By G.R. Whale
As you know, making an engine more efficient often leads to improvements in performance and fuel economy. Hybrids take that approach a step beyond the engine, aiming to increase performance without sacrificing mileage or emissions, add economy without giving up too much power, or some balance of both, primarily by recapturing energy that would otherwise be lost. And as technology advances and costs come down, hybrids continue to gain ground as alternatives in vehicle propulsion.
According to Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal (www.greencar.com), "Hybrids are popular because they satisfy a variety of needs. For some, they're an environmental statement that allows lessening environmental load without requiring anything more than driving a car. For others, hybrids offer immediate satisfaction at the pump since the cost for fill-ups is usually less. Still others look to hybrids for their enhanced performance and impressive torque, brought about by the use of an efficient electric motor that augments internal-combustion power. But are gas/electric hybrids the only choice?
What's a Hybrid?
Every current SUV and truck hybrid produced for the North American consumer market pairs a gasoline engine with an electric motor, with diesel/electrics expected next-if that torquey setup works for a locomotive, it bodes well for pickups. Plug-in hybrids, which take advantage of externally sourced battery charging while parked, are currently being tested by some automakers. Whatever the hybrid vehicle, it's how the two power sources are combined that makes the difference, some more significant than others.
With massive popularity and press far out of proportion to the one-odd percent of new-vehicle sales hybrids account for, it's no surprise there are misnomers and misinformation. On the truck and SUV section of one popular Web site, we read that hybrids "tend to weigh less than nonhybrid counterparts because of smaller engines and lightweight materials" used in production. However, none of the vehicles in this story (nor any car-based hybrids, for that matter) weighs less than its nonhybrid counterpart (where one exists).
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
The Mariner uses the same 155-horsepower (total system output) powertrain as the Escape Hybrid, the principal differences being appearance, slightly more weight from amenities, and that the Mariner is only offered with all-wheel drive. The battery pack, about the size of 250 D-cells, delivers nominal operating voltage of 216 to 397 volts and drives a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor rated at 70 kW (94 horsepower) at 4000 rpm. With an electronically controlled CVT, Mercury claims the Mariner Hybrid delivers 155 horsepower from "35 mph to the speed limit."