Alternatives to Hybrid cars

By: lar

Hybrid cars are considered by many to be the thinking driver’s solution to the current global warming debate. They are fuel-efficient and produce a great deal less emissions than their conventionally powered counterparts. At the present they are gaining greatly in popularity due to a variety of factors.

It is very trendy to be seen driving hybrid cars; it displays your green credentials to the world. It also saves you a great deal on the cost of your fuel. This is especially relevant for drivers, who cover high mileages, but less so if the mileage is small or you change your car frequently. This is due to the high cost of purchase. And of course you may be able to save us all from a global catastrophe, always a point worth mentioning at dinner parties. But are the present gas electric hybrid cars the best and most efficient way of saving the environment, and your money, or is there a better option?

The new breed of diesel cars that burn their fuel very cleanly and efficiently are way ahead of some hybrid cars in the fuel economy stakes. Mostly produced by European manufacturers they give huge cost savings over standard diesel engine cars and even more so over gas cars. These clean burn diesel cars can give as much as 90mpg (which is at least as good or better than the best of the Hybrid cars can achieve), and also offer low emissions through more efficient fuel combustion. American manufacturers such as Jeep are now producing this new generation of diesel cars and are catching up with their European counterparts.

One of the latest innovations in this field is a hydraulic hybrid car. These are not too dissimilar in their basic principle to standard hybrid cars. The main difference is that they use a hydraulic accumulator to store energy via nitrogen gas, which is then compressed by a hydrogen motor and is used to power the vehicle through a hydraulic drive train, which also replaces a standard transmission. These two vital differences not only make it extremely efficient but also cheaper to produce than normal hybrid cars.

These differences could result not only in a lower purchase price, which until now had been one of the major stumbling blocks, but also considerable saving in fuel costs. In fact savings could be in the region of 30-40 per cent, with the highest savings being from vehicles that are mainly used in the urban environment. These new type of hybrid cars are still in development but, if shown to be practical and reliable, could easily supersede the current gas electric hybrid cars that are currently in production.

Another competitors to the standard hybrid cars are electric cars. Until now these have been more of a novelty or student type project. But now with lightweight chassis and panels being easier to product and smaller high-powered long lasting batteries falling in cost, they are beginning to look much more like a viable proposition. The limited range and the need for mains recharging of the batteries make this only practical for short range or town driving and are unlikely to overtake (in any way) Hybrid cars at the moment.

Fuel cell cars are another alternative to hybrid cars and are thought by many to be one of the best options for virtually emission free motoring. Motorists would buy fuel as liquid hydrogen this would then be mixed with oxygen from the air in much the same way as a conventional engine takes air and uses the oxygen to mix with the gas. This can be used to generate electric power to drive the car.

Although their are many alternatives hybrid cars still present the best and most viable way of increasing our fuel economy while lowering the emissions. Though with some of the new projects in the offing this may all change and we may see cleaner cars than ever appearing in our showrooms.

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Larry Westfall is the owner of www.Asian-Daily.com
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Honda Civic hybrid cars

By: lar

Probably the best looking of the new hybrid cars is the Honda Civic. It still employs the aerodynamics that help to make hybrid cars even more fuel efficient by reducing the wind resistance; allowing the car to move more freely through the air and use less fuel. But somehow they seem to have avoided the pitfalls that some of the other hybrid cars have fallen into where they seem to have been designed mainly for the wind tunnel rather than the street.

With the advent of the Honda hybrid cars being environmentally friendly has suddenly become much more stylish. The chrome front grill is a good feature and enhanced by the sloping headlights and the arched rear light clusters give the whole thing a real designer fell. The raised rather than the enclosed wheel arches that some other hybrid cars have, give the Honda much more the look of a cool (but sensible) roadster than the full on slipstream science project look of some other offerings.

The triangular turn signals also cut quite a dash and are integrated into the wing mirrors. Even the door pillars are slanted backwards to give a stylish impression. This all adds to the fact that these fuel efficient hybrid cars are not designed primarily for tree huggers but for a young trendy market, keen not only to help reduce emissions but also to get heads turning and cut a swath through the more mundane motoring choices.

