A new class of hybrid vehicles is emerging that promises to be more fuel efficient than gasoline-run vehicles and cheaper than the Volt and other electric rides.
They are call the microhybrids, or stop-start cars, which are so named because their combustion engines are turned off when the cars stop.
Microhybrid advocates say the cars can deliver 5-10 percent better fuel economy and therefore lower tailpipe emissions.
Microhybrids make an attractive option for several reasons: their designs don’t require the kind of serious modifications that carmakers have had to carry out for plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicles.
Microhybrid is the cheapest way for automakers to cut down on the rate of emissions because it doesn’t require the design of a new powertrain.
Microhybrids come with regenerative braking technology, which converts the kinetic energy from braking into power that recharges the batteries.