Hybrid car environment

The 21st Century is beginning to realise the full extent of the effect we have on the environment around us. If we continue to abuse it the way we have been for many years, who knows what the future will hold?The result of any changes we make now may not be seen for many years – perhaps not even in our lifetime. But our children and grandchildren will certainly be affected by what we do now, and the good news is there is a lot we can do to help the environment.

Hybrid cars could make a huge change to the amount of damage we inflict on our surroundings. The hybrid car’s impact on the environment is much less than the traditional cars we use day in and day out.The hybrid car’s impact on the environment comes from the fact that it uses rechargeable batteries to provide much of the energy needed for it to work. Not only does this mean they use far less gas for the same length journey that a normal car would use, they also produce much less in the way of emissions as well.

The hybrid car’s impact on the environment is such that if we all decided to trade in our old cars today and buy hybrid cars instead, the environment would breathe a huge sigh of relief almost immediately.Just think of all the emissions, harmful gases and pollution trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere. Much of this is as a direct result of the emissions kicked out by cars, trucks,

buses and other vehicles. We’re reluctant to give up the sanctity of our cars, so why not take advantage of the hybrid car’s impact on the environment instead?Better air quality also means the worst affected areas will have less health problems to contend with. Asthma and other lung conditions are made worse by poor air quality, so changing to a more efficient mode of transport can help us in the here and now as well as in the long term.

In an ideal world the electric car will totally replace gas powered and even hybrid cars. These have a minimal impact on the world around us, but until then, the hybrid car’s impact on the environment is small enough to greatly improve the air we are breathing in every day.It’s just a question of how many of us will make the change for a better future.

Hybrid car makers

Deciding on the purchase of a hybrid car first begs the question, who makes them? The answer is just about everyone. Anyone who makes and sells cars are likely to do the same with hybrid cars especially now when their popularity is swiftly increasing. There are many manufacturers who

make and sell hybrid cars who are constantly striving for better technologies. New plug in hybrid cars are examples of the lengths those who make these cars are willing to go to improve their product. Anyone who makes hybrid cars is earning a fortune as they are being encouraged by the government with the likes of tax rebates and carpool lane stickers as well as the emergence of public hybrid buses.

Hybrid cars are no longer a thing of the past and are not as unattractive as once suspected as there are many makes and models now catering for a combination of gas engine and electric motor. Any manufacturer who makes or sells hybrid cars is sitting on a goldmine as they are guaranteed to be around for quite a while and with some governments imposing bans and fines

on vehicles with excessive gas emissions, hybrid cars may be the only way to turn. It has been predicted that hybrid cars will one day outnumber the average car in both technology and numbers.

Everyone can make money from hybrid cars as they provide an economic solution to car owners and offer a good deal of business to car dealers. Anyone who owns a hybrid car can make money

through the hybrid tax rebate scheme as well as saving a fortune on gasoline which is now heavily priced and frequently increasing. Some states and areas have introduced carpool lane stickers for hybrid cars which give them access to high occupancy vehicle lanes and can dramatically cut their commute times.

Hybrid car cost

Hybrid cars are still fairly new to the majority of us. They use a new method of making cars, and we all know that new methods and new technologies generally mean the resulting product is a lot more expensive than the ones we are used to. However, as that product becomes more widespread, so the cost goes down. This is why low cost hybrid cars are now starting to become slightly easier to find.

Go to any car lot in your local area and you’ll be lucky to spot a hybrid car among the sale items. This is why you need to search for a bargain if you’re set on buying one of the low cost hybrid cars available. The main thing to remember is that the cost of a hybrid car is not just what you’ll see displayed on the windshield. You need to bear in mind the long term costs involved to see whether low cost hybrid cars really do exist in a range that fits your own pocket.

First of all, consider your car insurance. Many companies are now doing their bit for the environment by offering a significant discount on your insurance if you own a hybrid car. This can be ten per cent or more. Depending on what car you currently drive (and what style hybrid you intend to buy), the savings over the course of a few years could mount up significantly.

