Three Types of Hybrid Vehicles Explained

A hybrid electric vehicle combines two or more different power sources to make it run. Often, it will use an internal-combustion engine (that uses a typical fossil fuel like gasoline or diesel) with an electric motor to produce energy to power up your vehicle.

There are three common types of hybrids today: mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and full hybrids.

Mild Hybrid

Mild hybrids are the least of all the hybrid types. Their role here is minimal--they only assist either a diesel or gasoline engine during normal driving. Usually, the electric part is limited to stop-start features, with regenerative braking to help preserve fuel better.

Full Hybrid

Here, the role of the electric engine works hand-in-hand with the internal combustion system, resulting in more options--and more complicated machinery.

Unlike mild hybrids, the full hybrid system allows the electric engine to do more work aside from starting an engine or regenerating brakes. The electric generator also gives supplementary power to the batteries' engines during normal driving conditions, increasing driving distance.

These vehicles are also more versatile, since they can automatically change their modes to parallel, series, or all-electric mode.

Plug-In Hybrid

Plug-in hybrids are like full hybrids, but the difference is that they come with larger batteries that can be plugged into an external power source. It's the closest to an electric vehicle that you can get, since it uses electricity in normal driving, and only uses the combustion engines when the battery drains completely.

Final Word

Hybrid vehicles offer cleaner energy, and emit less pollution compared to vehicles that run on typical gasoline or diesel engine. What's more, they help lessen our dependence on non-renewable resources like fuel, and help reduce fuel consumption due to its regenerative braking properties and smaller engine.

The "hybrid" trend is already starting, with some public utility vehicles (PUVs) already plying the streets of  Metro Manila. And while it would only be a matter of time before the country fully embraces it, the trend to hybridized vehicles will eventually happen.