There are, as well as the usual variety of trim levels available, more interesting options including curtain airbags and even an energy absorbing hood to lessen the levels of impact during a road accident.

The new Honda Civic, hybrid car uses a small 1.3 liter 4 cylinder engine as its main power supply. The engine employs a very clever use of technology whereby it can effectively cut out cylinders that are not required. For instance when the engine is only using a minimal amount of power as in low speed cruising. Another boost to engine efficiency are the aluminum pistons which, when combined with the low drag cylinders give a good power saving.

The hybrid cars engine is assisted by an electric motor that is rated to 20 horsepower. The new hybrid car motor is roughly 50% more powerful the one used in previous versions. The battery pack is also increased in both size and power and now can supply 158v adding considerably to the available horsepower. The combined available horsepower from both the hybrid cars electric and gas engines is 110-horse power. This is very respectable for such a lightweight car and means it is well able to maintain its place both at the lights (it will do 0-60mph in 10 seconds) and on the highway.

The Honda along with most other hybrid cars uses a braking system that allows the electric motor to be run backwards to assist with braking. This also means that the motor is generating power for the batteries and this latest Civic has had improvements to this system that allows it to recoup more 150% more energy than was possible with former versions. This all ads up to better fuel economy, and the latest version on the Honda civic hybrid car should return a figure of around 50mpg for both town and highway driving.

Although there may be cars that can give a greater economy, the new Civic is well worth considering. The stylish looks, excellent performance and very low emissions make this one of the most advanced hybrid cars on the market. It may be a while before the other match this, although the market for hybrid cars is becoming ever more competitive with more manufacturers seeing this as a lucrative market rather than just a passing fad. There could be more and faster hybrid cars innovations on the way.

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Larry Westfall is the owner of www.Asian-Daily.com
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How hybrid cars work

By: lar

There are two main types of hybrid cars: series hybrid cars and parallel hybrid cars.

Parallel hybrid cars work by using a combination of a traditional gas engine and a high output electric motor. The different elements of the engine start working at higher or lower levels of output are required. If the car is being driven carefully and accelerating at a reasonable level the electric motor will work on its own until a greater output is needed at a higher speed. Then the small high performances, in terms of fuel economy that is, gas engine takes over. This is a seamless almost unnoticeable process with a smooth transition of control from electric to gas power.

As the acceleration is powered by the electric motor the gas engine can be much smaller and more economical. There is no need for a great deal of energy, merely enough to keep the car at a steady speed, or to move the car from a mid range, around 40 mph to a higher speed. This requires a lot less energy than the initial movement from a standstill and consequently can be achieved with a lower level of power.

The parallel system of using both the gas engine and electric motor for hybrid cars means that there is less loss of power as when the car is traveling at higher speeds. As the energy is not required to go through the batteries and electric motor before providing power to the car. When traveling in this mode there is no need for the electric motor to operate and this also allows it to be recharged by the gas engine as the vehicle is traveling along. All ready for when the hybrid car slows and switches back to the electric motor.

Series Hybrid Cars: a series design works by powering the vehicle through an electric motor. The batteries supply the power to the motor. As the power arrives at the motor through the battery, series hybrid cars need a substantially larger reserve of power and consequentially a greater amount of batteries need to be carried in the car.

The motor only uses the exact amount of power required for the task in hand. If you spend hours in a traffic jam, you may get a little hot under the collar but your car will not be overheating. An electric motor does not need to tick over or idle when sitting in a jam; it will simply start turning when you start moving. When driving hybrid cars there will be no power (although maybe a little hair) lost even in the most extreme of gridlocks. As the motor will not be working when the vehicle is still, there is no need for the batteries to be recharged until power is again being lost when the car starts to move forward.

The large battery supply that is required for series hybrid cars is kept supplied with energy by a generator that runs from the main gas power unit. This only needs to operate when the batteries are in need of extra power so for much of urban driving there is no need for the motor to operate as only low levels of power are required. This allows the hybrid cars engine to run without emissions for city driving, especially if some higher powered driving, as for highways or main routes is done, and the consequent loss of power means that the hybrid cars batteries are brought upon to their full power supply by the gas motor when out of the urban environment.

