Ok, more about Buick Regal eAssist

This is where we have to be clear about what powers this car.  For decades gear heads have called the gasoline powered engine a motor.  In the Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary a motor can be a gasoline engine or an electric motor but while discussing Buick's eAssist a motor is an electrical motor and the engine is an internal combustion engine powered by fossil fuel.  Pure electric vehicles utilize fossil fuel generating plants or atomic reactor generating plants to charge their battery.  The Buick Regal uses only fossil fuel and alcohol derived  mostly from corn crops to power the engine.  The lithium-ion battery is charged by the engine and during regenerative braking.  The Regal does not plug into a household outlet in your garage.  

The standard engine is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 183 horsepower.  Also available is a turbo boosted 2.0-liter 220 horsepower engine.  The 2.4 engine is mated to an automatic transaxle and is boosted with eAssist.  The 2.0-liter engine has a manual transmission but there is no eAssist.

The Regal's 2.4-liter engine is assisted by a 15 horsepower motor at the front of the engine.  The engine is connected to the front-wheel-drive wheels via a 6-speed automatic transaxle that incidentally has an electric motor driven hydraulic pump instead of a mechanical pump.

The eAssist electric motor does triple duty.  It's about the size of an alternator and operates on 115 volts supplied by a lithium-ion battery   It boosts the engine by 15 horsepower, produces electricity to recharge the lithium-ion battery and acts as a starter motor for the engine.

When cruising along in your luxurious Buick Regal the engine does most of the work.  However, when you need a little more power to pass or go up an incline the motor kicks in to boost the engine.  When braking or slowing to a stop the motor flips into generator mode and charges the battery.  Once the car comes to a stop the engine shuts off.  When it is time to accelerate the eAssist motor starts the engine and away you go.

All of these functions are computer controlled.  The neat thing is you probably will not feel any sensation of the motor and engine switching roles or stopping and starting.  Another cool feature is the instrument cluster and a display in the infotainment center keep you informed about the entire operation.  Additionally, the cluster and display can be used as an educational tool so you can utilize the technology to the best of your abilities.  All of this is designed to enhance fuel economy.