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Automobile

Hybrids

In the last few years several makes of affordable hybrid cars have appeared on the U.S. market. Hybrid cars burn gasoline in an efficient engine to produce electricity. This power is then stored in batteries and used to run an electric motor, and power from the electric motor is combined with power from the gasoline motor to move the car. Today's commercially-available hybrid cars produce a small fraction of the air pollution per mile traveled that is produced by conventional cars of comparable size, and get significantly better mileage as well.


Resources

Books

Duffy, James E. Modern Automotive Mechanics. Tinley Park, IL: Goodheart-Willcox Publisher, 1990.

Lewis, David L., and Laurence Goldstein, eds. The Automobile and American Culture. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1986.

Magliozzi, Tom and Ray. Car Talk. New York: Dell Publishing, 1991.

Thiessen, Frank J., and David N. Dales. Automotive Principles and Service. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1993.

Other

Fowler, Jonathan. "Traffic Deaths on Rise Globally." Associated Press. August 29, 2002 [cited October 19, 2002]. <http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/3962244.htm>.

Hermance, David, and Shoichi Sasaki. "Hybrid Vehicles Take to the Streets." IEEE Spectrum. November, 1998 [cited October 19, 2002]. <http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/select/1198/hyb.html>.

International Center for Technology Assessment. "The Real Price of Gasoline" 2002 [cited October 17, 2002]. <http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/realpricegas.pdf>.

U.S. Census Bureau. "2001 Statistical Abstract of the United States" [cited Oct. 19, 2002]. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/01statab/trans.pdf>.


M.L. Cohen

KEY TERMS

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Catalyst

—Any agent that accelerates a chemical reaction without entering the reaction or being changed by it.

Combustion

—A form of oxidation that occurs so rapidly that noticeable heat and light are produced.

Friction

—A force caused by the movement of an object through liquid, gas, or against a second object that works to oppose the first object's movement.

Gear

—A wheel arrayed with teeth that meshes with the teeth of a second wheel to move it.

Ratio

—A measurement in quantity, size, or speed of the relationship between two or more things.

Shaft

—A rod that, when spun, can be used to move other parts of a machine.

Torque

—The ability or force needed to turn or twist a shaft or other object.

Voltage

—Measured in volts, the amount of electrons moved by an electric current or charge.

Additional topics

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