Identifying Hybrids

A motor vehicle is a hybrid if it uses more than one type of on board energy to achieve propulsion. In process, that means a hybrid will have a traditional internal-combustion engine and a fuel tank, as well as one or more electric engines and a battery pack.

Hybrid vehicles are sometimes mistakenly confused with electric motor vehicles. Hybrids are most usually fuel-burning equipment that use their electric bits to collect and reuse energy that usually goes to waste in standard vehicles. Theoretically, diesel-electric hybrids would be even more fuel-successful, but hybrid techniques and diesel engines both represent extra cost. So far, fitting both in the same motor vehicle has proven to be really expensive.