There are advantages to both systems, but overall the parallel system is the most flexible for hybrid cars as it allows for the option of either power source to be transferred directly to drive the car without going through another separate means of transmission to the wheels.

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Larry Westfall is the owner of www.Asian-Daily.com
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Hybrid Cars do the Figures Add Up

By: lar

Hybrid cars are the new environmentally aware way to drive. They are very fashionable among the young professional classes at the moment, and a great way of displaying your green credentials to the world.

Although the ecological advantage may be the main factor in your wish to buy a hybrid car the cost implications are important and it is worth having a look at the main points and how the costs ad up.

Until now, many that might otherwise have purchased a hybrid car have been unsure as to the cost benefits of this new breed of automobile. While the environmental advantages have always been clear, the cost advantages have not. The average hybrid cars can produce anything between 20-90 pre cent less emissions than its gas guzzling counterpart. The 90 per cent being achieved while primarily using the electric motor at low speeds around town. There has always been an uncertain cost analysis as to whether buying a hybrid car saved you money in the long run, or actually added to your motoring costs.

Hybrid cars have always maintained a price premium compared to their more conventional counterparts due to the cost of the extra, and much more complicated technology involved. This is not only due to the separate electric motor that is needed to power the car but also to the need for seamless integration of the two power sources when switching from one to the other.

And also there aware other expensive features in hybrid cars such as weight reduction, generating capacity to top up the batteries and regenerative braking that all add to the higher cost of hybrid cars. This is used when the car is braking, instead of the brakes being applied to slow the car the electric motor is engaged without power and so runs backwards. The drag from this assists the braking motion and at the same time generates electricity for the batteries. This effectively saves power that would otherwise be lost

All of these systems on hybrid cars are expensive to produce and thus the cost of a hybrid cars is usually well above that of a similar, traditionally powered model. The argument over this has always been that you recoup these initial outlays in the lower running costs. This became an especially valid argument after the recent, dramatic rises in fuel costs, a trend that looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.

But does it all ads up? Is the fuel cost saving with hybrid cars enough to offset the original cost outlay? Or is running a hybrid car just an expensive way of helping the environment while leaving you poorer, despite the considerable saving in fuel costs? .

Well the long and the short of it is that it depends on the sort of driving you do. If you are doing no more than 10,000 miles a year and intend on keeping your hybrid cars for an average of five years then it is unlikely that you would accrue enough savings at the fuel pump to off set the original higher cost of owning a hybrid car. If however you are a higher mileage driver covering 30-50 000 miles a year then the fuel efficiency factor turns it into a whole different ball game.

If you regularly cover these sorts of mileages and are not too heavy with the gas then you could rack up substantial savings with a hybrid car. Under these circumstances the economics make much more sense and real savings can be made especially if the car is kept for a long for several years. The saving grace for the hybrid car as far as costs are the federal tax breaks that are now being applied, and these may help to push you towards a decision that hybrid car can indeed be a viable cost effective alternative to conventional motoring.

Although cost is not always the main reason behind the decision to buy a hybrid car it is still worth taking a little while to consider the cost advantages or otherwise. The cost of motoring is a substantial part of the equation in any household budget and not one that can readily be ignored. But if the type of motoring you do fits then there are considerable advantages over a traditionally powered car. With the price hikes at the gas pump set to continue this may be a much easier and much more straightforward calculation to make in the future.

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Larry Westfall is the owner of www.Asian-Daily.com
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Hybrid cars the Toyota Prius the First Real Hybrid

By: lar

The Toyota Prius is probably the best known of the present crop of hybrid cars. In 1993 a commission under president Clinton established the aim of achieving the production of a car within a 10-year timescale that would be practical for the average family and would give fuel economy of 70-80 mpg. Toyota was not invited to participate in this as it was a foreign manufacturer and the hybrid cars project was primarily intended for American manufacturers.

Toyota decided that would not be left out and established their own research and development project into hybrid cars. Way ahead of the other manufacturers they unveiled a working model in 1995. They moved ahead with this and in the incredibly short space of just 2 years, had refined the original prototype of their hybrid cars into a full production model and introduced it to an increasingly environmentally aware public.

