Phil’s Blog

In this day and age when most car owners are cringing over the rising prices of fuel, environmentalists and governments are increasing awareness about global warming and previously unknown concepts like ‘fuel economy’ and ‘alternative energy’ are becoming so popular that they are almost household terms. Everyone directly or indirectly involved with the issue are coming up with ways to conserve fuel. Most government offices cut down their work days and encourage conserving energy inside and outside the workplace; they also facilitate and fund researches into alternative sources of energy. Schools educate young students about the importance of conserving energy and taking care of non-renewable resources. Drivers have come up of varying ways to decrease their fuel consumption; some have completely put their wheels on temporary suspension and opting to go for public transportation.

Car producers have also been hit hard by the crisis because of a marked decrease in car sales. Their response? Creating more fuel efficient engines, lighter cars and lowering their prices. However, the most significant impact that the crisis has on the production end is that it drove and fathered the birth of a new breed of vehicles – the hybrids.

What is a hybrid car?

The most common hybrid cars are the HEV’s or the hybrid electric vehicles, which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Simply put, a hybrid car is a vehicle that uses two or more separate power sources to move the vehicle. The great advantage of hybrids is that it has superior fuel economy and lower emissions than the conventional engines.