What is "hybrid vehicle"

n. A vehicle that uses two or more power sources, most commonly an internal combustion engine, a battery, an electric generator, and an electric motor, so as to reduce local emissions with adequate vehicle performance.

A hybrid vehicle uses two or more distinct types of power, such as internal combustion engine+electric motor, e.g. in diesel-electric trains using diesel engines and electricity from overhead lines, and submarines that use diesels when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid, in hydraulic hybrids.

A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle which uses a mixture of power or fuel sources.

Hybrid vehicle may also refer to:

• Hybrid electric vehicle, increasingly common automobiles which employ both a traditional internal combustion engine and an electric battery motor/generator to provide motive force and energy recovery.
  • Plug-in hybrid, an electric hybrid vehicle that can be plugged into a power grid to recharge its battery.
• Hydraulic hybrid, a hybrid vehicle which employs both a traditional internal combustion engine and a hydraulic motor/pump to provide motive force and energy recovery. Currently developed for big trucks/buses that start/stop often.
• Dual-mode vehicle, a hybrid vehicle which uses power from two sources of the same type
• Flexible-fuel vehicle, a hybrid vehicle which can use more than one type of liquid fuel for its internal combustion engine (commonly gasoline/LPG or gasoline/alcohol or gasoline/ethanol) The military has used gasoline/diesel/JP5 combos.
• Motorized bicycle, a bicycle powered by human and another power source such as liquid fuels or electricity
• Hybrid train, a locomotive with more than one power source
• Hybrid velomobile, an enclosed human-powered vehicle with an auxiliary (usually electric) motor