When it was first introduced in 1997 it the Toyota Prius hybrid car was intended to be mainly effective in reducing the amount of carbon and greenhouse gases that the car emitted. This was mainly to promote a cleaner environment in densely populated areas. These areas are often plagued by smog, one of the modern day by products of having a mobile population that prefers to travel in their own vehicle rather that using the publicly available transport network.

The model was introduced to the North American public for the first time in the summer of 2000 and was, due to a limited import stock, only available through an online ordering system. Despite this the demand was such that there were severe delays in delivery due to the enthusiasm for this new and innovative design.

In 2001 the original American hybrid cars project was discontinued and the major US manufacturers without the input of, and money from, the government, halted most of their research and development in this area. Toyota were now well positioned to take up the slack in the anticipated growth of the hybrid cars market and were already working on an updated and more efficient model to press home their advantage.

In 2004 the Toyota Prius hybrid car was awarded the greatest honor in American motoring and was chosen as the North American Car of the Year, the first time this award had been won by a hybrid car. This put the gold seal of approval on the model and, in part, ensured the success of the concept of hybrid cars as transportation for the average driver.

This was further established when fuel prices began to rise and the need for economy became greater. There is never a greater impetus to the success of a new and innovative product than that it can put money back in the pockets of the consumer.

Another financial impetus to the sales of hybrid cars came with tax breaks announced by the Washington administration to encourage the consumer towards cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Hybrid cars were seen as a double bonus for the whole population. First it promoted a cleaner environment and helped with reducing the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. It also was seen, if taken up by a significant amount of drivers, that hybrid cars could help reduce the consumers need for gas and so make the US more self sufficient in fuel production.

Before the introduction of the Toyota Prius, hybrid cars had not been widely available to the average car owner and were largely thought of as experimental and not practical for everyday motoring. The Toyota Prius changed all this, bringing the notion of a cleaner, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly hybrid cars within the grasp of the average consumer.

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Larry Westfall is the owner of www.Asian-Daily.com
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Hybrid Cars Toyota Prius

By: lar

The Toyota Prius hybrid car was first introduced as a production model in Japan in 1997, and then in the US in 2000. It has taken the green motoring world by storm and is the most popular hybrid car around. Even Hollywood film stars like Cameron Diaz are getting in on the act and increasing their green credentials by owning a Toyota Prius hybrid car.

This small, though not unworkably so, symbol of automotive innovation is fast becoming the ultimate environmentally awareness fashion accessory. But the Toyota Prius hybrid car is far more than just an ecological accoutrement. It is the first and still leader in its field. The demand for this vehicle is so great that Toyota is even now trying to keep up with the orders.

The twin power units in this hybrid car comprise of a highly fuel efficient 1.5 liter 4 cylinder gas engine that produces 76 bhp. This is used mainly for powering the vehicle at higher speeds when a steady load on the engine enhances the fuel economy of the engine. This is one of the most advanced hybrid car engines around and is very economical when used in conjunction with a light foot on the gas pedal. It produces a torque figure of 82 Ib. ft at 4200 revs. The pistons in the Toyota Prius hybrid car are highly engineered to be lighter than average for an engine of this size. They also have a very low drag producing less friction and more efficient use of power. They also have vale timing that varies according to the load on the engine and allows the most economical use of the gas.

The hybrid cars electric motor is supplied with power by a battery with a 500-volt output and produces 295-lb ft at 0 rpm. The electric motor is primarily used at low speeds and acceleration and with this amount of power available it is no slouch when pulling of from the lights. But neither is it a Porsche. Don’t expect to be left behind at the lights but also don’t expect everyone else to be eating your dust. That is not what hybrid cars are about. Though that is not to say that in the future that a sports car manufacturer will not move into the hybrid cars market.

This combination of efficient gas engine and electric motors in the Toyota Prius hybrid car can produce very good fuel economy. The light-footed driver should be able to easily achieve figures of around 50 to 55 mpg around town. And up to and maybe even exceeding 60 mpg on the open road.

