Anatomy of an engine: a project by Lifehacker and LUKOIL for everyone who is crazy about cars

In engines of this type, gasoline with different octane numbers is used as fuel. It mixes with air and is forcibly ignited in the combustion chamber by an electric spark from a spark plug. Due to their high power, economy, low noise and relatively low weight, such engines have become the most common in passenger cars.

Diesel motors in many ways they are similar to gasoline ones, but differ in the way they ignite the working mixture. In a diesel engine, it ignites not from a spark, but from air heated up during compression inside the combustion chamber. This allows for greater engine efficiency and high torque. True, due to high loads, all parts of a diesel engine have to be made stronger, therefore they have a large mass, and during operation such engines make more noise.

The transitional link between cars with a traditional combustion engine and electric cars has become cars with a hybrid power plant. In addition to internal combustion engines, they are equipped with electric motors as well as batteries and generators. The latter allow you to store energy during braking and use it for driving on electric traction. This approach reduces fuel consumption and emissions.

Modern electric cars use as a drive one or more traction motors, which are powered by built-in batteries. Thanks to the transmission of torque directly to the transmission, electric vehicles are distinguished by good dynamics. acceleration and are not inferior in maximum speed to conventional passenger cars with internal combustion engines. The weak point of electric cars is not the largest range, which is significantly reduced in cold and cold weather.