What is hybrid car? What benefits?

A hybrid car combines two or more sources of power. Hybrid cars most commonly use an internal combustion engine and electric batteries to power electric motors. There are a lot of hybrid models on the market these days, and most automobile manufacturers have announced plans to manufacture their own versions. Hybrid cars are viewed by some automakers as a core segment of the next future automotive market.

The hybrid electric cars have the folowing benefits:

Lower fuel consumption:
a) Reducing wasted energy during idle/low output, generally by turning the internal combustion engine off;
b) Recapturing waste energy (i.e. regenerative braking);
c) reducing the size and power of the internal combustion engine engine, and hence inefficiencies from under-utilization, by using the better torque response of electric motors to compensate for the loss in peak power output from the smaller internal combustion engine.

Durability:
Reduced wear on the gasoline engine, particularly from idling with no load. Reduced wear on brakes from the regenerative braking system use.

Environmental impact:
Reduced noise emissions resulting from substantial use of electric motor at low speeds, leading to roadway noise reduction and beneficial noise health effects.