Difference between "Hydrogen" and "Hybrid" cars?

Question

Hi, are they the same thing? can anyone tell me the difference? thanks

Answer 1

Hydrogen cars burn hydrogen gas as a fuel in internal combustion engines that are very similar to gasoline engines. The rest of the car is the same as a traditional gasoline car. Hybrid cars have an electric motor that propels them in low load situations. The electric motor runs on batteries. The hybrid car also has a gasoline engine. The gas engine runs a generator that charges the batteries for the electric motor. The gas engine is also connected to the driveline to help the electric motor on hills or when accelerating. The gas engine could run on gasoline, diesel, propane or even on hydrogen but all production hybrid cars that I know of use gasoline.

Answer 2

hydrogen is the lightest gas there is and it really doesnt pollute the atmosprere as much as carbon based gases

Answer 3

"Hybrid cars" is a generic term for any vehicle that uses more than one fuel source.  Hydrogen is one of many fuel sources which may be used in hybrid cars.

Answer 4

They are totally different things.

Hydrogen is a fuel type.  It can be burned in a normal piston engine, or in a special reactor called a "fuel cell", which outputs electricity.   It is explosive and odorless.

Hybrid cars have two drive systems - a battery and an electric motor, and a fuel engine of some kind (usually a gas engine).  They can be driven by either system individually or blended.  For instance it can turn off the engine and run strictly on battery/motor in stop-n-go traffic.  Or it can use both at once for maximum acceleration.  It can recharge the battery either from the engine, or by "dynamic braking", i.e. using the motor as a generator to recover power.  (locomotives have done this for 50 years.)  Some hybrids can recharge the battery at home by plugging into any wall outlet -- so they can go many miles strictly on that very cheap power, using no fuel at all!

For instance the Chevy Volt will be able to go the first 40 miles strictly on plug-in-the-wall battery power, at about "50 cents a gallon" equivalent cost.   After 40 miles it will have to start the engine to keep going, and that will use up fuel :(

Hybrids save fuel by turning off the engine when it isn't really needed.  And by recovering some brake energy into the battery.  And by charging at home (if possible).

Because you don't need the engine for acceleration, the engine can be just about anything - large or small, gas, diesel, jet turbine or -- ready for this -- hydrogen fuel cell.  Yes a car can be both hydrogen and a hybrid.  However I wouldn't hold my breath on that, as hydrogen is a very inefficient fuel.

Answer 5

no but anwser ? it is in relasionshipes it will say ask by priness

Answer 6

Hydrogen is a fuel that makes no economic sense. It is wasteful to make it and store it.

Hybrid is using gas (petrol) coupled with electric storage and motors to enable more efficient use of energy.

Answer 7

There are different types of hybids and different types of hydrogen vehicles.  Some hydrogen vehicles are hybrids.  Let me explain.

There are parallel hybrids that have a gasoline engine and electric motor work together and take turns.  The gas engine can drive the car and/or charge the batteries for the electirc motor.  This is a vehicle like the Toyota Prius.

There are serial hybrids that have a gasoline engine power a generator that can then run an electric motor.  The vehicle runs soley on electric power when the batteries have enough charge, then switches to getting power from the gasoline generator when the batteries are low.  This is a vehicle like the upcoming GM Volt.

There are hydrogen powered vehicles that burn the hydrogen in a conventional internal combusion engine.  These are not hybrids.  Mazda has a special version of the Rx8 sports car that can burn hyrdrogen like this.

There are hydrogen powered vehicles that generate electricity from hydrogen and air in a fuel cell power system.  The fuel cell power is used to charge batteries that run an electric motor to move the vehicle.  This fuel cell vehicle is both hydrogen powered and a hybrid.  (uses fuel and battery power).  The Honda FCX is this type of vehicle.

All of these vehicles offer possible environmental benefits over traditional gasoline vehicles.  They tend to have lower emissions and higher efficiency.

Parallel hybrids are here now.  Serial hybrids with plug-in capability will be here soon.

Both types of hydrogen vehicles seem prohibitively expensive and impractical right now so I am not sure if they will ever become popular.