Hybrid

The Indian automotive industry has a long way to go before electric cars become as affordable as ICE cars with up to the mark charging infrastructure. Going completely electric is a process involving various stages, and electrification of ICE cars is the first stage, as hybrid technology will make the transition to pure EVs smoother. Hybrid cars offer the best of both worlds — ICE and BEV. What’s more, hybrid cars are inexpensive, fuel-efficient, and most importantly, they limit environmental pollution.

There are different kinds of hybrid vehicles, but the most popular ones are mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and strong-hybrid cars. This electrification always goes hand-in-hand with petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. The strong-hybrid vehicles provide the best of both worlds – fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive factor. Not to forget, they’re also environment-friendly.

A strong-hybrid system uses a small onboard battery as a core component alongside main elements, such as an electric motor, either at one axle or both at front and rear. One of the motors also acts as a starter-generator that helps save fuel during frequent engine start/stops. The electric motors also provide initial torque assistance to the engine to further improve fuel economy.

Such vehicles have an EV mode where they run solely on battery power rather than only the engine. When it comes to battery charging, strong-hybrid vehicles use regenerative braking to recharge the battery. It’s interesting to note that the battery in strong-hybrid cars also provides electricity to auxiliary functions of the car, like infotainment, lights, and charging ports. One can even enjoy air conditioner without switching on the combustion engine.

Strong-hybrid cars come with a short electric-only range that helps save fuel in bumper-to-bumper crawling traffic, plus you can switch to the combustion engine option at the push of a button. Similarly, the strong-hybrid vehicles also have a Hybrid mode, where a car can utilise combined power coming from both engine and electric motor for a fun-to-drive experience.

All in all, strong-hybrid vehicles are laying roads for pure-electric vehicles. They come with a dedicated EV mode that allows them to drive around for short distances, which saves fuel and helps reduce the carbon footprint. And this brings out the uniqueness of a strong hybrid vehicle. They are a step ahead of the 48-volt mild-hybrid vehicles and more inexpensive than plug-in hybrid vehicles, thus providing the best of both worlds.

Automotive giants around the world have already decided to phase out combustion engine cars to make a way for hybrid vehicles, only to ultimately adapt pure-electric vehicles.