How Do Hybrids Work?
Teresa wondered in the comments to this post about plugging in Hybrids.
Answer: You don't.
I know your wondering "so how does the battery re-charge itself?
Answer:
The sealed nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack i
n the Escape Hybrid is rated at 330 volts. Its function
is to store electrical energy for starting the gasoline
engine and for added boosts in acceleration performance.
Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries have been used with
excellent success for years. And because of regenerative
braking and the generator motor it's never necessary
(or even possible) to plug the Escape Hybrid into a charger.
And when the gas engine is running, it helps recharge the
battery pack.
During braking in the Escape Hybrid, the electric motor
captures this energy that is normally lost and sends it
back to the battery pack to be stored for later use.
More information on the Escape-Hybrid at Ford