Although not a large hybrid car it seats 5 people comfortably enough, although when fully loaded the suspension can appear a little on the soft side. It is also no small load carrier with a usable trunk space of over 16 cubic feet, much larger than the old Prius could boast. The impressively aerodynamically efficient hybrid car shape can mean that headroom in the back of the car can be a bit low for tall passengers.

Hybrid cars have all the extras that are expected in a quality car today. GPS, keyless entry, good sound system, and special “head curtain” airbags that allow the rear seat passengers to benefit from air bag technology as well as the front. It also has a very useful computer display on the dashboard that allows you to see which engine is providing the power and how efficiently it is working. This means you can adjust your driving to get the optimum mpg from your hybrid car.

Overall the Toyota Prius is a very impressive venture by a major manufacturer into the world of hybrid cars and contains all the elements that the average driver could want in terms of fuel economy, comfort, so long as you are not a basketball player, and equipment. The new model Toyota Prius hybrid car that is soon to be available looks even better so it may be worth holding back for a while.

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Larry Westfall is the owner of www.Asian-Daily.com
Article Submission done by: www.articles-submit.com
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Hybrid Cars Transport for the Future

By: lar

Hybrid cars are one of the more recent, and most practical, innovations in the fight against greenhouse gases and global warming. Electric cars would of course be the ultimate in reducing emissions, aside from those produced in the generation of the electricity used to power them. But all attempts to produce a viable electric car have produced nothing that would be useable and practical to the average driver.

Electric cars are all very well if you do not wish to travel faster than 40-50 mph, or go more than 100 miles before recharging you batteries for several hours. But for most of us this isn’t a realistic option. Many of us however would still like to make a contribution to the good of the environment without it adversely affecting our daily lives, and hybrid cars are a great way to start towards this goal.

One direct and immediate benefit of driving a hybrid car is the reduction in your fuel bill. This has become more and more important recently with the escalating cost of gas at the pumps. A typical car driving around town will return fuel economy figures of less than 25 mpg. This can be much lower with the larger cars that many own and especially with SUV’s which often have alarmingly low fuel economy around town often running at 15-25 mpg with many achieving less than 10 mpg!

This startlingly low, and increasingly expensive, figure can be improved dramatically by changing to any of the hybrid cars that are currently on the market. You should find it relatively easy to achieve figures in excess of 55 mpg; with even large SUV’s getting a figure of 30-40 mpg. This obviously depends on the type of driving you do, your hybrid carcar and your style of driving, but there are considerable savings to be had.

Changing to hybrid cars instead of conventional petrol or diesel engined ones could save you a great deal of money. You could realistically cut your fuel bill by anywhere between 25 to 50 per cent. If you are currently driving an SUV and change to a similar hybrid model you could see an average $3,000 fuel bill reduced to $1,500 or even under a thousand dollars if you go instead for one of the smaller, though still reasonably sized hybrid cars.

One of the arguments against hybrid cars, and also one of the reasons that many were reluctant to make the change was price. Hybrid cars are inevitably more expensive to buy than conventional cars due to the fact that they an electric motor as well as a petrol engine.

This, however may be due to change with the new tax breaks for hybrid cars. In any case the difference is much less than it used to be, with some hybrid cars costing as little as $1,000 more than their conventional counterparts. This would be likely, with a normal amount of mileage, to be more than saved in fuel costs in the first year.

Now the hoped for tax breaks for hybrid cars have emerged the cost of the vehicles should be more on a par with the standard road going model and these savings should be money in the bank. And would encourage a previously skeptical public view the benefits of hybrid cars as being financial as well as environmental. This would encourage a much wider ownership which in turn may drive prices lower again as cost per unit decreases with the economy of scale that mass production can bring.

So hybrid cars may soon be not only good for the environment but also good for your wallet as well. And hopefully in the near future, hybrid cars may be, with the falling price and ever increasing fuel efficiency, not only marginally, but a substantially cheaper and cleaner alternative for the financially and environmentally conscious driver.

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Larry Westfall is the owner of www.Asian-Daily.com
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How Cost Effective Are Hybrid Cars?

