Hybrid Vehicles: Full versus mild

The "World's First Full Hybrid SUV" is the latest marketing mantra for the Ford Escape hybrid, but what does "full hybrid" mean? Does it matter?

Yes and no.

Typical hybrid vehicles currently available in the United States are sometimes called parallel hybrids because they use a combination of an electric motor and a gas engine to provide the torque necessary to move the wheels.

The difference between mild and full hybrids comes down to whether the electric motor can power the vehicle independent of the gas engine.

For example, the Toyota Prius and the Escape hybrid, in certain driving conditions are powered only by their electric motors, such as in slow-moving traffic. This is part of the reason that the Prius is so efficient in urban driving.

On the other hand, the Honda Civic hybrid is a mild hybrid. It cannot power itself by electric motor alone.

While both hybrid cars utilize an electric motor, the Prius uses a much larger motor and battery pack. This allows the Prius, and other full hybrids, to run on self-generated electric power alone.

As hybrid vehicles become more mainstream this distinction might mean less and less.

The Honda Accord hybrid, which will be released the first week of December, obscures this difference to some extent.

The Accord hybrid utilizes cylinder deactivation combined with an electric motor to help increase efficiency. While this doesn't achieve the same levels of efficiency as a Prius, the technology is improving.

The point is, hybrid technology is diversifying, but one thing is clear, hybrid technology equals better vehicles.