You should also consider the reduction in the amount of gas you’ll need to buy. Hybrid cars use a lot less gasoline than traditional cars, and with the current price of gas the savings you make in this area alone could be very high indeed. When we think about low cost hybrid cars we think about the costs involved in monetary terms. But hybrid cars are also less costly in terms of green

issues too. They are far more environmentally friendly than gas driven cars, and if we all drove one green issues probably wouldn’t be much of a problem at all. As the technology behind them improves and they are marketed to and bought by more people, low cost hybrid cars will become a more widespread reality. Well known car makers such as Honda and Toyota seem to be committed to this type of car for the long term, so it’s only a matter of time before low cost hybrid cars are commonplace.

Hybrid suvs

We’ve become an SUV fun loving country. After all what could be better than a vehicle that’s got plenty of room, goes just about anywhere, and makes you feel safe when you’re driving. The trouble is SUVs are fuel guzzlers and they also aren’t great for our environment. But wait! Not to worry! Hybrid SUVs are the answer and here are a few of the choices already on the market.

The Ford Escape – It is available as a FWD or 4WD unit. The 2WD gets 31 mpg in town and 36 mpg on the highway; while the 4WD gets 29 mpg in town and 33 mpg on the highway with a cruising range of 400 to 600 miles. Base price is $26,900 US.

A stock 2.3 liter, four cylinder engine is combined with a 65 kilowatt electric motor for a total of 155 HP. It has an electronically controlled automatic variable transmission; rack and pinion steering with electric power assist; and power assisted ABS 4 wheel disk brakes. Fuel capacity is 15 gallons/60 liters and it comes with 16” aluminum wheels.

Standard equipment includes air conditioning; ABS; roof rack; power windows, doors, and mirrors; AM/FM stereo with 6 disk CD; keyless entry; driver and front passenger air bag; intermittent wipers; and perimeter alarm.

The Lexus RX 400H 2WD – It gets 27 mpg in town and 31 mpg on the highway with a cruising range of 450 to 530 miles. Base price is $48,500 US.

The Lexus RX 400H comes with a stock 3.3 liter four cylinder engine, which is combined with permanent magnet electric drive motors for a total of 268 HP. It has electronically controlled automatic variable transmission; rack and pinion steering with electric power assist; and power assisted ABS 4 wheel disk brakes. Fuel capacity is 17.2 gallons/65 liters and it comes with 18” aluminum wheels.

Hybrid minivan

A hybrid minivan's roomy interior is the reason why a lot of people, mostly with children, have been wanting for such a car instead of a regular sedan. Also, it has been known that a minivan, hybrid or not, is fuel-efficient as compared to big trucks, SUV's and sedans with 6 cylinders. Although a growing family needs a roomier or bigger car, it doesn't need something that will add up to the family budget (especially for fuel consumption).

Aside from these, a hybrid minivan although is spacious, is light to carry because of its light exterior and aerodynamics.

"Muscled" Hybrids, Not Minivan

Today, there hasn't been any hybrid minivan running the streets of any US states, although other brands have been marketing large SUV's as minivan or an alternative to it. Yet, these "muscled" hybrids are not minivans and don't have the qualities of a true-blue minivan: fuel saver, spacious yet light, and therefore, cannot be labeled as a "hybrid minivan."

On the other side of the coin, muscled hybrids are good, too, especially if you are the outgoing type. Four-wheel drives, SUVs and trucks can run smoothly on rocky, dusty and uneven roads. And in flooded areas, they can move with power, assuring you and your passenger of a safe ride.

The downside of muscled or hybrid trucks is that they are more expensive, consume more fuel and electricity from the battery pack, and are too bulky for city ride.

Toyota's Minivan

The most anticipated brand of hybrid minivan is Toyota, a Japanese car manufacturer. Toyota holds the top spot in terms of sales for hybrid cars in the US. It enjoys 60% market share on the total sales of US hybrid cars.

The two most highly publicized and rated are Toyota's Sienna hybrid and Estima hybrid. These two hybrid minivans are at the top of their class in terms of design, aerodynamics, fuel-efficiency and engine performance.

