What is a hybrid car?

Currently, less than 1% of cars on all roads worldwide are hybrid. According to a report from today, oil industry giant Exxon Mobil predicts 50% of cars will be hybrid by 2040.

So, what are hybrid cars and why does Exxon Mobil predict that they'll take over the world?

Hybrid cars are cars that run partly on gasoline, partly on electricity. (Some hybrid cars use other fuel sources, like solar power, but the most common ones are hybrid electric vehicles.) The Toyota Prius is perhaps the most popular of these, as the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. Many hybrid vehicles have a 20-30 mpg fuel efficiency advantage over gas-only powered vehicles.

Hybrid electric vehicles use features like regenerative braking--which means they convert the kinetic energy of the vehicle (i.e., the energy generated from the vehicle's movement) to charge the battery (instead of wasting it as heat energy, like regular vehicles.) Full-hybrid to mild-hybrid drivetrains exist. The best part? The purchase of a hybrid vehicle often comes with a tax benefit!