Ever since the automobile was invented, automobile engineers have been devising better vehicles to save fuel and increase the efficiency of the automobile. Majority of the cars run on petrol while some cars and heavy vehicles run on diesel. The cost of fuel is increasing everyday and the internal combustion engine is a big source of environmental pollution.

The rising fuel costs and concerns regarding environment made the engineers to think for economic and safer alternative and that is how they have come up with the idea of hybrid automobiles. There are a number of benefits of hybrid automobiles. A hybrid car is an automobile that runs on gasoline and an electric motor. Hybrid automobiles saves on cost of fuel because they are fuel efficient and consume less fuel as compared to non hybrid automobiles.

The hybrid cars have a dual mode and the electric motor powered by batteries take over once the car is in speed. The energy generated from braking and deceleration is used to charge the batteries. Thereby the hybrid cars are able to provide better fuel efficiency. Moreover, the engine of hybrid cars is shut immediately when the car is stopped. The biggest advantage of hybrid cars is in reducing the environmental pollution because of reduced emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the atmosphere. Some automobile manufacturers like Toyota, Ford and Honda have already introduced hybrid automobiles in the market.

There are two types of hybrid cars- series hybrid cars and parallel hybrid cars. A Series hybrid automobile has an electric motor run by batteries. It also has a gas engine but it does not power the vehicle on its own. The batteries are charged by a generator, which is powered by a gas engine. The electric motor remains on all the time and the gas engine can be put on and off when desired. Such hybrid automobiles provide better mileage in the cities.

A Parallel hybrid has a gas engine and batteries for electric motor. Both the gas engine and electric motor can be used to power the vehicle and turn the transmission. The electric motor is used to boost the power whenever required to increase the speed of the vehicle. Parallel hybrid cars are good for highway driving.

Hybrid automobiles have some unique features that provide many benefits. Lightweight materials used in the hybrid automobile save energy in propelling the car. Aerodynamic shape of the vehicle increases its energy efficiency. Tires of hybrid cars are made of stiffer material and filled with higher pressure. These help to provide better grip and reduce friction thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the automobile. Regenerative braking is used to transfer energy from the electric motor to the battery when brakes are applied.

In short, hybrid automobiles are the future of automobiles and you should consider a hybrid car to save money and discharge your responsibility towards providing a greener and cleaner environment.