How Do Hybrid Cars Work? (science In The Real World)

How Do Hybrid Cars Work? by Richard Hantula Science and Curriculum Consultant: Debra Voege, M.A., Science Curriculum Resource Teacher HybridCarsFNLrev.indd 1 8/10/09 4:46:17 PM Science in the Real World: How Do Hybrid Cars Work? Copyright © 2010 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Chelsea Clubhouse An imprint of Chelsea House Publishers 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hantula, Richard. How do hybrid cars work? / by Richard Hantula; science and curriculum consultant, Debra Voege. p. cm. — (Science in the real world) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60413-476-6 1. Hybrid electric cars—Juvenile literature. I. Voege, Debra. II. Title. III. Series. TL221.15.H36 2010 629.22’93—dc22 2009012509 Chelsea Clubhouse books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Chelsea Clubhouse on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Developed for Chelsea House by RJF Publishing LLC (www.RJFpublishing.com) Text and cover design by Tammy West/Westgraphix LLC Illustrations by Spectrum Creative Inc. Photo research by Edward A. Thomas Index by Nila Glikin Photo Credits: 4, 5, 21: iStockphoto; 8: Nancy Honey/Photolibrary; 9, 12, 16, 18, 19, 26: AP/Wide World Photos; 13: Car Culture (Getty Images); 14: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Historical Archive; 15: dpa/Landov; 17: © Frances Roberts/Alamy; 22: Getty Images; 24: Mark Elias/Bloomberg News/Landov; 25: © Car Culture/ Corbis; 28: © GIPhotoStockZ/Alamy. Printed and bound in the United States of America Bang RJF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication. Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. HybridCarsFNLrev.indd 2 8/10/09 4:46:18 PM Table of Contents Saving on Gas, Saving the Air................................. 4 Gasoline Cars........................................................... 6 Electric Cars............................................................. 8 Inside a Hybrid...................................................... 10 Hybrids on the Road.............................................. 12 Hybrid History....................................................... 14 More and More Hybrids........................................ 16 Not Just Cars.......................................................... 18 Saving the Environment........................................ 20 Saving Fuel............................................................. 22 Some Drawbacks of Hybrids................................. 24 Plug-Ins................................................................... 26 More Options.......................................................... 28 Glossary.................................................................. 30 To Learn More........................................................ 31 Index....................................................................... 32 Words that are defined in the Glossary are in bold type the first time they appear in the text. 5 HybridCarsFNLrev.indd 3 8/10/09 4:46:19 PM Saving on Gas, Saving the Air A driver fills his car’s tank with gasoline, a fuel that is made from oil. C ars have been around for more than 100 ye