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How To Identify Hybrid Car
By Igono Joseph Okeme
Identifying a hybrid car shouldn’t be all that different, or strange. Most of the car brands today in the hybrid market have one thing or the other that have set them apart as leaders in their various fields.
It should not be difficult for you to spot a hybrid car that has just gone pass you down the street or on the road.
For instance, this information would only be based on Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD).
Toyota calls its hybrid system HSD, meaning it derives its motion from a combination of either the internal combustion engine or the electric motors attached to its CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission).
How do you identity a hybrid?
* Toyota uses its hybrid logo, positioned at the passenger side front end and on the rear of the car.
* You notice when the car passes by you when driven, you hardly hear any noise. Though thus varies according to the speed demand ad at that time. If for instance the ECU (engine control unit) determines that the vehicle demands more speed and torque, the computer commands either both the engine and the electric motors to be in synchronization when driving. But if it (computer) decides less torque might be needed, the electric motors would be ones to keep running.
*You hardly see any emissions coming out if the tail pipe. However, emissions level could be visible, if only the internal combustion aspect of the system is ON.
The reason being that the by-product of fuel combustion is usually CO2 and others.
*It has two batteries positioned at the rear.
The small one is usually a 12 Volts battery, which powers the electronics of the car like the radio and the rest.
The other battery, commonly called a hybrid battery or a traction battery, has a nominal voltage of 244.8 volts (thus is for a Camry hybrid 2008).
The voltages of batteries vary from one Toyota hybrid to another, according to the number of cells in the battery pack.
Such batteries have the capability to electrocute one to death. So, please if you are not a qualified hybrid technician, it’s advisable you stay away from hybrid cars.
*At the hood (bonnet), you have what’s called an inverter/converter assembly. It resembles a conventional battery somewhat. It is positioned where your normal battery would be at the front.
The inverter/assembly system inverts and converts the hybrid battery’s voltage from 244.8 to almost more than twice the nominal voltage needed to power the electric motors that drive the car.
*Presence of ORANGE cables routed from the battery through to the front. The cables are equivalent to carriers of high tension voltages on our normal transmission lines on the street. I mean when touched carelessly, can electrocute someone. These cables are connected to your car’s electric AC system and water pump.
*The radiator coolant and the inverter coolants are separated differently.
* Power steering is electrically driven and has a separate ECU for its operation. You don’t see power steering fluids and spills anywhere in the engine compartment.
*The transmission is superb. It houses the two electric motors responsible for driving the car electrically and charging the hybrid battery.
The transmission is a variable continuous one, meaning when you drive, the engagement is not felt as the normal traditional automatics, where you feel the selections as the transmission selects.
The transmission also uses a special transmission fluid called Toyota’s World Standard fluid. Any other fluid would KILL the transmission system.
*The braking systems are bled differently. You can bleed the front brakes as a normal conventional car while the rear requires special softwares for its operation. The rear brakes are operated by the brake actuator and if proper tools aren’t used for the bleeding process, it would take ages to be able to bleed the air out of the rear brake system because of accumulated air bubbles.
*A READY indicator comes on when the hybrid is being started.
Remember. Hybrid cars don’t have kick starters and alternators.
With this piece, you shouldn’t find it difficult differentiating between a hybrid and a normal car when you encounter one.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A bill aimed at prohibiting hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles in Nigeria has been passed by the Senate.
The bill known as the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, imposes fines between N50,000 and N100,000 for violations if assented to by the President.
The piece of legislation was passed by the red chamber of the National Assembly on Thursday and should later be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Members of the upper chamber of the parliament explained that the law was amended to discourage distractions in commercial vehicles and improve the safety of commuters.
In addition, motorists who fail to cooperate with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) during roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion are liable to fines or imprisonment or both.
Lawmakers noted that this was to improve compliance with road safety regulations and reduce road crashes, as fines for driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs were raised to N100,000 from N5,000, with the risk of spending two years behind bars.
It was also proposed that disobedience to traffic lights, road signs, pavement markings and other traffic control devices will now attract N100,000, while the fine for speed limit violations is now N100,000, with reckless driving now a fine of N100,000 or two years’ imprisonment.
By Dipo Olowookere
Residents and motorists plying the Aina Obembe Road in Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, may soon heave a sigh of relief as the excruciating traffic gridlock being experienced in the area both day and night may soon be a thing of the past.
This is because the chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Mr Lukmon Agbaje, has directed those involved in indiscriminate truck parking along the road to remove the heavy-duty vehicles within one week, threatening to invoke appropriate enforcement measures for noncompliance with this directive.
Speaking during a meeting on Wednesday with the management of SENA Company, which owns the affected trucks, as well as the leadership of Oluwadara CDA and other key stakeholders like the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), at the council’s secretariat, Mr Agbaje frowned at the prolonged inconvenience suffered by the community, stressing that public roads must remain accessible and safe for all users.
He emphasised the need for a collaborative approach in resolving the issue without undermining legitimate business operations, noting that he’s focused on finding a lasting solution to the gridlock experienced between Oluwaga and Aina Obembe, where parked trucks have continued to obstruct traffic, disrupt business activities, and pose safety concerns for residents and motorists.
He tasked the firm and the CDA to jointly identify and implement alternative parking arrangements that would remove all trucks from the affected roads and restore the free flow of traffic.
He declared that, “The welfare of our people remains our highest priority. No individual or corporate organisation should obstruct public infrastructure or create avoidable hardship for residents. We must ensure that economic activities coexist with public safety, order, and convenience.”
The council chief reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting orderly development, ensuring safe and accessible roads, improving traffic management, and creating an environment where businesses can thrive alongside the well-being of residents.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has cut import levies on new and used vehicles by as much as 10 per cent in a move aimed at reducing the cost of vehicle importation, even as it commenced the implementation of a new Green Tax surcharge.
According to an update issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday, the import levy on new vehicles has been reduced from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while the levy on used vehicles has been slashed from 15 per cent to five per cent under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
The customs said the policy is designed to ease the cost of vehicle imports while advancing the government’s environmental sustainability objectives through the newly introduced Green Tax.
The implementation also reduces the overall import duty on fully built passenger vehicles from 70 per cent to 40 per cent.
As part of the Green Tax framework, a new environmental surcharge of between two per cent and four per cent will apply to petrol-powered vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2,000cc. However, mass transit buses, electric vehicles, and passenger cars with engines below 2,000cc are exempt from the surcharge.
Beyond the automobile sector, the fiscal measures also lower import duties on several essential goods. The duty on imported rice has been reduced from 70 per cent to 47.5 per cent, while crude palm oil now attracts a 28.75 per cent duty.
In addition, import duties on agricultural and manufacturing machinery have been completely removed to support local production, while Waste PET has been added to the export prohibition list to encourage domestic recycling.
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