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The Toyota Prius is a popular example of a hybrid car.

power-assist science, and it means that hybrid cars can have smaller gas engines that operate at the same or better engine performance. Many hybrid cars can run on an electric-only setting. Since only the battery is driving the car, there is no noise from combustion, which is why many drivers have a hard time adjusting to their hybrid vehicles. When they start the car, it doesn’t even sound like it is on. If you’ve ever been in a hybrid car like a Toyota Prius and have stopped at a red light, you may have been concerned because the car seemed to have turned off. This is called idle-off capability. The gasoline engine actually shuts off when not in use, like when sitting still at a traffic light. As the driver places his or her foot on the gas pedal to accelerate, the gas engine turns on again. Hybrid cars also have regenerative braking. As the car accelerates, kinetic energy builds up. As the driver brakes, friction is applied, and that energy is lost through heat in the braking process. Hybrid vehicles have an electric motor that helps recover some of that energy by converting it to electricity and storing it in a battery to be used at a later time.

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