a non-hybrid
petroleum fuel vehicle and may be run at various speeds, providing more efficiency.
HEVs became widely available to the public in the late 1990s with the introduction of the
Honda Insight and
Toyota Prius. HEVs are viewed by some
automakers as a core segment of the future
automotive market.
[1] Futurist magazine recently included hybrid electric vehicles as cars of the near future.
[2]Technology
The varieties of hybrid electric designs can be differentiated by the structure of the
hybrid vehicle drivetrain, the fuel type, and the mode of operation.
In 2007, several automobile manufacturers announced that future vehicles will use aspects of hybrid electric technology to reduce fuel consumption without the use of the hybrid drivetrain. Regenerative braking can be used to recapture energy and stored to power electrical accessories, such as air conditioning. Shutting down the engine at idle can also be used to reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions without the addition of a hybrid drivetrain. In both cases, some of the advantages of hybrid electric technology are gained while additional cost and weight may be limited to the addition of larger batteries and starter motors. There is no standard terminology for such vehicles, although they may be termed
mild hybrids.
The 2000s saw development of
plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which can be recharged from the
electrical power grid and do not require conventional fuel for short trips. The
Renault Kangoo was the first production model of this design, released in France in 2003.
