Rare Earth Magnet Basics / Glossary of Magnet Terms / HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicles)
- HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicles)
- HEV is the abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. These cars drive using either one or both of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine according to conditions. Hybrid electric vehicles, combining an electric motor and engine, are the parallel type, in which the motor assists the engine in starting off and acceleration and in which the motor generates power during breaking to recover electric power, the series type, in which the engine is used only for generating electricity, the vehicle is always driven by the electric motor, and electric power is recovered during braking, or the parallel-series type in which the use of the electric motor and engine is optimally controlled according to driving conditions. The series-parallel type primarily obtains its drive power from the electric motor during start-off and drives with both the engine and the motor when going at high speed. The engine always runs in the best state for fuel economy and generates electricity for storage as necessary. During deceleration, the braking energy is recovered and stored and serves as an energy source for starting off again. High-performance rare earth magnets are used for hybrid electric vehicle drive motors and electric generators and are spreading in markets around the world ahead of 100% motor-driven electric vehicles. There is a high probability of this type of vehicle developing a great deal in the future and new types, such as diesel hybrids and plug-in hybrids, are also under study.
