Why do hybrid vehicles reduce fuel consumption compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles?

• A. Hybrids burn more fuel due to heavier weight.
• B. Hybrids rely solely on electricity.
• C. Hybrids optimize engine operation and use regenerative braking; electricity assists propulsion, reducing fossil fuel use.
• D. Hybrids have no energy storage.

Answer: (C)

Hybrid vehicles cut fuel use by pairing an internal combustion engine with an electric drive and a battery, allowing the system to use electricity to help move the car and to run the engine in its most efficient range. The electric motor can provide extra torque during acceleration or at low speeds, so the gasoline engine doesn’t have to work as hard, which lowers fuel consumption. Regenerative braking captures part of the car’s kinetic energy and stores it in the battery, so energy that would be wasted as heat is reused for propulsion later. Because electricity assists propulsion and the engine can operate more efficiently, overall fossil fuel use drops. The other ideas don’t fit because hybrids do rely on both electricity and the engine, they do store energy in a battery, and weight alone doesn’t determine fuel savings.