Firm launches hybrid cars
Hybrid cars could become far more common a sight on the roads after Chinese company, BYD put the world’s first massed-produced, plug-in vehicle on the market.
The BYD F6 can run on a conventional petrol engine or for 62 miles on battery power alone. The batteries can be topped up via a household electrical supply Conventional hybrid cars use a petrol or diesel engine to charge their batteries.
The firm says the F6 model is due to be launched throughout America and Europe in 2011.
The car is on sale for 150,000 yuan (£14,000) and has beaten a plug-in version of the Toyota Prius to market.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “A well priced plug-in hybrid like the BYD has the potential to transform the car market.”
What is a hybrid car?
| hybrid car info | …at a glance |
|---|---|
| What is a hybrid car? | A hybrid vehicle must have two independent methods of propulsion; each with their own power supply |
| How do hybrid cars work? | Petrol-electric or diesel-electric hybrids supply power to the transmission from a battery, by means of an electric motor. However, they also contain a conventionally-fuelled engine, which both recharges the battery and supplies extra power to the transmission |
| Where can you buy hybrids? | Hybrids are slowly becoming mainstream, but so far only Lexus, Honda and Toyota produce hybrid cars available in Britain |
| Advantages of hybrid cars | more fuel efficient than a conventional vehicle of the same type, reduced emissions and cheaper running costs, exempt from London Congestion Charge and no changes needed to your driving habits |
| Disadvantages of hybrid cars | Still relies on fossil fuels and therefore generates greenhouse gases and they cost more to buy than conventionally-powered cars |
Related hybrid car articles:
New hybrid car is DIY
Brown wants all cars electric by 2020
Green car buyers’ guide
Green driving tips
New car tax: How much will you pay in 2009?
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