The Soccer Moms' Fave Hybrid Minivan

Sienna hybrid is a hybrid minivan that soccer moms would love. In fact, even the machismo image of most males won't be stepped on by this well-designed hybrid minivan.

Hybrid car cons

With all the hype out right now about hybrid cars, you may be considering buying one. Before you do, you should consider the pros and cons of hybrid cars. What benefits can you expect to experience and what difficulties should you plan to face? Fuel Savings The first thing that comes

to mind for most people when considering the pros and cons of hybrid cars is the possibility of saving money on fuel. With fuel efficiency between 30 and 60 mpg, this is definitely a consideration, particularly as fuel costs start to rise. Unfortunately, one of the downsides is that hybrid cars cost significantly more than non-hybrids. Some of this cost is offset by the fuel savings but, at current fuel costs, it is very difficult to make up the initial cost difference.

Whether you think this is an issue depends upon what you think will happen to fuel costs over the life of the car. If they will steadily rise, eventually you may save enough to make up the price differential. If you think they will level out, then it will be nearly impossible and you will need to resign yourself to the fact that this is a more expensive car.

Because hybrid cars are still relatively new and rare, the maintenance costs on them are a little bit higher than they are on non-hybrid cars. Parts cost more, service may be more difficult to find, and they are even harder than regular cars to service yourself. This additional cost should be factored into the price discussion.

Status can be considered among both the pros and cons of hybrid cars. In one sense, having a hybrid car gives you a reputation for being a person of substance, which may help you in your networking efforts. In another sense, these cars are generally less frilly and fancy than their non-hybrid counterparts. You won’t find hybrid luxury or sports cars; they tend to be much more practical vehicles. Whether you consider this to be a positive or a negative will depend upon your personality, values, and career path.

Hydrogen hybrid car

This article about hydrogen hybrid cars discusses how cars can run on hydrogen and fuel cells, but also hybrid batteries, safety, brands and models, and availability.

Introduction

Nowadays, people are aggressively searching for more ways on how they could save on gas. In effect, companies are being pressured to offer something new to consumers other than their conventional cars. This is evident with their notable development of new technologies that are obviously aimed for fuel economy; one of which would be the hydrogen hybrid car.

Combining Two Innovative Technologies

Hydrogen technology and hybrid technology are two different innovations that are used to save gas, increase your vehicle’s power and most of all, make your car more environmental friendly in contrast to conventionally fuelled vehicles. Considering each of them are already powerful solely by themselves, just imagine if these two technologies are combined!

Well, here’s the good news, manufacturers have been working on hydrogen hybrid cars and they have finally come up with vehicles that support both of the said technologies! So, here are the essentials on what you should know about hydrogen powered hybrid cars.

How Does It Work?

Hydrogen hybrid cars actually make use of fuel cells. Major carmakers, focus on fuel cells, since they say it’s more clean and efficient than mere hydrogen internal combustion engines alone. Rather than burning fuel inside the engine, fuel cells would act more like batteries, where they would use electrochemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen to produce electricity.

One company that is known to develop fuel cells would be Anuvu, which is actually almost prepared to produce large cargo vans and Nissan Frontier pickups that run on hydrogen and fuel cells.

Future hybrid cars

In the past few years, development, production, and demand for hybrid cars has increased at an enormous rate. While the cars currently on the market may already seem like technological masterpieces, the car companies are continuing to develop and improve new vehicles with features that improve fuel efficiency, performance and appearance. These future hybrid cars

utilize the best in our available technology to create cars that will appeal to a vast array of people. While many car manufacturers are designing future hybrid cars to be high performance, sporty vehicles, the greatest increase in purchasing and production of hybrid cars has been in sedans, coupes, and SUVs, particularly in hybrid versions of cars that already exist. So, while it’s possible that cars will continue to bear a distinctive, futuristic, “hybrid” look, the most likely scenario is that future hybrid cars will look pretty much the same as non-hybrid cars.

