IT
USA
DE
FR
ES
HE
IT
EN
USA
DE
ZH
ES
FR
PT
JP
RU
AR
KR
PL
RO
VN
TR
CS
HR
DA
FI
EL
NL
SR
SK
SV
HU
The automotive industry is constantly evolving, from electric vehicles to the most futuristic hydrogen cars; a sector which is trying to lead mobility into a fossil free world without oil for instance.
Guiding an entire society into a sustainable mobility is very difficult, but hybrids are coming to help us doing so. These vehicles combine the best technology from endothermic engines and electric motorization.
In this video we will explain how hybrid cars are classified and how they work.
Jaes, which for over a decade has been in the industrial supplies business has become a reference partner of the major companies in the automotive industry.
A hybrid car is a vehicle which has two propulsion systems:
- an endothermic engine, which can be powered by diesel or petrol
- and a high energy-efficient electric engine.
There are many kinds of hybrid cars but, before understanding how they work, let’s see the main types:
- Firstly we find Mild hybrid, known also as PHEV, it seems a normal combustion engine car, but owns a small electric engine that supports the thermic one in several tasks, such as standing starts for example, or with low gears.
- Next we find Full hybrid, which combines the engine power together with the electric one, with this type of car it is possible to travel fully electric, but considering its not so capacious battery just few kilometres can be covered without using the combustion engine.
- Next we have Full hybrid cars, which combines the thermic engine power with the electric one; with this type of car it is possible to travel in fully electric mode, but considering the small capacity of the battery just a few kilometres can be covered without using the combustion engine.
- Finally we find Plug-In hybrid, the most common and promising technology; it has the same characteristics of the Full hybrid version, but the size and capability of battery is much bigger, allowing the car to travel fully electric for even 50/70 kilometres. Moreover the batteries can be charged externally with a special power cable.
Beyond these macro categories, we may add another classification, which analyses the hybrid platforms, or better said, how the different propulsion systems interact within each other.
- Firstly there are Parallel Hybrids, in which both conventional and electric motors give traction to the driving wheels at the same time or by taking turns, they are connected within each other by a special transmission (gearbox) that makes them interact (efficiently) in the best way possible.
- There are also Serial Hybrids; this special platform works differently from the previous examples: The electric motor provides motion to the wheels, while the small petrol engine gives energy to the electric one, through a generator.
Now that we have seen the different Hybrid cars typologies, let’s see how these particular vehicles work, taking into consideration the latest generation of Plug-In Hybrids.
As we’ve seen before, hybrid cars are made of two propulsion systems, an endothermic engine and an electric one, that, working together or individually, make the car to move; this particular setup makes the vehicle mechanics to result more complex compared to the traditional type.
In the front of a hybrid car is placed the traditional combustion engine, which can be powered by petrol or diesel, in this case an inline 4-cylinders one.
Guiding an entire society into a sustainable mobility is very difficult, but hybrids are coming to help us doing so. These vehicles combine the best technology from endothermic engines and electric motorization.
In this video we will explain how hybrid cars are classified and how they work.
Jaes, which for over a decade has been in the industrial supplies business has become a reference partner of the major companies in the automotive industry.
A hybrid car is a vehicle which has two propulsion systems:
- an endothermic engine, which can be powered by diesel or petrol
- and a high energy-efficient electric engine.
There are many kinds of hybrid cars but, before understanding how they work, let’s see the main types:
- Firstly we find Mild hybrid, known also as PHEV, it seems a normal combustion engine car, but owns a small electric engine that supports the thermic one in several tasks, such as standing starts for example, or with low gears.
- Next we find Full hybrid, which combines the engine power together with the electric one, with this type of car it is possible to travel fully electric, but considering its not so capacious battery just few kilometres can be covered without using the combustion engine.
- Next we have Full hybrid cars, which combines the thermic engine power with the electric one; with this type of car it is possible to travel in fully electric mode, but considering the small capacity of the battery just a few kilometres can be covered without using the combustion engine.
- Finally we find Plug-In hybrid, the most common and promising technology; it has the same characteristics of the Full hybrid version, but the size and capability of battery is much bigger, allowing the car to travel fully electric for even 50/70 kilometres. Moreover the batteries can be charged externally with a special power cable.
Beyond these macro categories, we may add another classification, which analyses the hybrid platforms, or better said, how the different propulsion systems interact within each other.
- Firstly there are Parallel Hybrids, in which both conventional and electric motors give traction to the driving wheels at the same time or by taking turns, they are connected within each other by a special transmission (gearbox) that makes them interact (efficiently) in the best way possible.
- There are also Serial Hybrids; this special platform works differently from the previous examples: The electric motor provides motion to the wheels, while the small petrol engine gives energy to the electric one, through a generator.