By: Frank Little

There seems to be no stopping the oil companies, as the price at the pumps continues to rise to astronomical heights for a myriad of reasons, valid or not. Civil wars in Nigeria, international conflicts in Iraq, hurricanes and other storms at home and abroad are all reasons gas companies posit to defend their outrageous gouging.

In the face of rising gas costs, many consumers are beginning to consider the option of a hybrid vehicle- one which operates on both gas and electricity. All of the models of hybrid car will save money in terms of gas expenditures, but are they really effective when all of the costs of maintenance and other considerations are factored in?

Right off the bat, consider the cost of buying a hybrid vehicle. Depending on the model, hybrid vehicles can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more than the equivalent non-hybrid model. These prices need to be stacked up against the savings that a hybrid car owner would gain in gas, factoring in the mileage needed. One report by Edmunds, for example, shows that huge price increases in the cost of gas would need to take place, or the vehicle owner would need to put on some serious mileage, in order for the hybrid models to gain a sufficient price saving advantage when stacked up against initial purchases. The one exception in the study was the Toyota Prius, which compared very effectively in terms of initial cost with the Camry model. The consumer watchdog points out, however, that as the hybrid cars become increasingly more available as a reflection of demand the prices can be expected to drop, making them more cost effective when it comes to an initial investment.

Also important to keep in mind is the fact that the hybrid cars have a much more specialized system than the standard vehicle, and will therefore require a more specialized mechanic when it comes time for any repairs. Most consumer report features consider hybrid cars to require an investment of at least five years in order to break even as far as initial costs go, and do not take into account the possibilities of damage that requires fixing to the power train of the vehicles.

It seems as though, at least for the time being, the purchase of a hybrid vehicle for the average consumer may not be the best option when it comes to saving money. It is important to keep several things in mind, however, when considering purchasing a hybrid model. Many consumers are choosing to purchase these cars because they represent a significant development in terms of environmental concerns over standard models. They also mean that as a whole, Western nations will become less dependent on oil as the sole means of power.

Finally, it is imperative to keep in mind that the hybrid car is a very new technology. Developed only within the last few years, the technology is still in the infant stages, where costs will continue to be high. Hybrid cars also have only a small percentage of the market right now as well. As time passes, the development of the hybrid technology will begin to push prices down to the point where hybrids are more than competitive with the traditionally fueled models of the past.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Frank Little is a hybrid car enthusiast and maintains a website with hybrid car forums.

Hybrid Cars: The Answer to High Gas Prices?

By: Amy Hansen

High oil and gas prices are here to stay. This has many people wondering what they can do to save money at the pump.

Hybrid cars have touted themselves as a great way to save money. Many owners of hybrids believed this upon purchase and soon found out that the gas mileage estimates were very overrated. Data from independent product-testing organization Consumer Reports indicates that hybrid cars get less than 60 percent of EPA estimates while navigating city streets. In Consumer Reports' real-world driving test, the Civic Hybrid averaged 26 mpg in the city, while the Toyota Prius averaged 35 mpg, much less than their respective EPA estimates of 47 and 60 mpg. Hybrid cars performed much closer to EPA estimates in Consumer Reports' highway tests.

This discrepancy could be due in part to the way the EPA conducts its tests. The EPA tests actually gauge fuel emissions to estimate fuel efficiency. Hybrid cars use computers to control the flow of gasoline and have more efficient catalytic converters, which reduce the amount of emissions. This may contribute to the disparity between EPA estimates and actual vehicle mileage achieved.

Hybrid car buyers pay a premium of a couple of thousand extra dollars over what others are paying for a comparable car. By most calculations, this extra expense will not be recouped in gas savings by the owner. The hybrid cars currently on the market cost from $3500 to $6000 more per car than comparable cars with conventional gas engines. This means that the amount of money you save, or don’t save, by buying a hybrid is very much dependent on gasoline prices. It’s no wonder that the average hybrid buyer has a substantially higher income than the average regular car buyer-- $100,000 versus $85,000.

