September 12, 2007

Review On Hybrid Car Technology

Tip! 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.

The biggest question popping these days is that, what sort of vehicles are we actually going to be driving in the future? This question has stirred many minds and brains as world oil reserves are dwindling to such a worrying degree that the tip is we could actually run out of that black gooey stuff in about 50 years time. So what is the alternative left with us considering that there will be no black gold after few years? The answer is Hybrid Cars which will run on alternative fuel i.e. solar battery without emission of toxic substances in nature. But are reliable, will they perform well in future? These kinds of questions are just common these days.

Car is now part of daily life and culture, so it’s difficult to imagine getting from one place to another without it, irrespective of distance. The future of the car, as we know, is doomed because of emission of large chunk of our greenhouse emissions, and fossil fuels set to become more costly before eventually running out. Thus this has resulted car manufactures to give a deep thought and are serious about alternative ways to produce engine power.

Tip! Research is so important when contemplating the purchase of a hybrid car. Thankfully, most people have access to the internet and therefore have access to information such as manufacturers’ websites.

In other words we can say that it is all about developing the car of the future, a vehicle that will be both greener and more efficient. This is when hybrid car makes its entry. Hybrid car these days is gaining popularity as it is not only cheap but also easily affordable. This means owing this car won’t create any environment hazards and also won’t burn hole in your pocket. But is hybrid car reliable and bankable option? The answer is somehow yes, considering current trend of auto industry

A car with Hybrid technology has two engines, side by side, under the bonnet. This means an electric engine here and a petrol engine there. Seeing today’s cars we come to know that majority cars driven by one or the other engine. This means not that cost effective. Thus, for better mileage and maximum performance, you get them both chiming in together, so you get more power. This can only be found in hybrid cars. That’s why people prefer them over others.

Tip! But when you rent a hybrid car, you can save money on gas and support the environment at the same time. Plus, if you’re thinking of buying one, renting before hand is a great way to check out the new technology.

In hybrid car the electric engine also charges the batteries, and that neatly gets you around the old problem of electric cars of having to plug it into the mains overnight. This means no need to worry about recharging too. But one of the biggest disadvantages attached with hybrid cars is that they needed big, heavy battery packs which took up all of the back seat. But this is also now rectified as now you get a full four-seater capacity and enough room in the luggage space for two or three small dogs or maybe even one really big one.

Tip! In conclusion, there exist more logical advantages of owning a hybrid car which is an unstoppable growing trend and unconfrontational facts.

Thus, we can now say that hybrid car is the best and safe option to go for. Visit Author’s site to learn more on hybrid car technology.

Author is business analyst of Automobile industry. Visit hybrid car information to learn more on hybrid vehicle.
Gas and Electric car is an excellent report on the latest hybrid car technology trends.

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September 11, 2007

Hybrid Car History ? Historical Highlights

Tip! Before you decide to tackle the hybrid car market, there are some general points of knowledge that you need to be aware of. For example, this type of car is often referred to as a Hybrid Electric Vehicle or HEV.

Hybrid car history goes back to over a hundred years ago - long before Honda’s Insight hit the U.S. market in 1999.

What we now call “alternative” power was all there was in the early days of automobiles. Let’s take a fun little journey back through the highlights of hybrid car history.

In 1898, a young German engineer, Ferdinand Porsche, combined a gas engine with an electric motor, designing the first “hybrid” car.

But, by the beginning of the 20th century, steam powered cars were all the rage. They were the fastest on the road, reaching a speed of 197 mph at the annual automobile speed trials in 1907.

Electric cars were also popular. They were clean, quiet, but very slow, and thought of only as cars for women to run errands.

Gas cars were the least popular of all, considered to be noisy, dirty and prone to shake, rattle and roll. Henry Ford introducing the Model T in 1908, but a gas car didn’t break the Stanley Steamer’s world record for speed until 1927.

Even so, it was Henry Ford who revolutionized the automobile industry. Ford’s breakthrough assembly line was able to accomplish what no other carmaker had done - mass produce cars at a price the average person could afford. And gasoline driven cars have dominated automobile history for a hundred years.

Tip! 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.

By 1913, with the introduction of the self-starting gas engine, nearly 183,000 Ford Model Ts drove off the assembly line, compared with only 6,000 electric cars.

Ford Motors and gas powered cars were now king. For the next 50 years of history, alternative energy automobiles, such as the hybrid car, were just hobbies for amateur backyard tinkers or small, unsuccessful business ventures of a few entrepreneurs.

But, during the sixties, concern for the environment became the rallying cry of a growing numbers of people. Eliminating air pollution was their first priority and gas powered cars were a main target.

In 1966, Congress introduced the first bill recommending electric cars as a way to reduce pollution. However it wasn’t until gasoline prices skyrocketed during the Arab oil embargo in 1973 that interest was renewed in the hybrid car.

