Hybrid electric vehicles in the United Kingdom
A hybrid vehicle that combines an electric propulsion system with a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) system is known as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) (hybrid vehicle drivetrain). The use of an electric powertrain aims to produce either higher performance or better fuel economy than a traditional car. There are various HEV kinds, and each one differs in how much it functions as an electric vehicle (EV). While hybrid electric buses, boats, cars, and tractors are all available, hybrid electric cars are the most popular type of HEV.
Modern HEVs incorporate technology that increase efficiency, like regenerative braking, which turn the kinetic energy of the car into electric energy, which is then stored in a battery or super capacitor. A motor-generator is a type of HEV that uses an internal combustion engine to drive an electrical generator, which in turn powers the vehicle's electric drive motors or recharges its batteries. A start-stop system, which many HEVs use to cut idle emissions, involves turning off the engine at idle and starting it again when necessary. Given that the hybrid's petrol engine is often smaller than that of a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid-electric vehicle emits fewer tailpipe emissions than a petrol automobile of comparable size.
The Lohner-Porsche was created by Ferdinand Porsche in 1901. However, hybrid electric cars were not commercially accessible until the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight were released in Japan in 1997 and 1999, respectively. Initially, the low price of fuel made hybrid vehicles seem superfluous. Many automakers introduced hybrid vehicles in the late 2000s as a result of rising petrol prices throughout the world; these vehicles are now seen as a key component of the automotive market of the future.
Since its introduction in 1997, approximately 17 million hybrid electric vehicles have been delivered worldwide as of April 2020. With 7.5 million hybrids registered as of March 2018, Japan has the largest fleet of hybrid electric vehicles in the world. In addition, Japan has the largest market penetration of hybrid vehicles, with hybrids accounting for 19.0% of all passenger vehicles on the road as of March 2018 (both numbers excluding kei cars). With cumulative sales of 5.8 million units since 1999, the U.S. was in second place as of December 2020, and Europe was in third place as of July 2020 with 3.0 million vehicles sold since 2000.
Toyota Motor Corporation is the market leader with more than 15 million Lexus and Toyota hybrids sold as of January 2020, followed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. with cumulative global sales of more than 1.35 million hybrids as of June 2014. With cumulative sales of 5 million units as of September 2022, the Toyota Prius lift back is the most popular hybrid vehicle globally. Up to January 2017, more than 6 million hybrids were marketed under the Prius brand. In March 2016, sales of Lexus hybrids worldwide reached the million-unit mark. With sales of over 1.8 million in Japan and 1.75 million in the United States as of January 2017, the conventional Prius is the all-time best-selling hybrid vehicle in both countries.