Hybrid buyers may be saving on gas, but they are sporting a much more expensive battery. The cost of hybrid batteries ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, although we have gotten reports of some hybrid owners being quoted $4,800 to $8,000! This could be due to the current high demand for hybrid cars. And, although the hybrid battery may be covered under the car’s warranty, once the warranty expires, you could find yourself in for more of a ‘charge’ than you expected.

Hybrid cars may not be all they’re cracked up to be. Their gas mileages are overestimated and maintenance costs can be high. It also costs quite a bit more just to purchase one and these extra costs won’t be made up for with fuel savings.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Amy Hansen invites you to visit her blog about high gas prices for information and money saving tips. There is also a resource to check the local gas prices in your area.

A Look At Hybrid Cars

By: Mike Eggert

Are hybrid cars, the cars of the future? Only time will tell. I am sure most of you have by now heard about the new hybrid cars in the marketplace today. I'm also sure many of you are saying, "What the heck is a hybrid car anyway?" Well let us see if we as laymen people from the old school of gasoline automobiles can understand these new high tech automobiles.

Firstly we need to know what powers a hybrid. Well a hybrid has a gasoline engine and also a battery powered generator. The gasoline engine in the equation is much the same as the cars most of us are driving today. In most cases it is a bit smaller than the engines in our somewhat larger automobiles we currently drive. The reason for this is because the generator helps power the hybrid car. Both still operate the same as far as having a transmission to drive the wheels. Albeit a much more sophisticated version than what is in the typical gasoline powered vehicle. The difference is when the car begins to slow down, the gasoline engine stops and the generator motor takes over, thus saving fuel you would be burning for instance at a stoplight. Now, not only is this a saving for you as a consumer. It is also making the air we breathe cleaner. Both are I'm sure you will agree, a good thing. Now, both engines require a tank for the fuel, a gas tank the same as most of us have now, but also a tank for the generator, which is a set of batteries that must be kept charged. You see, this is the purpose for the generator.

It takes about 1000 pounds of batteries to equal the energy in a gallon of gasoline. Sounds like a lot of extra weight, but with the new designs this is not a problem. The newer designs are even converting kinetic energy produced by the engine into electric energy for the batteries. Confused yet? If not, you are probably reading the wrong article. However, it really doesn't matter if you understand the inner workings completely. By now you should at least have a basic understanding of what makes these little cars more efficient.

I'm sure you have seen some of the new hybrid cars on the street and were maybe a bit taken back by their appearance at first. Yes, the new hybrids do take some getting used to, especially the early models. They are a little smaller in size and very aerodynamic in design. And, with a driving force of about 60-90 horsepower, don't feel quite as powerful as your current automobile, but on the horizon are several new models, including SUV's that are much more traditional in their styling.

I think for now at least, the hybrid cars will take over a big part of the auto industry and carry us along until the arrival of the eco- friendly efficient cars of the future.

Take a ride in one of the new hybrid cars and decide for yourself if they are worth all the hype.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

For in depth hybrid car news and reviews visit www.hybrid-rides.com

Best Hybrid Car

By: Albert TAY

It would be easy to figure out which of the current automobiles today were ranked with the best energy efficiency ratings in gasoline powered car engines, model design, and those rated with the best safety features per car class. There is a wide opinion spread of rankings that can be provided by most major automobile manufacturers' reviews.

It would probably be difficult, if not impossible to find same rankings for the dual-powered hybrid automobile that is emerging like gangbusters on the automobile market today. It would also be near impossible to figure out which of these models would be considered or ranked as the best hybrid car available on the market today because with the energy saving features that save people money at the gas pumps, all of these hybrid car models are a winner.

The best hybrid car would provide versatility and style to the consumer. With mild hybrid and full hybrid car models available, there is a good selection of features that consumers can choose that will meet their individual driving needs and styles. Some of these hybrid car varieties have the capability of driving from a dead start on electrical power, while others require the gas powered motor feature to engage first to perform this part of the drive train operation.

There are three components in all of the hybrid cars that are manufactured today. To be considered a hybrid car, the automobile must have a gas powered automobile engine, an electrical motor and a car battery or battery pack underneath the hood. The manner that these components work together or singularly to move your car further down the highway depend greatly on the type of hybrid it is. The best hybrid vehicle would be one that used all three, but if that is not typical of your driving style, you will receive better fuel usage through the mild hybrid style which would render the car more economical.