But history saw 24 years pass before hybrid cars went into enough production to be sold to the public. In 1997 Toyota’s Prius was introduced in Japan and Audi’s Duo in Europe. The Duo was soon dropped, while European carmakers focused on developing a better diesel engine.

Tip! Many hybrid cars make use of a method that is being termed as pulse and glide. The way it works is that you end up in the zone where the use of gas and electricity is somewhat balanced.

The Toyota Prius, on the other hand, was a commercial success. Introduced in the U.S. in 2000, the Prius has won numerous accolades, including being named the 2004 Car of the Year by Motor Trends Magazine. Buyers for the 2004 Prius had to wait six months. U.S. Toyota President, Jim Press, called it “the hottest car we’ve ever had.”

Hybrid cars are now an important segment of the auto industry and it looks like they’re going to get even stronger. Toyota and Honda, the first hybrids on the market, are now getting competition from Suzuki, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Mercury and Lexus, with others on the drawing board.

It looks like hybrid car history is just getting started.

Maria Cuttini is author of the 40 page “Hybrid Car Buyer’s Guide.” For a limited time, Maria is offering free downloads of her book at http://www.AlternativeCarNews.com. Visit the site today to learn more about hybrid cars and how do hybrid cars work.

Tip! But when you rent a hybrid car, you can save money on gas and support the environment at the same time. Plus, if you’re thinking of buying one, renting before hand is a great way to check out the new technology.

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September 10, 2007

Rent a Hybrid Car When You Travel

Tip! 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.

You can rent a hybrid car on your next trip to California, Phoenix or Vegas, but you better call ahead. The availability of these exciting new vehicles is limited and rentals are in very high demand.

But when you rent a hybrid car, you can save money on gas and support the environment at the same time. Plus, if you’re thinking of buying one, renting before hand is a great way to check out the new technology.

Whatever the reason, customers are lining up at EV Rental cars.

Thanks to Jeff Pink’s entrepreneurial spirit and his mission to save the planet, EV Rentals opened its doors in 1998 as the first and only hybrid electric rental company in the U.S. And Pink now has the biggest fleet of these vehicles anywhere in the country.

There are over 400 hybrids to rent in eight western airport locations - Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Ana, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Phoenix and Las Vegas. And Pink now has a partnership with discount Fox Rent A Car and is getting ready for expansion with plans for 2,500 brand new hybrids.

Tip! But when you rent a hybrid car, you can save money on gas and support the environment at the same time. Plus, if you’re thinking of buying one, renting before hand is a great way to check out the new technology.

As you may already know, these cars are pretty hard to come by. There just aren’t that many available and they’re certainly not accessible at the gas car fleet prices offered to Hertz and Avis. This means EV Rentals has to buy their automobiles one at a time at retail prices. But they do get some help through government consumer education program grants.

Right now, you have a choice of renting a Toyota Prius, a Toyota Highlander and a Honda Civic Hybrid. All three are recommended by Consumer Reports and get between 35 mpg to 60 mpg in town and on the road.

And, in the state of California, with a hybrid, you get to drive in the carpool lane even when you’re driving alone. That, by itself, can save you a small fortune in time and money when tooling around LA.

EV Rentals’ mission is to “provide the most technologically advanced environmental vehicles to the general public as soon as they’re available, to educate the public and to raise the awareness of the benefits of driving clean-fuel vehicles, and to create a market for clean vehicle technology.”

Tip! Many hybrid cars make use of a method that is being termed as pulse and glide. The way it works is that you end up in the zone where the use of gas and electricity is somewhat balanced.

The management team at EV Rentals believes it’s time for people to start thinking more about protecting the environment. They’re extremely proud to have prevented over “100 tons of air pollution and to have passed on to their customers more than $1 million in fuel cost savings by acting environmentally.”

However, be aware that when you rent a hybrid car, it will probably cost you more than for a conventional gas model. And, even though you pay less for gasoline, you’ll still have to drive a lot of miles each day to make up the difference.

Tip! In conclusion, there exist more logical advantages of owning a hybrid car which is an unstoppable growing trend and unconfrontational facts.

Right now, until auto manufacturer’s economies of scale kick in, owners of these exciting new vehicles have the same problem.

But consider this. When renting a new Prius in LA, you’ll be driving the same car Leonardo DiCpario drives. I’m sure he considers the extra expense as either an investment in the environment or the cost of being extremely cool. You could too!

Maria Cuttini is author of the 40 page “Hybrid Car Buyer’s Guide.” For a limited time, Maria is offering free downloads of her book at http://www.AlternativeCarNews.com Visit the site today to learn more about hybrid cars and how do hybrid cars work.

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