Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Gas Power and Electric Power Combined

Gas Power and Electric Power Combined

Gasoline powered vehicle
As the name implies, a gasoline powered vehicle uses a combustion engine as a source of power. It has a fuel tank that supplies gasoline to the engine which drives the transmission and turns the wheels.

Pros
With a single full tank, a gasoline-powered vehicle can run several times longer than an electric car.
A gallon of gasoline is much denser than batteries in terms of energy. For example, 1 gallon of gasoline (7 pounds) produces the same amount of power as 1000 pounds of batteries.
It can keep up with the traffic on the road.
You have the widest car options. From compact to full-size sedan, from pickup trucks to SUVs, from minivans to luxury cars, you can jump from one car dealer to another and still get the best car varieties.
You can also choose from different types and sizes of engines.

Cons
With the soaring prices of fuel, getting a gas tank full is very expensive. Combustion engine wastes a lot of energy and consumes a lot of fuel. It also emits pollutants that contribute to the depletion of the environment.
Electric vehicle

An electric vehicle has a battery that supplies power to the electric motor, which then drives the transmission and turns the wheels.

Pros
Since it does not consume fuel, an electric vehicle emits no toxic fumes which is good news for the environment.

Although the battery pack is expensive, electric power is cheaper as compared to pump prices.

Cons
The battery can power the car short distances on a single charging.
Batteries of an electric car take several hours to charge.
Electric cars cannot keep up with the traffic.
Its top speed is slower than gasoline cars.

Hybrid Car – Problem solved

Hybrid cars get the best of both engines. It uses both an electric motor and a combustion engine to drive the vehicle. That means that a hybrid can either run on an electric motor and use the advantages of an electric car, or run on a combustion engine and use the edge of a gasoline powered car. Or, it can run on both at the same time. Depending on the type of hybrid car, you can have the best fuel efficiency with a performance similar or even better than its non-hybrid counterpart.

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