CNN Business
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With gas prices passing as high as $5 a gallon in many places, drivers wish they had a hybrid vehicle. In fact, many new vehicle owners may already be driving a hybrid vehicle and may not even be aware of it. Hybrid technology is finding its way into all kinds of vehicles that aren’t Advertised as hybrid.
For automakers, this is often part of the point.
Sales of electric vehicles continue to grow every year, with more companies announcing plans to abandon gasoline engines altogether. But the high fuel costs and relatively high prices of a fully electric car mean that hybrids can still help drivers save money. And customers are buying hybrids in high numbers, even though they don’t always recognize that they are buying a hybrid.
Toyota Prius Sent to racing car buyers at dealerships In the early 2000s, as the price of gasoline increased and the recession put them on the hunt for fuel-efficient alternatives. But those Prius waitlists have been eased over the years as more hybrids entered the market. Toyota Prius sales peaked in the United States in 2012, with sales of over 230,000. In 2019, that number dropped to just over 69,000.
But at the same time, hybrid technology has become more common. And, while fully electric vehicles carry a certain cultural cachet, carmakers are often cautious about what they call a gasoline-electric hybrid. While many hybrids are proudly billed such as the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid, for example, other vehicles, often with mild hybrid systems, include that information only in technical documents or owner’s manuals.
Hybrid market share has more than doubled since 2017, going from 2.0% of the market to 5.1% of the market, according to data from automotive Web site Edmunds.com. But it doesn’t capture all hybrid vehicles, said Edmunds.com analyst Evan Drury. Drury said it’s impossible to know exactly how many hybrid trucks, cars and SUVs are being sold because they are only counted as hybrids in industry statistics, when manufacturers themselves call it a hybrid, or give it a different model name. Huh. Often, car manufacturers specifically refer to a hybrid system as no more than any other engine or transmission feature. This means that a Toyota Rav4 hybrid can be counted while the Toyota Tundra i-Force Max pick-up, which is also a hybrid, might not.
How hybrid vehicles are marketed – sometimes with a chrome “hybrid” badge on the back and sometimes with barely any mention at all – can make a difference in how the technology is perceived by different types of customers.
“There may be a bit of stigma with the word ‘hybrid’,” said Bill Wisnick, editorial director of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Some car buyers fear the hybrid could mean “weeny” performance, he said.
When people think of hybrids, they think of the Toyota Prius as the type icon. The Prius and other hybrids like it have batteries that store energy as the car drives. That electricity is then used to drive an electric motor that can drive the wheels at low speeds – or even at high speeds if the gas pedal is not pressed hard enough – and provides an additional push during acceleration. Is. But modern hybrids have outgrown the technology of the Prius.
Many modern cars have what is called a “mild hybrid” system. These vehicles have smaller, lighter batteries and less powerful electric motors than so-called full hybrids. The electric motor usually cannot drive the car on its own, but it can provide assistance whenever the vehicle is starting from a stop. The gas engine still does most of the work, but the electric motor provides an extra push that makes the gas engine’s job easier. Because of their smaller batteries, mild-hybrid technology makes it easier for battery packs to be inserted into a vehicle without taking up cargo or passenger space. They don’t add as much cost to the vehicle, which makes them easy to sell to buyers who don’t focus solely on fuel economy.
Mild hybrid systems can be found in surprising places, like some Jeep Wrangler and Ram 1500 full-size pickup models. The optional mild hybrid eTork system in the Ram 1500 allows the truck’s gas engine to shut off when the truck comes to a halt, allowing the truck to run out of its battery as it remains stationary for approximately 10 minutes. (Not every vehicle that shuts down its engine at a stop is necessarily a mild hybrid.) When the driver releases the brake pedal, an electric motor can begin to propel the truck for less than half a second. while the gas engine starts. Again.
According to the manufacturer, the mild hybrid system adds up to two extra miles per gallon, mostly in city driving.
Other cars have Prius-style full hybrid systems, but don’t market them that way. For example, the Toyota Tundra i-Force Max is a full hybrid pickup truck, but you’d never know by looking at it. It can shut off its engine and sometimes drive using only its electric motor. But even on the gauge cluster, there is no indication that the truck has a hybrid system. There is a gauge showing the amount of power coming from the electric motor, but it is just labeled “max.”
The Tundra i-Force Max doesn’t make a big deal out of its hybrid nature, said Toyota engineer Craig Herring, because during market research, potential customers showed no interest in buying a hybrid. But they were interested in greater towing and haul power without impact on fuel economy. The Tundra’s hybrid system is designed primarily for maximum power rather than fuel economy. In the Tundra line-up, the i-Force Max replaces a thirsty V8 engine option for customers who want maximum towing and hauling capacity. However, with the emphasis on power, the Hybrid Tundra is less fuel efficient than Ford’s hybrid F-150, but it offers slightly more horsepower and torque.
Some vehicles, such as the new Audi A3 compact sedan, are somewhere in between a lightweight and a full hybrid. It’s technically a mild hybrid, but it’s not that light. As a full hybrid, an electric motor can propel the relatively small and lightweight A3, Audi’s entry-level model, at low speeds or to coast on flat roads or downhill. Similar technology is available on larger Audi models in Europe, said Anthony Garbis, Audi of America’s head of product planning, but it was felt that American customers may not appreciate it on those larger, more luxurious cars.
“We always thought having your A8 was a little weird” [full-size luxury sedan] Coast down the highway,” he said. “So with the A3, it seemed like the right audience, the right pricing and the right technology to present the costing function.”
He added that with Audi moving towards a fully electric line-up in only a decade, such technology is now receiving less attention. Now, Audi is looking forward to when its cars won’t have any gas engines.
If you’re curious whether a car you’re considering buying has mild hybrid technology, a visit to the automaker’s website will usually let you know. or you can just google or go directly to online resources like consumer Reports (subscription required), KBB.com, edmonds.comOr, if you really want to dig into the details, CarandDriver.com,
If you’re just looking for the best fuel economy, no matter what technology is involved, the Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy.gov Always the best place to start.