Some of the new types of cars being developed by the manufacturers already get upwards of 60 mpg. By combining lightweight materials with better batteries and new methods of transferring power, these cars take the existing technology of hybrid cars and improve them. At the same time, work is being done to take larger, more practical cars and adapt them to hybrids, thus improving the mileage of what would otherwise be a gas guzzler to a more reasonable 20-30 miles per gallon.

Projections state that by the year 2008, 350,000 Americans will buy hybrid cars, and increase from a 1% share of the market in 2005 to about 2%. This may not seem like very many cars, but the demographic is changing. As future hybrid cars improve in performance, practicality, and appearance, they are being purchased by soccer moms and executives, rather than just fringe environmentalists. However, since they are still considerably pricier than their non-hybrid counterparts, they probably will not assume a much larger market share.

Some day that future hybrid cars will become obsolete as the economy moves away from gasoline and into alternative energy sources like hydrogen or ethanol. As of now, this doesn’t seem to be the case. While many car manufacturers are increasing their production and selection of hybrid cars, few if any of them are working on alternative fuel sources. What’s more, even if the economy did a sudden shift, hybrid cars could still be part of the process. Instead of mixing gas and electricity, future hybrid cars could just as easily combine battery power with another fuel, such as ethanol or hydrogen.

Audi cars

When looking for used Audi cars there are plenty of models to choose from. Which model you choose will factor towards what you have to look for when buying a worthy second hand model. All of us want the most for our money and want a car that comes with low running and maintenance costs and this has to be considered too. For example you need to check before hand such as how much the car would cost for you to insure it, what the most common faults are and how much replacement parts cost.

For instance Audis come with alloy wheels as standard and of course they can be very expensive, this is particularly so if the rims are large. Therefore look at the size of the wheels on the model you are considering buying, are they in good condition? Is there any damage that means you might have to replace them?

Of course when looking around for used Audi cars there are also safety concerns. As with all models of car there could have been “recalls” in the past which should have been dealt with accordingly. Recalls are concerns that the manufacturer has had.

If you are looking to buy the Audi A2, 3, 4 or 6 models then you should ensure that faults such as the airbag not deploying do not apply. With the A3 with ABS dating between March 2001 and September 2001 you would need to check the anti lock brake unit. If the models you are looking

at include the A2, 3 or 4 which have a 2 valve injector then there was concern over the fuel pump cover bolts on models between March 2004 and August 2004. With the Audi TT there were problems with a loss of directional control on cars between September 1998 and December 1999.

These are just some of the many problems that could occur and which should have been dealt with, which you need to ensure do not apply to the car you are considering buying. These are just the manufacturer’s recalls and there can be other problems that can occur with a used car and which need to be checked.

Certified cars

The final test for becoming certified is the most extensive evaluation. It is the comprehensive 150-point inspection of mechanics and appearance. Before the evaluation is taken, several manuals and kinds of documentation must be provided.

These manuals and documentation include the owner's and new car warranty manuals. There is also a certified warranty booklet, a title history report, and a copy of the (completed) 150-point checklist. A radio security code and, if available, a navigation code are also included.

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) inspection is performed first. This checks the VIN plate, the VIN label on the door jamb, and any VIN recalls or repairs. Some items included on list of minimum replacements are air and oil filters, coolants, tires, and floor mats. Wiper blades, brake shoes, and brake pads are inspected and replaced. And all fluids are checked. The nearest scheduled maintenance is also performed.

A road test is given. This determines such things as starting and idling temperatures, acceleration power, driveability, and any strange noises. It also checks to make sure all gauges work, as well as any steering drift.

The entire car is inspected for aftermarket modifications that are not accepted by Honda's standards. Exhaust systems, transmissions, tires, rims, batteries, brake systems, headlights, running lights, and more are evaluated. The entire interior is inspected for modifications, as is the overall appearance of the entire exterior.

If everything passes inspection, then the car is made available for sale. If some things fail inspection, they are refurbished or reconditioned. If something cannot be reconditioned, then the car will not pass the evaluation and will not be placed for sale. Thus, customers are assured that all Certified Used Honda Cars are reliable and dependable.

