Today’s hybrid electric vehicles store electricity in batteries to assist the gasoline engine in acceleration and to completely power the vehicle while idling or at steady low speeds (generally less than 25 mph). This might be eco-friendly, but, not enough to entice bikers and drivers. So, engineers are developing adapter kits for hybrid vehicles that will increase their efficiency to 100 miles per gallon by powering them solely on electricity during short trips.
Enter CalCars and EDrive; organizations are developing modification kits that enable the Toyota Prius to be recharged from the grid. The Advanced Hybrid Vehicle Development Consortium, a new group of automotive component suppliers hopes to develop technology that enables hybrids to run without help from the gasoline engine for up to 50 miles. The consortium will develop a prototype hybrid vehicle within a year that includes more-powerful electric motors, longer-lasting batteries and ultracapacitors that can store electricity used for acceleration
Via: Wired News
