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Get behind the wheel of a hybrid and experience the difference. unlike conventional vehicles, hybrids use advanced technology and smart design to go farther on a gallon of gas - cutting pollution, saving oil, and slashing costs at the gas pump. Regenerative Braking Captures energy normally lost during braking to charge the electric motor. Aerodynamic Design Improves fuel economy by reducing drag and wind resistance. Integrated Starter-Generator Saves fuel by shutting down gas engine when idling in traffic. Hybrid Engine Combines small internal combustion engine with electric motor. Variable Valve Control Engine Improves engine performance by controlling the mix of air and fuel more precisely. Continuously Variable Transmission Boosts fuel economy through better "gear ratios." High-Strength, Lightweight Materials Materials such as aluminum reduce weight without compromising safety. Mouse over this icon to see examples of innovative hybrid technology. Hybrid Vehicles Cut Pollution,Save Oil,and Lower Gas Costs Burning gasoline emits carbon dioxide – the main heat trapping gas that causes global warming. As a result, America's cars and trucks release more global warming pollution than the entire country of Germany. By using less gasoline, hybrid vehicles release a fraction of the heat trapping emissions. America's dangerous dependence on oil threatens energy security and puts our environment at risk. Hybrid technology can help make all of our cars and light trucks average forty miles per gallon within the next ten years. Taking this step would save more oil than we currently import from the entire Persian Gulf or could ever take out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, combined. Hybrid vehicles also save money at the gas pump. Over the lifetime of the vehicle, hybrids can reduce gasoline bills by thousands of dollars when compared to similarly sized cars and SUVs. How Do Hybrids Work? Hybrid vehicles combine an efficient gasoline engine and an electric motor to get great fuel economy. The electric motor powers the car at low speeds, switching to the gas engine at highway speeds. To accelerate, hybrids combine the power of both the electric and gas engines. When hybrids brake, they recharge the electric motor using energy that other cars just waste. This process is known as regenerative braking. Since both the gasoline engine and the regenerative braking charge the electric motor, hybrid vehicles never need to be plugged in! You just fill them up at the gas station like any other car – only not as often. Hybrids also use a host of other fuel-saving technologies ranging from smart transmissions to idle-off starters to aerodynamic design and better materials. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use