Desirability of Hybrid Cars - Essay Example

DESIRABILITY OF HYBRID CARS By Student’s Name Course Code and Title Instructor’s name City/State Institution Date The desirability of the hybrid cars as compared to petrol engine powered cars is an on-going debate that has driven car enthusiasts into putting the two engines against each other to prove which of the two power sources cars are reliable to their user. Hybrid cars have been faulted to be unreliable by critics who believe solely in cars powered by gasoline or diesel fuels. The critics hold the notion that traditionally powered crude fuel engines offer the best in terms of reliability either on the highway or within city limits. According to Husain 2011, the menace that is global warming has been fuelled by industrialization, greenhouse gas emissions and the transport industry, particularly cars. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, UEPA, the transport industry is rated as the highest contributor of carbon emissions to the atmosphere standing at 32% of the total global emissions. The need for reduction of carbon emissions from cars has seen the automotive industry produce hybrid cars with low emissions compared to traditional fuel engine vehicles. Critics in the automotive industry have been proved wrong by the performance and reliability of the production hybrid cars that are currently in the market. The critics in the automotive industry question the reliability of hybrid cars based on the following issues. The performance of the battery, its lifetime and burn-out period and the cost associated with battery maintenance and replacement. The critics also voiced their opinion concerning the degradation of the car as compared to a gas engine vehicle driven under the same conditions. This paper will discuss the desirability of hybrid car cars to its user. Hybrid cars are kitted with numerous features that come as standard, for each vehicle as compared to traditionally driven engine cars which would have the same features but as extras. The features include computerized safety features, inbuilt engine diagnostic computer. Hybrids also have better fuel economy, and good engine functions are cost effective and have better maintenance records. Hybrid cars obtain power from two sources and are able to alternate between the two power sources; petrol engine and the electric motors. The petrol engine obtains its power through combustion while the electric motors are powered by a battery pack layered in the car’s chassis, boot or bonnet depending on the model of the car. The hybrid engine, coupled with an on-board computer gives the option to choose between other power sources; electric motor or petrol engine. Availability of more than a single power source makes the hybrid car desirable. During the startup, the normal engine burns an extensive amount of fuels as compared to a hybrid engine that uses the power from the electric motors to power the drive shaft hence moving the vehicle and conserving fuel. A smooth transition from the electric motors to the gasoline engine then follows as the car’s torque increases. Some vehicles have their motors placed on each wheel while some have a twin motor coupled with the drive shaft and gear system. Most traditionally powered cars lag during startup and take time to achieve the driver’s desired speed or torque. The power source switch ensures reliability of its driver through the production of enough torque to power the car from startup. The ability to monitor the function and state of each part of the car is a reliable function that comes as an extra feature in petrol engine powered cars. Hybrid car drivers, however, are given the option of relying solely on the petrol engine, electric motors and its battery power backup or a combination of both. The engine’s complexity has seen engineers install standard computers in the hybrid cars. The driver can monitor the car's function through a dashboard monitor. The computers perform engine diagnostics, monitor individual wheel function and pinpoint any problem in any part of the car real-time as compared to most standard production cars. Computerization ensures the driver can maintain the car or prevent functional issues in the car during use. According to Collie 1979, hybrid cars are increasingly being sought after in the automotive market due to the car’s ability to conserve fuel and its reduced fuel consumption. Fuel economy in hybrid cars is a reliable fact that all hybrid car drivers boast of as compared to the internal combustion engine. Due to greater fuel economy, the driver can save on filing costs, making the hybrid car desirable. Fuel consumption is achieved due to the presence of two power sources resulting in a smaller but efficient engine. Miles per gallon consumption of a Toyota Prius stands at 40.4 to 44.6 on the highway. Within city limits, the Prius gives a fuel consumption rate of 42.5 MPG to 47.6 MPG. Other sedans in the Prius class give higher consumption rates of about 0.9 gallons more than the Prius. Nonetheless, fuelling a hybrid is lower than the gasoline-only counterpart. The engine is reliable to the user for the average day to day use; driving within city or town limits. Reliability is evident in hybrid cars due to their reduced overall weight that reduces drag as compared to traditional petrol engine cars which are heavier. Increased drag in a car causes it to consume more fuel than hybrid cars. Each driver desires to have more power at their disposal. Battery storage in hybrid cars is placed in-line with the chassis allowing for the creation of more space in the car. The design of the hybrid Li-ion battery pack is engineered to save space, allowing for installation of numerous units. Availability of power enables the driver to achieve extra miles when combined with a combustion engine making the hybrid car a reliable choice due to its large power reserve. Hybrid cars use standard to special tires that increase the car's ability to handle and manoeuvre well. The cars are also reliable in power conservation since the power lost as heat while braking is channeled to motors charging the battery packs. Re-channeling