What makes hybrid cars environmentally friendly?
Transport is currently a major source of greenhouse gas emissions on our planet. Hybrid-electric vehicles however promise a greener future, combining a conventional engine and an electric motor. Hybrids still consume fossil fuels but at a much lower rate. The average CO2 output for a UK car is 170-200 g/km, but hybrids can virtually halve this, achieving 105 g/km. This is mainly thanks to the vehicle’s electric motor. Although they are usually powered by electricity generated from the car’s fuel, electric motors make much better use of this energy. Many can even recapture energy when braking or travelling downhill. The electric motor is used continuously, with the petrol engine only kicking in at high speed. As a result, although the car is powered by petrol, it uses it in the most efficient way possible.
