How Hybrids Work
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybridtech.shtml
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybridtech.shtml
U.S. Department of Energy/Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
This Flash animation describes how hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors and can be configured to obtain different objectives, such as improved fuel economy, increased power, or additional auxiliary power for electronic devices and power tools.
See how this Animation
supports the Next Generation Science Standards»
Middle School: 7 Disciplinary Core Ideas, 2 Science and Engineering Practices
High School: 2 Performance Expectations, 10 Disciplinary Core Ideas, 2 Science and Engineering Practices
Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

Middle School: 7 Disciplinary Core Ideas, 2 Science and Engineering Practices
High School: 2 Performance Expectations, 10 Disciplinary Core Ideas, 2 Science and Engineering Practices
Topics
Grade Level
Climate Literacy
About Teaching Climate Literacy
Humans can take action
About Teaching Climate Literacy
Other materials addressing Humans can take action
About Teaching Climate Literacy
Other materials addressing Humans can take action
Energy Literacy
Notes From Our Reviewers
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Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy |
Technical Details
Teaching Tips
- Use in conjunction with other features on the fuel economy page to provide greater depth and other research opportunities for students.
About the Science
- Interactive text-based animation shows how the different components of a hybrid vehicle work during different stages of automobile functioning: starting, cruising, passing, breaking, and stopping.
- Developed by a reputable source: US Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Technology is accurate.
- Comments from expert scientist: Excellent. The description is both precise and concise. It captures the essence of this remarkable technology. One useful addition is that, because hybrid uses the electric motor to carry most of the burden of acceleration, it allows the engine to minimize the task of acceleration, where engine efficiency tends to be low and pollutant emissions tend to be high. Consequently, not only the fuel efficiency improves, the pollutant emissions also decline significantly.