Cars and Global Oil Consumption – Can Hybrids Help?
By James Shrowb
People have been using cars for more than a hundred years. And during this time cars have changed a lot. Today cars are much more reliable and faster than ever before. In addition, they are more convenient and safer, too. There is one major thing though that has not changed over all those years: how most cars work. Just like most cars from the past, modern automobiles still work on fuel made from oil. Typically, this fuel is gasoline (”gas” for short). Sometimes cars run on diesel fuel, too, which also comes from oil. Oil is a great source of energy, but there still are certain problems about using it.
One of such problems is that unfortunately oil is not a renewable resource. As soon as it is used, it’s gone, and there’s no way to renew or restore it. If we continue to use oil, at some point the world will run out of it. Also, with the world’s oil resources running low, it will probably get more and more expensive over time.
Another problem is that the use of oil fuels releases various gases in the atmosphere. Some of these gases can be harmful to human health. Some scientists say that certain gases change Earth’s climate. This is a serious problem, because currently there are millions of vehicles in the world, and every year more is produced. For example, in 2007 more than 40 million vehicles were produced. Add trucks and buses to this, and the total number of new car production will be even greater.
There are a few ways to address these problems. One of them is to use less oil. This is precisely where hybrid cars come in. Their power originates from electricity and gasoline (or diesel). As a result, they use less gas.
What is a “Hybrid”?
Any vehicle with two (or more) sources of power is considered a hybrid. Usually, when people refer to hybrid cars, what they have in mind is a car that has both a gasoline engine (internal combustion engine) and an electric motor (generator).
James has been writing for web for about 5 years, and his articles include not only those about automobiles and their maintenance, but also household appliances such as IQAir-HealthPro Air Purifier. You are also welcome to try his free G1 Practice Test.
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