Hybrid Electric Fleet Vehicles

How Hybrid Electric Vehicles Work

Hybrid electric vehicles combine a primary power source, an energy storage system, and an electric motor to achieve a combination of emissions, fuel economy, and range benefits. Such vehicles use less petroleum-based fuel and capture energy created during braking and idling. This collected energy is used to propel the vehicle during normal drive cycles. The batteries supply additional power for acceleration and hill climbing.

In partnership with commercial and government fleets, NREL conducts in-service performance evaluations of hybrid electric vehicles compared to similar conventional vehicles.

Learn about NREL's evaluation of hybrid electric trucks and vans operating in real-world delivery service:

In addition to evaluating the performance of hybrid electric delivery vehicles, NREL conducts performance evaluations of hybrid electric transit buses.

Publications

Browse our list of hybrid electric vehicle publications.


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