This adequate hybrid drivetrain is two capacity plants working well-adjusted.
There's added to a hybrid than ethical that dainty, growing "H" Emblem on the Timber. Hybrid technology isn't an on-or-off article; diverse degrees of "hybridization" seperate hydrocarbon-only vehicles from comprehensive hybrids agnate the Toyota Prius. One middleman system between these two extremes is the "gentle hybrid," and you might be surprised to memorize that you've probably already driven one.
As such, mild hybrids are definitively cheaper than full hybrids; in Honda's case, the mild hybrid drivetrain is 40 percent cheaper than the full hybrid. Fuel economy for a mild hybrid is a bit lower than a full hybrid; about 46 mpg vs. 52 mpg for (respectively) a mild Hybrid Honda Insight and a Full Hybrid Prius.
Definition
Although there are a few gray areas between what constitutes a "full" hybrid or "mild" one, most automakers use electric-only cruise capability to diffenrentiate between the two. Full hybrids are defined by their powerful electric motors and ability to function at freeway or highway speeds on electric power alone. Mild hybrids have far less powerful motors (as little as 10 horsepower), which are just powerful enough to receive the car up to a speed where the gas engine can engage without stalling.
Mild Hybrid Operation
If you've ever piloted a manual transmission car, you've driven a mild hybrid. If you were to remove the safety switch that disables the starter while in gear, you could easily move the car on the starter alone in first gear. You'd only get up to about two to three miles per hour, but it would still move on electric power alone. Mild hybrids work the same way, but have far more powerful starter motors To admit the car to arrive a higher speed.
Environmental Impact
Perhaps the most contentious issue surrounding hybrids of any sort are their effect on the environment. Full hybrids use huge battery packs, large electric motors and yards of thick copper cable; all of those materials come from a hole in the ground somewhere, and require environmentally harmful processing to mold into a hybrid drivetrain. Because mild hybrids use somewhat super-sized versions of the same parts as any other car (a starter and battery), they're inherently less damaging to the environment.
Cost and Economy
Most mild hybrids (like any of those built by Honda) use a tall-but-thin electric motor pancaked between the engine and transmission. This unit motor acts as a combination electric motor/starter/alternator, meaning that it replaces two necessary components at little more than the price of either.
