A Comprehensive Overview of Traditional Fuels, EVs and Hybrids

In this era of innovation, there has been an evolution in the way we transverse the world, whether it be the time-proven Traditional fuels or the innovative, Electric Vehicles. This shift in technology is underway to make travelsustainable. With this shift in technology, we would soon be surrounding ourselves by ways of transport, which were once impossible to dream of. It would be the introduction of new modes of transport and new ways to power the Automobiles.

In this blog, we will look at fuel sources (Traditional Fuels EVs and Hybrids) to power our vehicles, which were introduced in the past 15 years, and become familiar with their advantages, challenges, and environmental implications.

Traditional Fuels

Fuels derived from Petroleum have been known to mankind for centuries. Many petroleum-derived products are used to power and lubricate most of the machinery and are used in manufacturing of different products(such as paints, clothes, cement). The most common application of petroleum(or fuels derived from petroleum) is to power automotive vehicles(planes, ships, trains, cars etc.) using engines in which the fuel is compressed and combusted to convert chemical energy to mechanical energy.

Engines and fuels have been developed and improved for years for their efficiency, life and higher power output. These days vehicles have a variety of engines depending on the vehicle's use and according to that the engine is tuned for its torque and power output.

Combusting fuel releases many harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide/nitrogen dioxide and small amounts of carbon monoxide and soot. With the increasing number of vehicles every year, higher amounts of carbon dioxide, will be released into the atmosphere and further contribute to global warming.

To reduce emission of harmful gases, catalytic converters are used, which filter these gases and burns them to release safely. Other than that, Variable Valve timing, auto start-stop, and cylinder deactivation technologies have been introduced to increase fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions.

Besides that, Ethanol, a Bio-fuel(produced from bio-mass) is extensively used to blend with petroleum-based fuels. In most countries, these days, E10 fuel(10% Ethanol in 90% 91-octane petrol) is generally used, and some countries are aiming for E20 fuels by 2030.

The benefits of using ethanol in fuel is:

Reduces pollution
Generated from bio-mass
Better combustion of fuel, hence reduces carbon deposits in cylinders

On average, the United States consumes 370 million gallons per day[1], and since 10% of it is ethanol, in 10 days, they save a whole day's worth of petroleum.

Electric Vehicles (EVs)

Petroleum is the by-product of especially, sea life, which was buried millions of years ago under high pressure and temperature and in lack of oxygen. It takes millions of years to replenish and hence, petroleum is considered as a non-replenish-able natural resource.

To reduce dependency on fossil fuels, Electric Vehicles, were introduced. Their working mechanism in easy terms can be related to remote control cars. These cars have motors to move vehicles which are powered by batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are used in cars, which can be charged just like mobile phones. The electrical energy is stored as chemical energy in battery and then it is converted back to electrical energy to power motors.

There are some advantages of using an EV:

Very good acceleration, generally linear.
No direct emissions
Lower running cost
Quiet

Electric Vehicles have been a popular in the market but still have some drawbacks such as:

Cause indirect pollution (a considerable units of the electricity in most countries comes through burning of fossil fuels)
Hard to mine and recycle Lithium batteries
Long time to recharge the vehicle
Prone to Fires
Heavy

Hybrids

To counter these effects a hybrid model was introduced, which would have both the systems installed in the car and would switch power source according to driving style. The more common system is the electrical system assisting the engine.

When the car is cruising at city road speeds, the electrical system powers the vehicle but when there is a need of abrupt power (eg. in case of overtaking) the engine powers the vehicle to deliver the required propulsion. If the battery discharges the fuel system can take over without pulling over to charge your vehicle. These systems are seamlessly coordinated to prevent bumps.

There are different types of hybrid vehicles:

Mild Hybrid - These cars have a small battery (around 48V[3]) to help the engine for better launch and efficiency. The battery is charged by the engine and regenerative braking.
Full Hybrid - Where both the systems are independently sufficient to power a vehicle. The battery is charged the same way as mild hybrids.
Plug-in Hybrid - These are essentially the same as full hybrid but the only difference is the batteries in these cars can be charged using external chargers and have better range.

Most of the EV and hybrid cars today, come with regenerative braking, i.e., transferring the lost kinetic energy to electrical energy, to charge the battery, when the vehicle decelerates.

Using a hybrid gives you a pleasure of driving a car with an engine while assuring you of being sustainable and gives a driver a peace of mind of not losing the charge someday.

Your choice?

Traditional Fuel powered vehicle
Electric powered vehicle (EV)
A combination of both - Hybrid Vehicle

References:

[1] “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA),” www.eia.gov. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=23&t=10#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20about%20135.06%20billion (accessed Dec. 10, 2023).

[2] “Understanding Hybrid Vehicles: The 4 Main Types.” Motorlease Fleet Management & Leasing Solutions, motorlease.com/article/hybrid-vehicle-types/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.