Why do hybrids use the gas engine for power as well as charging, why not just use the engine to charge the car

Question

does it have to do with the weakness of the electric engine?

Or is it a conspiracy to use more gas, even in a hybrid?

or does it serve for someone unknown (to me ) purpose?

Answer 1

The electric motors used in hybrids generally produce 10-20 horsepower so are used to supplement, but not replace the internal combustion engine.

Answer 2

Gasoline-electric hybrids work on a very simple concept.

To keep a car running down the highway might require only 70 hp (horse power), but to accelerate the car might require an extra 20 hp to 40 hp.  So a gasoline only car would need a 110 hp engine.  But that sized engine burns extra fuel when you're just cruising along.

A hybrid replaces the 110 hp engine with a 90 hp engine, and a 20 hp electric motor.  Now the engine will only use about 80% of the gas it used to while just cruising along.  But it still produces extra power while cruising, which is used to charge the battery.  And when you need that acceleration, the electric motor kicks in to provide it.  The gasoline motor is the primary power source, but it is a little under-sized, so the electric provides a boost when needed.

For city driving, you might only need 60 hp to accelerate, and about 20 hp to keep moving.  In this case, the gasoline engine is essentially idling most of the time, except when you accelerate.  So when you accelerate, the electric kicks in to provide a substantial chunk of the power so that the gasoline engine doesn't need to work as hard.  Again, the gasoline engine still produces excess energy which is used to keep the batteries charged.  This saves a considerable amount of fuel, cutting fuel use nearly in half.

Now, installing lots of batteries, a 90 hp electric motor, and a 20 hp gasoline engine could work, to prolong the charge on the batteries.  In a long trip, a 20 hp engine would be incapable of supplying the power the car needs, and the batteries would run down.  For example, an electric car with a small gasoline engine might have an electric-only range of about 80 miles (as opposed to 120 for an all-electric).  Going down the highway would use 50 hp from the electric, and 20 hp from the engine.  This means the batteries would be draining at 55% of the all-electric rate.  The highway range might then be extended to 145 miles before you needed to stop and recharge.  This is not much further than the all-electric.

For city driving, the gasoline engine alone might be able to keep the car moving.  The only time battery power would be lost is when accelerating.  The batteries might be able to last several hundred miles in this case, before they needed to be recharged.  

Range isn't really an issue in most city driving situations, but it is for highway driving.  The gasoline-electric has a long highway range and quick refuel, while the electric-gasoline has a short highway range and long recharge.

Answer 3

The original models had the motor charge the battery. Then someone realized that power from our electric systems was much cheaper. The batteries are very heavy so to have more batteries is not the answer. Just try to learn to adapt. Most of the time it is not a conspiracy of big oil. If we didn't have big oil there would many people walking and hungry.

Answer 4

The primary advantage is you charge while "BREAKING", adding to the efficiency.  Great if you do alot of city driving.  Worthless if you mostly drive on the highway.

Hybrids are useful for people who live in europe but for the US market they mostly are not any more efficient than any other car.

Answer 5

The engine does charge the battery when it is running. The battery is too weak to use to start the car in motion and to run at highway speeds so the engine turns on to do both. Hybrids are not plugged in to charge only all electric cars are.

Conspiracies are easy answers that most people do not wish to accept in my book.