Diesel hybrid car

For years, the gas-conscious consumer chose the diesel vehicle. These earlier diesels were generally noisier, dirtier and handled the road more poorly than their gas counterparts did. In fact, five states currently do not allow the sale of diesel vehicles due to strict emissions standards.

However, this image of the diesel vehicle is very outdated. Modern diesel vehicles are much cleaner than their earlier counterparts are. Low-sulphur diesel fuel and new technology that helps trap emissions particles are making diesel engines cleaner than ever before. In addition, modern diesel vehicles handle nearly as well as their gas-powered cousins and are less noisy as well.

Fuel efficiency is still paramount when it comes to driving a diesel vehicle. With their average nine miles per gallon increase over gas-powered vehicles, diesels are a viable option for the fuel-conscious consumer.

Hybrid vehicles

Hybrid vehicles are the newcomer to the mileage game. These vehicles run on a combination of gas and electric power, and they promise vastly increased gas mileage and lower emissions.

While these vehicles deliver on the promise, there are a few shortcomings as well. The first and most glaring disappointment is that many drivers find that the advertised mileage and the actual mileage the car achieves are vastly different.

For instance, the Toyota Prius advertises gas mileage of 55 miles per gallon, according to U.S. government reports. However, when Consumer Reports magazine tested the car under actual driving conditions, the mileage achieved was only 44 miles per gallon. While this is still excellent gas mileage, it is far less than advertised.

In addition, the sheer price of hybrid vehicles can be daunting. While a diesel vehicle generally costs an average of $1000 more than its gas-powered version, a hybrid vehicle costs several thousand dollars more than a gas-powered car. The Honda Civic Hybrid base price is $4800 more than the standard Civic with the same options and amenities.

Hybrid car rental

Traveling has its pluses and minuses. There can be a great deal of excitement that is connected to visiting a new part of the world. Of course, there are also certain expenses that can be incurred when one travels and this is why those who do a great deal of traveling need to cut expenses where they are able. One way of saving money involves eschewing traditional rental cars and using hybrid rental cars instead.

If you are a person who travels a lot, you are also a person who needs to rent cars in order to get around in a new town. This is not something that is rare either as anyone who pokes their head around a major airport in the world will notice that there are a number of rental car services

vying for all the competition that walks through the doors of these airports. What makes this competition interesting is the fact that a number of rental services are also starting to offer hybrid rental cars. This should come as no surprise to anyone as hybrid cars are widely becoming popular and any agency that offers hybrid rental cars will get a leg up on the competition.

If you are new to a city, you may find yourself doing a lot of driving – whether you like it or not! That is to say, when you are unfamiliar with a new city, you will probably find yourself making wrong turns, heading into the wrong direction of your destination, or even just sightseeing. This,

of course, will burn fuel whether you like it or not. As such, hybrid rental cars can save a great deal of money because they will have the ability to gain a significant amount of mileage to a degree far greater than what is common in gasoline powered cars.

Benefits of a hybrid car

hybrids is that they add to the car's mileage with fewer emissions usually coming from cars run by gasoline, while eliminating more or less the disadvantages that comes with electric cars. Motorists usually take three considerations in mind when judging the usability of a vehicle. These are:

-it should run at three-hundred miles at least between fuel stops.

-Should be easily refueled, in the minimum amount of time.

-It should catch up with the other vehicles zooming on the road.

The thing is, a gasoline-powered car has all these features, but it produces lots of emission plus the mileage is poor. On the other hand, an electric car gives off almost zero pollution, but the speed is relatively slow, and can only run 50-100 miles between battery charges.

What are the parts of hybrid cars?

Gasoline engine Compared to the engine of other cars, hybrids use smaller ones and is more technically advanced in order to maximize fuel and lessen emissions.

tank This serves as the device for hybrids to store energy for the gasoline engine.

motor The motor present in hybrids is a study in sophistication. It can serve as both generator and motor.

Much like an electric motor, but its only purpose is to provide electrical power.

Batteries Acts as the storage device of energy for electric motors. The advantage of hybrid car motors is that they can charge the batteries with energy as well as get energy supply from them.

Acts the same as conventional car transmissions.