Hybrids, EVs and FEVs at Kunes Auto Group of Mt. Carroll

With the times changing, most auto manufacturers have begun to move towards developing more eco-friendly vehicles to cut down on emissions polluting the environment. When it comes to these kinds of vehicles, you have more options than ever before and the technology is only getting better!

Solid-state batteries could help improve these cars, trucks and SUVs energy density, reduce the time needed for a full charge and lower the risk of overheating. Solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte with solid structure. This ultimately allows ions to be faster in their movement between the anode and the cathode.

Of course you can still get lithium-ion batteries in vehicles and the technology on these is improving as well. When it comes to lithium-ion batteries, they rely on lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide chemistry with an electrolyte. The struggle here is that these components can freeze or short circuit and are expensive as well as increasingly hard to acquire. Improvements are being made to replace cobalt and the graphite electrodes from this process in order to improve these types of batteries' energy density. In short, this means that your batteries will be able to hold more energy.

Not only are the batteries improving but so are the motors. The cost, weight and efficiency of electric motors are huge priorities when it comes to automotive research and getting these vehicles more effective.

Are you wondering what kind is right for you and your lifestyle? We've put together a small list of some of the most popular variants of eco-friendly vehicles to help you find out what works best for you!

Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles completely or partially run on electricity from an electric motor that is powered by a battery pack. All electrics are not the same and have differing pros and cons when it comes to their efficiency as well as their practicality.

Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid vehicles combine an electric motor with a gasoline engine. There are usually some options when it comes to how the electric motor and the engine work together. In some cases, it's one or the other working to fuel and move the vehicle. In other cases, they have the option to work together. In the end, the goal of this combination and these options is to burn less gasoline.

There are typically three types of hybrids: parallel hybrids, series hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

Parallel Hybrids

These are the most common hybrid vehicles on the market at the moment. They combine the electric motor or motors with the gas engine in a common transmission that takes advantage of the two fuel sources.

Series Hybrids

Series hybrids use only the electric motor to push the vehicle forward. They do contain a gas engine, but this is only used to recharge the batteries being used to power the electric motor. These vehicles are more in line with electric cars.

Plug-In Hybrids

Plug-in hybrids are most similar to parallels but require routine charging of the battery pack to continue efficient use. If the electric range charge ends up being depleted, the vehicle functions the same way parallels do. This function is nice for reduced fuel consumption. If you routinely charge and have a short drive, you will be running solely on electricity for your entire drive.

With all of the effort that has gone towards improving these vehicles, we are on track to have electric vehicles that perform just as well as our gas-powered cars. If you're interested in finding and test driving one of these new revolutionary vehicles, you can take a look at our inventory here!