I was wondering how exactly hybrid cars (The Ford Escape in particular) work?

[tennis_chica11]

I am going to go car shopping soon and I have my eye on the Ford Escape Hyrbrid. I don't really know anything about hybrid cars but I was under the impression that it runs on battery power first and then when that runs out it switches to using gas.

Mostly I am wondering how the battery for the car gets charged. Do you buy a special charger? Or do you plug it in somewhere? When I get the car I will not have a garage at the place I am living. Do you need a garage so you can plug it in somewhere?

Any light you guys could shed on the subject would be much appriciated.
Thanks everyone!

 

[Firebird]

It has a tandem gasoline and electric drivetrain. It can run on either or both.

The battery is charged when you slow down. The momentum of driving is converted to electricity, stored, and used to speed up again. That is the part of the hybrid scheme where you get something for free.

Now - it would be advantageous, financially, if you could plug up and charge the batteries too, but so far that is not available on the market.

 

[lbhietala]

The Escape Hybrid charges itself. When you aren't using much engine power, it'll deliver a little extra power to spin the generator to recharge the batteries. It will also do some regenerative braking, which makes your service brakes last longer and boosts your fuel mileage in town.

It doesn't run on battery power "first." The computer watches for what kind of demands you make and delivers power according to how you're driving. At very low speeds and light throttle settings it won't fire up the gas engine at all - it'll let the electric motor do the work. At greater power demands the gas engine will come on and pitch in. When you stick your foot all the way in like for pulling away hard from a stop light, you'll get both the electric motor and the gas engine pulling, which makes it feel like there's a much bigger engine in there. Cruising on the highway, you use the gas engine only.

You don't need to worry about any of this - the computer does all the work for you, and the operating modes are completely transparent - most people can't tell when the switches happen. There's a display on the dash that can keep you informed of what's going on.

Ford leased its hybrid technology from Toyota; it's essentially the same system as in the second-gen Prius, so it works great and is very reliable. And if you're a careful driver and keep an eye on the dash display, you can hypermile the Escape Hybrid up into the middle-40s of fuel mileage, which is a good number for any vehicle and fabulous for a compact SUV.

It's a good car to own. If you do a lot of city driving, it's tough to beat.