The Hybrid Automobile

Gasoline consumption is decreased with the use of hybrid vehicles.

What's the difference between a normal vehicle and a hybrid? The biggest difference in the way hybrids work is the use of an electric motor to help get the vehicle moving from a stop or to accelerate from very low speeds. This is especially important during slow stop-and-go driving. In slow-moving urban traffic, the electric motor often has enough power to keep the vehicle moving with the gasoline engine turned off. At steady, high speeds on the high¬way, there isn't much for the electric motor to do, so the car operates like a conventional one. In addition, rather then getting something for nothing, hybrids' "regenerative" braking systems get something that is typically lost. They capture some of the energy generated by the brakes and use it to charge the electric motors battery.

* Source - Jonathan Welsh - Wall Street Journal.

Vehicle Energy Saving Strategies | Energy Renewable Energy Sources