of power back to batteries is a desirable function that ensures the driver has enough power from each drive-train to power the car when need arises. The ease of using a hybrid car is by the availability of its large electric power source. The cars are increasingly reliable to their users due to the availability of features such as climate control, power steering, and electric windows. Auxiliary pumps in the car are also powered electrically that reduces power loss and noise. Satellite navigation systems also come as standard features in hybrid cars that provide useful information when the need arises for the driver. During low speeds and idling in traffic, the car can shut the engine and rely solely on electric motor power. The reduced engine size also ensures the availability space for other components. Hybrid cars, especial sedans, are renowned for their spacious interior, which translates to overall comfort that the user can rely on during various drives. Due to reduce engine size, there is more space for luggage in the boot. Maintenance of hybrid cars is less costly as compared to traditionally powered cars, although by small margins. The period required to conduct the service on a hybrid car is longer with respect to mileage. The hybrid only parts require less or no service and take long periods to replace such as a battery. Aside from minor components such as air filters which require replacement, many other parts are replaced after a while. The spare parts though cost a fraction as they were new. The parts of the gasoline engine in a hybrid vehicle are similar to gasoline specific cars in the car category. Maintenance is from after a period of 5000 miles to 10,000 miles. The costs, therefore, are similar, although factorising time; it takes longer and costs less to service a hybrid. The global crude oil prices are increasing per barrel as demand for the crude product rise. The rise in crude oil translates directly expensive transport. Hybrid cars are, therefore, becoming more desirable due to their low fuel economy, consumption and relatively low maintenance costs. Insurance costs are relatively less depending on the insuring company and policy taken. Due to the relative slow pace, driving of the hybrid driver, insurance companies opine hybrid drivers are in accidents. The packages are towards hybrid car owners due to the owner's support towards the green cause. The low insurance policies as compared to those offered to non-hybrid drivers are packages that hybrid drivers can rely on. Hybrid cars are becoming increasingly desirable for the market due to their attraction on better insurance policies. Safety features installed in hybrid cars include standard airbags, pedestrian sound systems that alert pedestrian of the on-coming car at corners and in the city due to its reduced engine noise level. Hybrid cars are becoming more desirable due to their low emissions. The reduced engine size and presence of startup electric motor function reduces engine noise. Hybrid car owners opt for the cars due to their preference for clean energy and fewer transmissions. Composite materials such as carbon fibre and fused fibreglass are used to manufacture hybrid cars. The use of metals is limited to the aluminium metal which is light in weight and has a high tensile strength. The overall weight cut in each hybrid car as compared to other cars makes the car easier to handle. The reduced weight ensures there is a greater power to weight ratio, especially in hybrid racing cars such as the Porsche 918 hybrid used in the Le Mans Racing circuit. The use of lighter but stronger materials enables the car to withstand greater impacts in case of an accident, therefore, shielding its occupants well. Reduced weight has seen automotive companies such as Porsche, McLaren, Nissan and Toyota; adopt hybrid cars that have registered good results. An example of excellent torque and boost levels are by the Porsche 918 hybrid and the McLaren P1 hybrid cars which achieve acceleration rates of zero- sixty miles per hour (0-60MPH) in less than 2.4 seconds. Low emissions are an increasing factor making hybrid cars desirable. Hybrid cars emit significantly less emission than gasoline powered cars. The presence of electric motors reduces the emissions. The emissions obtained from cars include carbon emissions, heat and noise emission. The Toyota Prius reports carbon emissions of 103.8g/Km which is 55.01% less than cars in the same class. Low nitrogen compound emissions, tar and monoxide emissions also make hybrid cars desirable since the owner is of clean filter air in climate control systems. Air pollution is, as a result, of using hybrid cars that have cleaner and lower emissions. Hybrid cars are becoming increasingly desirable due to their low heat emission levels ensuring that the excess energy is converted or conserved for future use. Conclusion Hybrid cars are being adopted by developed and developing countries due to their ability to conserve fuel. The low emission rates observed from the use of hybrid cars is in line with the green environment policy. More cities around the world have Legislations set to charge drivers of cars with high emissions. The charges however are not preferred towards hybrid cars that have seen more people desire to buy the hybrid cars. Availability of various mode of driving from hybrid to electric and gasoline is a desirable function of hybrid cars that have increased their popularity in the automotive industry. Hybrid cars are the desirable future of the automotive industry although critics will try note the cost of attaining a hybrid car, and mass production will ensure that market prices fall to affordable rates for the ordinary buyer. References List. Collie, M. (1979). Electric and hybrid vehicles. 2nd ed. University of Michigan: Noyes DataCorp, pp.54 Environmental Protection Agency. (2007). Climate Action Report to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: Projected Greenhouse Gas Emissions. U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, USA Husain, I. (2011). Electric and Hybrid Vehicles: Design Fundamentals. 2nd ed. Ohio: CRC Press, 2011, pp.57 & 109. Read More