The Mild Hybrid Powertrain
Date: Aug 9th, 2007 4:12:05 am - Subscribe
Mood: irie
The call for fuel efficient vehicles have increased in the past years and so does the number of so-called hybrid vehicles in the market. The law of demand and supply in action, huh? Anyway, there are actually two types of hybrid vehicles in the market although some point out that there is only one. Let’s take a look at the type of hybrid vehicle which is not considered by some as a hybrid.
These are called mild hybrids. Familiar with the term right? The Saturn Aura Green Line with or without a green cargo liner uses a mild hybrid powertrain. So does the discontinued Honda Accord Hybrid. The BMW 1-Series can also be considered as a mild hybrid, and so does the 2005 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid.
Basically, these vehicles are just like the normal cars that we drive. The only difference is that they are equipped with an oversized starter motor. This is similar to the electric motors used by full-hybrid vehicles. When a mild hybrid car slows down, the vehicle’s engine shuts down. But with the help of the oversized starter motor, it can easily start up again to once again provide power to the wheels. The result of this is, of course, an increased fuel efficiency.
An idling engine consumes fuel while the car does not move at all. This translates to fuel wastage. But with the ability of the engine to be shut down and restarted at a moment’s notice, fuel can be saved. This is suitable for city driving conditions where frequent idling at stop lights is common.
A mild hybrid powertrain saves fuel but not to the extent that a full hybrid powertrain can attain. Take for example the Aura Green Line and the Yukon Hybrid. The Aura is a much smaller vehicle than the full sized SUV Yukon. The latter is equipped with a full hybrid powertrain which means that it can run on battery power alone. The fuel consumption of an Aura Green Line is 20 percent less than the conventional Aura. But the full hybrid powertrain of the SUV allows it to consume 25 percent less fuel than its gasoline powered counterpart. The same could also be said about the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid.
But why are mild hybrid not considered by many as a hybrid vehicle? The reason is that they do not actually have an electric motor that can drive the vehicle. Sure, there’s that oversized starter but it only serves as a device to start the engine (of course it does, that’s why its called a starter in the first place). But these starters are not actually what powers the vehicle. So that’s their argument. 
