The world's first production hybrid electric car, the Toyota Prius, has already succeeded in proving that hybrid technology can deliver radically reduced fuel consumption and emissions, without any of the limitations imposed by battery-only vehicles, and production is being increased to meet market demand. But the Prius hybrid is only the start. This paper reviews the basic principles of hybrid design, identifies the most important vehicle sectors for hybrid application and describes some of the 'second generation' hybrid configurations which will take over from conventional vehicles in nearly all sectors, from small cars to large trucks and buses. It also identifies the ideal characteristics of the energy storage devices and engines that will power these vehicles. The paper concludes by outlining how European fuel and vehicle taxes could be adjusted to encourage users to replace their obsolete conventional vehicles with these new paragons of efficiency and environmental friendliness.
展开▼
