Hybrid SUV's - What Do I Need To Know?

SUV vehicles are one of the fastest growing areas of the hybrid industry.  Hybrid SUV's have only gained in popularity year after year.  Hybrid SUV's not only give consumers the space they have grown accustomed to (a change from the cramped hybrid car models), but they also increase the overall driving safety factor of the vehicles.  While hybrid SUV's haven't progressed as quickly as hybrid cars, there are still plenty of options for consumers.  What hybrid SUV is right for you, and which one will stand the test of time?  The easiest answer to that question is to look, compare, and do your research.

Hybrid SUV Models

Toyota and Lexus are providers of hybrid SUVs. Honda provides the mild hybrids. These are the ones that rely mainly on the gas engine while using a small electric motor or generator to supplement it. Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid are examples of strong hybrids which have a larger role ascribed for the electric motor. You can also now buy a big Dodge Ram, Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra. Big trucks are often required for work and they are needed to be heavy duty.

Hybrid SUV Popularity

SUVS have been very popular ever since their debut. It seems that almost every family has a SUV of one kind or another. Hybrid SUVs are just as readily available and now found just as often on the street. From the well known Ford Escape to the Cadillac Escalade, SUV hybrids are among the latest trend in popular green vehicle alternatives. They also average around 21 mpg.

Features and Functionality of Hybrid SUVs

The pathway of energy for the Hybrid SUVs can vary to wide extents. This depends upon various conditions and demands of the driver. Usually it is the electric motor that provides most of the momentum while driving at lower speeds despite the engine revving. The excessive power from the engine is absorbed by the smaller motor or generator and then routed back to the main motor to be used either for providing the energy to move the car or for charging the battery pack.

A simple system is involved in the Hybrid SUV setup. No rotating belt is present as in the case of conventional Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). There are simply two electric motors and a gas engine that are permanently linked together using a planetary gear set. The driver can perceive nothing but a smooth flow of power in spite of the fact that there is a lot of variation in the different modes.

There is a third electric motor or generator in case of the RX400h and Highlander Hybrid 4WD-i – two models of Hybrid SUVs. It is worth noting that the front-wheel-drive Highlanders do not have this motor. These Hybrid SUV models have none of the typical elements present in an all-wheel-drive system, namely, individual drive shafts connecting the front and rear axles and a center differential varying the power split. The independent third electric motor or generator rated for 68 hp and 96 lb-ft of torque is instead built into a rear transaxle. It is only in times of need like during hard acceleration or starting on a slippery surface that the rear electric motor comes into play. While moving under force of gravity (coasting) and braking, this rear electric motor acts as a generator. In other circumstances the two models work as front drive SUVs.