NUST Made Hybrid Scooter

The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) on Saturday introduced first hybrid scooter and motorcycle, which will be fuel efficient and low in pollution, an official said.

Besides this, the students of NUST have also introduced first hybrid car in Pakistan, which does not produce much pollution and consumes minimal fuel and its different propulsion systems have either common parts or systems.

This technology is called the hybrid car technology where the cars have a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) found in the vehicle, along with some fuel propulsion source. “No matter, the prices of gasoline and fuel keep on increasing, hybrid technology will enable everyone to afford a car,” said Irshad Rao, Spokesman, NUST.

Hybrid cars are generally designated to vehicles running on a combination of petroleum and electricity. These vehicles are called hybrid-electric vehicles where electric cells are used to power electric engines, along with an internal combustion engine.

Moreover, when such cars cruise, or move on a small thrust, the combustion engine generates energy with the running of a second electric motor. This is done to either recharge the battery or to provide energy to the motor for driving the car. This is unlike the conventional electrical cars where they charge their battery through external sources like the grid.

Today, most of the hybrid cars run on either gasoline or diesel as their main energy source, while there are some cases where other fuels such as ethanol or plant-based oils are used too, he said.

There are also some cars that use hydrogen fuel. Sometimes, hybrid cars are also referred to the cars that are flexible-fuel vehicles where they run on a combination of different fuels such as gasoline and ethanol alcohol fuel, the spokesman said. With this, a lot of gas fuel is saved, which is of course, beneficial to the car buyer, he said.

“With the passage of time, hybrid cars will become popular and the manufacturers will work on more means to make the car more feasible to the prospective car buyers.” He said with hybrid car technology, the motion of the car is designed in such a way that the engines in these cars have a smaller size that is used when drifting and driving leisurely.

It is usually the battery source that provides additional power such as going uphill or accelerating whenever needed. To couple things, when the hybrid car is stopped, the hybrid fuel engine gets switched off to run off the electric motor, he said.

Hybrid cars are built lighter and are designed more aerodynamically for better speed. And its tyres are usually stiffer and have a higher inflation so that the drag of the car is reduced. The NUST spokesman said with hybrid car technology, a car becomes more efficient, adding that though the rates of these cars may initially be a bit high. He said that a workshop is established at NUST, which will soon start production of hybrid cars, motorcycles and scooters on a large-scale.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=64979&Cat=3