The ease in use would also qualify a hybrid car into being considered one of the best on the market today. The keyless operation option is a highly valued feature that most consumers would prefer not to do without. These hybrid automobiles do not have a regular ignition switch, but feature state-of-the art technology in a push button ignition switch. All hybrid cars that have this feature built into their consoles will definitely be considered on the best hybrid automobile list that anyone creates.

Another feature that would be hard to vote on, in this best hybrid dual-powered car list would be the hybrids that give you a touch screen with interactive displays that give you a realm of information at your fingertips. The energy efficient power cars give multi-dimensional information across the console of the automobile, where you can tell at a glance what the climate control temperature is, or the radio settings are.

The simplistic pampering that these hybrid cars offer can give car owners back the control that they have in their cars. Drivers can now stay informed on the flow of power that goes through the electrical components and can now tell when this flow is affecting fuel consumption. With so many modes of operation to keep you informed and entertained, the hybrid automobile is hard to separate if you are trying to identify which one of the many manufactured brands are the best car in its class.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

More resources about Hybrid Cars can be found in hybridcars.simpleusermanual.comp.s. Albert left his 9 to 5 job after working in MNC for over 10 years, and jumped into INTERNET era. He has invested many resources and time in My Success Roadmap

Future of Hybrid Cars

By: Albert TAY

There are many design concepts being considered for maximum public exposure and benefits on the drawing board of car designers today that look to the future hybrid car needs and considerations that will serve the public well in the course of the next century. Many of these hybrid car designers are taking past and proven sales performers and have begun reworking their designs from the ground up.

Instead of a front wheel drive platform, there are automobile designers that are building on a rear platform design for one of the nation's best selling and widely recognized car frames in America and worldwide. The hybrid car designs of the future are including sports car models that have been all-time favorites with the world in the past and are now being revived with the brand new hybrid engine in mind.

There is an aggressive training program in place at one of Americas largest car manufacturing companies that is preparing their technicians to repair the growing styles and variations of hybrid cars that are emerging onto the automobile market.

With the extreme difference in battery features and dramatic variance in voltage levels, there is a void that needs to be filled by someone who is equipped with the necessary battery cabling devices that can handle 270 volts instead of the normal 12 volt battery systems. Regular car technicians are typically capable of handling battery recharging requirements, but with the futuristic applications that are applied in hybrid battery design, the best service these car technicians can provide at present is that they can still provide oil changes and tire rotations should the need arise.

With a mindset of grasping and expanding the propulsion features that are somewhat limited in today's hybrid car designs, there are retro styling efforts that are focusing on providing hybrid cars with optional V8 engine capacities.

There are considerations in place to use solar cells in the framework of hybrid automobiles. The electrical power will be produced through the boot lids and bonnet placement of these solar cell modules. Through the use of solar cells it will then be possible to utilize the battery charging capabilities when the car is not turned on or in motion to replenish batteries that have been depleted through the use of air conditioning or through continuous operation when the hybrid automobile is delayed in traffic jams at different times of the day. This lightweight body structure design would benefit the energy savings to the consumer and make the car more manageable on the highway.

There is an effort in hybrid car design that is turning the out of the ordinary hybrid vehicle into a replica of what is parked in the driveway every day of our life. This blending in effect is meant to bring the hybrid full circle into the acceptable graces of the American public.

The future hybrid car will need to focus more on greenhouse gases that negatively effect the environment as well as a hybrid car that will be even more fuel efficient. Without these changes, the production and sales of any type of vehicle will not be possible due to the degradation of our atmosphere.

There are many views about hybrid cars in the futures that will change its fuel source from the heavy duty batteries in use today, to hydrogen-power fuel cell. This will take away the need for hybrid cars to have to use gasoline completely in order to transverse down the major highways.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

More resources about Hybrid Cars can be found in hybridcars.simpleusermanual.comp.s. Albert left his 9 to 5 job after working in MNC for over 10 years, and jumped into INTERNET era. He has invested many resources and time in My Success Roadmap