But when I stomp on the throttle, both the gasoline and electric motors kick in at maximum power, and I easily slide into a gap in the speeding traffic. The Best of Both Worlds Honda's Insight combines the advantages of battery and gas power. Nickel-metal hydride batteries provide 144 volts for the electric motor as needed. A power-control unit directs the flow of electricity to and from the battery pack. A three-cylinder gasoline engine provides power most of the time but gets a boost from the electric motor when needed.
Instruments monitor battery status, charging rates, real-time gas mileage, and lifetime gas mileage.
At the dawn of the automobile age 100 years ago, a variety of power plant technologies jostled for dominance before the internal combustion engine trounced the competition with its combination of price, power, and convenience. But dismal sales short-circuited several automakers' plans. Dealers sold just 561 Ford Ranger electric pickup trucks in the United States in the 1999 model year, and even that low figure made it the national electric-vehicle sales leader. Hybrid vehicles, which never have to be plugged into anything, are emerging as a more sensible way to get out of the internal-combustion rut. The Ford Prodigy and the gm Precept, midsize hybrid prototypes shown at the Detroit auto show in January, preview technologies the companies plan to incorporate into future production cars.