Understanding Hybrid Technology

I know hybrid technology may not sound like the most interesting topic to be reading up on, but chances are high that your next purchase is going to come with at least some of these features: with the European Union’s fleet emission targets set to drop as low as 95g/km of CO22 next year, hardly any volume manufacturer will be able to meet that target without incorporating a wide range of hybrid options on top of their fully electric line-up. So if you’re not exactly clued in on the workings of gasoline-electric co-propulsion, now is the time to brush up. Thankfully, Oneshift has prepared a handy guide for you!

They cut down on your fuel bill and put out less of those gases that will melt the polar ice caps and bring about the end of the earth. I think enough has already been said about this. But let’s talk about what makes them great as machines. The plain-Jane petrol engine is simply not as efficient when tasked to work across a variety of speeds (that is, RPMs) like in, for example, a car. We know this because engines of old tend to have ‘peaky’ torque curves that topped off at engine speeds beyond those used in everyday driving. Variable valve timing technology and more recently, turbocharging also has its origins in seeking to overcome this deficiency, allowing engines to breathe more freely and produce greater torque across engines speeds but these newer engines still require a certain engine speed above idle to deliver optimum performance.

With electric motors however, peak and instantaneous torque is delivered from standstill, and combining one with a combustion engine has covered that final gap in performance which actually matters most in day to day driving: launching from idle. Pairing a combustion engine to an electric motor allows the best of both engine and electric motor to complement each other: with the electric motor pushing at low engine speeds for quick take-offs and the combustion engine taking over for higher power operations, such as high speed driving.

What does this mean for you as a driver? You get a far more responsive car, essential for inner-city space jostling, but also the reassurance that the mechanicals within your engine are far less strained when accelerating hard at the traffic lights.

Convinced? Great. But did you know that there also are a variety of hybrid options available? Read on to figure out which of these would be the best option for you!

This is the typical configuration for most hybrids in the market today, the identifying feature being that both the combustion engine and electric motors can directly provide power to the wheels.

Parallel hybrids dominate the market for a number of reasons, chief amongst which is due to the fact that they can deliver the most regular driving and ownership experience, with the petrol engine still doing most of the work and the electrical motors propelling the car when the petrol engine is less efficient, such as during low speed cruising or hard acceleration. The upshot of this however, is that parallel hybrids have the smallest battery and electrical system amongst full hybrids, allowing all aspects of battery management to be left to the control of the vehicle’s electrical control unit: the battery is recharged by regenerative braking and if needed by the gasoline engine, and fuelling is done entirely like a regular car.

Keeping the total electrical assistance down also has the benefit of reducing the total amount of expensive batteries needed, keeping production costs similar to a regular petrol unit and not needing the complicated battery cooling systems present in all other full hybrids.

Looking for a fuss-free hybrid ownership experience? Consider the Hyundai Ioniq. Available from $111,999* with a quick shifting dual-clutch gearbox, the Ioniq is a good value proposition amongst rivals of similar size, and with a fuel economy of 3.8 l/100km, will aid in saving your fuel expense down the road as well.

Plug-in Hybrids (PHEV) work just like a parallel hybrid but with a bigger battery pack, as well as the option to plug-in and charge via a wall outlet, hence the name. Think of these as being halfway between pure electric and conventional gasoline cars. The great selling point for PHEVs is the fact that they combine the best of both electric and gasoline drivetrains: with the battery pack enlarged, PHEVs are typically capable of up to 30 km of pure electric travel on a full charge, while still abating any range anxiety since there always remains to option to turn on the petrol engine if there is a need to cover longer distances. Think of it this way: you get the option to save on fuel during the school run, while still having that wall of torque and all the drama of a petrol engine during the Genting run.

Unfortunately there is a cost to PHEVs, quite literally. Their larger battery packs mean that prices inevitably start higher than their equivalent petrol-only counterparts, and those batteries also add to the total weight of the vehicle, blunting agility.

Looking to ride in style while still saving on your fuel bill? Consider the Mercedes E350e. Capable of driving up to 33km on pure electricity from a full charge, and with 208hp on tap, this hybrid is no slouch.

Just like the PHEV, these hybrids also offer plug-in recharge capability and larger battery packs so that short commutes can be done purely on electric power. However, they are the opposites of parallel hybrids: their petrol engines are not directly driving the wheels. Instead, they power generators which supply their current to the electric motors that propel the car. Unlike the above two classes of hybrid, since only the electric motors are propelling the car, you do not get the benefit of combining both engine and motor outputs during hard acceleration. It may seem like a round-about way to go about things, but this format actually allows for a simpler drivetrain, since there is no need for a complicated gearbox that can mate two power sources. Remember at the start where we explained how the combustion engine is not as efficient when working a variety of speeds? In series hybrids, since the combustion engine is not directly connected to the rest of the drivetrain, it only needs to run within a narrow range in order to charge up the batteries, allowing them to be tuned for maximum efficiency. We know that this is a format that works since it has long been utilised in diesel-electric locomotives. As a driver what you end up with is a package that delivers that high-torque acceleration associated with electric only vehicles, as well as their high efficiency in city-driving, without having to worry over charge times since they can also be fuelled with petrol.

Unfortunately if the idea of driving a range extender hybrid appeals to you, the only option available currently on our shores is the BMW i3 Range Extender. We tested the 94Ah model but since 2018, BMW has since increased the cell capacity of its batteries to a maximum of 120Ah, giving the 168hp car a maximum claimed range of 310 kilometres on a single charge when tested under WLTP conditions, which should be plenty for daily driving around our little island.

Since mild hybrids are not considered full hybrids, they do not come with hybrid badging, but be prepared to hear this term being thrown around in showrooms, as their low cost means that this technology is expected to become commonplace in the coming years. Also commonly known as a 48-Volt system hybrid, mild hybrids also feature battery and regenerative systems, but simplify them to save on cost and as such are incapable of electric only propulsion at any speed. Mild hybrids work to reduce fuel consumption by utilising regenerative braking in order to charge batteries that in turn, power various equipment including the air-conditioning as well as a combined starter / motor. While the electrical system in mild hybrids may not be as large as full hybrids, think of them like this: they allow more intelligent utilisation of your petrol engine’s power. By moving to a higher voltage system, they allow start / stop features to be utilised more often during regular driving, while cutting down the parasitic draw on the engine, allowing harder acceleration out of the same petrol unit, as well as contributing a small amount of assistance during full sprints.

If it is a combination of sporty performance and high efficiency driving you are after, the Mercedes CLS350 delivers 295bhp in a four-door coupe shape, while the EQ boost integrated starter-generator supplements the engine’s output by another 14hp and 160 Nm of torque.

Now that you are armed with all you need to know on hybrid options, why not search though the listings at Carousell? Or drop us a comment on our Facebook page if you have any questions or are looking for suggestions!

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