Now that we have seen the different Hybrid cars typologies, let’s see how these particular vehicles work, taking into consideration the latest generation of Plug-In Hybrids.
As we’ve seen before, hybrid cars are made of two propulsion systems, an endothermic engine and an electric one, that, working together or individually, make the car to move; this particular setup makes the vehicle mechanics to result more complex compared to the traditional type.
In the front of a hybrid car is placed the traditional combustion engine, which can be powered by petrol or diesel, in this case an inline 4-cylinders one.
Right by its side is found the electrical engine, specifically a permanent magnet synchronous motor; this type of engine ensures a very stable and accurate rotation speed. By using an inverter, for the engine start, and an ESC, or electronic stability control, the motor can adjust its speed. The ESC can also provide the engine rotation inversion and the dynamic braking. The dynamic braking, also known as regenerative braking, makes the car to store energy when the brake is in use thanks to the help coming from the electric engine, a clever solution that enables the batteries to extend its own autonomy. If you want to know more about this topic, watch our previous video.
Next to the electric motor is the generator, it has the same characteristics of electric engine used give power to the car, but in this case it is used to store energy instead.
Usually, the two engines communicate within each other through a planetary transmission, which is similar to an automatic gearbox. Its operation is very close to a continuously variable transmission, or CVT, that has an infinite number of ratios, rather than a default one, in fact there are no gear shifts, but just a speed variation, generated directly by the engine.
Then, we find the Engine Control Unit, the brain of hybrid cars, which is a device that controls the electronics of both engines efficiently. It is very important device for power management and synchronization of the motors: it chooses the right torque to use, how much mixture to apply to the cylinders, and all those parameters to make the car performing.
Plug-In hybrid cars can store energy through an external charger, such as traditional electric cars; for this reason, an energy converter is installed on the vehicle, it receives electric current from the charging station, and converts it in order to recharge the batteries placed in the back part of the vehicle. Installing an inverter into these cars is necessary, since the electrical voltage may differ depending on the country the car is sold, for instance, 110 volts or 220 volts as the Italian one.
The most common batteries used in hybrid cars, such as electric ones, are lithium-ion batteries, which we have already explained in one of our previous videos; these batteries have a huge advantage, because they have a high energy density compared to their weight, that is, they can store much more energy without making the vehicle heavier.
The advantages of a hybrid car are several, but the most important one is definitely its sustainability; with the help given by the electric engine which works synergistically with the thermic one, the pollutant emissions are much more contained. Several studies have shown that hybrid cars release about 70% less Co2 in the atmosphere with respect to conventional vehicles.
Contemporary society is finally committing itself into safeguarding our planet, in the same way that the automotive industry is committed to the search for eco-friendly solutions; but are we sure that hybrid can be the right path for a completely green future? Let us know in the comments below.
If you’ve found this video useful, please let us know by leaving a like and a comment, you can also share it, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Next to the electric motor is the generator, it has the same characteristics of electric engine used give power to the car, but in this case it is used to store energy instead.
Usually, the two engines communicate within each other through a planetary transmission, which is similar to an automatic gearbox. Its operation is very close to a continuously variable transmission, or CVT, that has an infinite number of ratios, rather than a default one, in fact there are no gear shifts, but just a speed variation, generated directly by the engine.
Then, we find the Engine Control Unit, the brain of hybrid cars, which is a device that controls the electronics of both engines efficiently. It is very important device for power management and synchronization of the motors: it chooses the right torque to use, how much mixture to apply to the cylinders, and all those parameters to make the car performing.
Plug-In hybrid cars can store energy through an external charger, such as traditional electric cars; for this reason, an energy converter is installed on the vehicle, it receives electric current from the charging station, and converts it in order to recharge the batteries placed in the back part of the vehicle. Installing an inverter into these cars is necessary, since the electrical voltage may differ depending on the country the car is sold, for instance, 110 volts or 220 volts as the Italian one.
The most common batteries used in hybrid cars, such as electric ones, are lithium-ion batteries, which we have already explained in one of our previous videos; these batteries have a huge advantage, because they have a high energy density compared to their weight, that is, they can store much more energy without making the vehicle heavier.
The advantages of a hybrid car are several, but the most important one is definitely its sustainability; with the help given by the electric engine which works synergistically with the thermic one, the pollutant emissions are much more contained. Several studies have shown that hybrid cars release about 70% less Co2 in the atmosphere with respect to conventional vehicles.
Contemporary society is finally committing itself into safeguarding our planet, in the same way that the automotive industry is committed to the search for eco-friendly solutions; but are we sure that hybrid can be the right path for a completely green future? Let us know in the comments below.
If you’ve found this video useful, please let us know by leaving a like and a comment, you can also share it, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.