Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Advantages of A Hybrid Car

With the cost of fuel the way it is and the damage that pollution from cars brings to our environment, hybrid cars are presently considered as very beneficial to the health preservation of the environment. The reason behind this is that hybrid cars do not depend mainly on fossil fuel for power. They also make use of self-generated electricity. This results in a smaller amount of fuel consumption and less pollution being emitted into the air.

A hybrid car combines an electric motor and gasoline engine to provide sufficient power to the vehicle with less fuel usage and fewer emissions than a normal internal combustion engine powered car. They are therefore far more fuel efficient than purely gas powered cars, and far more practical for everyday use than purely electric powered cars. Combining the two sources of power, hence the name "hybrid", a vehicle is then created that is relatively much less polluting and will lead to less fuel consumption. The gasoline engine means it possesses enough power to have freeway speeds that does not need too much fuel, but is also great for stop and go driving in heavy traffic areas because of the electric motor.

The hybrid car was created due to the result of a public and political demand to clean up the environment from pollutions and for the need to rely less on fossil fuel. Plugging the hybrid into an electric outlet is not necessary to recharge the batter.They charge themselves by means of power usually lost during coasting and braking (regenerative braking - done by reversing the electric motor, thus making it into a generator whose torque provides electricity back to the battery) and can also be charged by the car’s gasoline engine.

It can offer more benefits than the usual regular gasoline engine type cars. Here is a list of the many advantages hybrid cars offers.

1. Less Pollution

It is a fact that the continuous damage to our ozone layer is due to the greenhouse effect, and one of the factors that contributes to its damage is pollution in the air, in which dangerous chemicals are transferred to the air, such as carbon dioxide which is emitted by vehicles. The measure of carbon dioxide emitted by the hybrid vehicle is principally relative to the quantity of fuel it consumes; thus hybrid cars can absolutely be a contributing factor in lessening the advancement of global warming since they use half or less fuel than a conventional car.

With the use of hybrid cars, less fuel is consumed because hybrid cars do not totally use gas in order to operate, but also make use of electricity from an internal power source that doesn't bring any danger to the environment.

2. More Mileage With Less Fuel Consumption

The most obvious advantage of a hybrid car is that it saves on gas. With the use of hybrid cars, you are able to save money on gas because you don’t need to buy gas after every long trip as a hybrid in general gets twice the gas mileage of an equivalent gasoline powered vehicle.

3. Hybrid Cars Can Help Lower Your Taxes

Tax rebates are given to some hybrid cars buyers at the federal level, and some states also have additional incentives. In California, for example, a hybrid with only one passenger can get a pass to operate in the HOV lane. So if you buy a hybrid car your tax refunds can be withheld from your taxes and will provide you with additional savings or you may get other benefits depending on where you live.

4. Your Money Gains More Value

A hybrid car can return a higher resale value. If you ever want to trade or sell a previously owned hybrid car you can be sure that you will get more of what you paid for it than with a conventional vehicle.

5. Efficiency And Performance Are What Defines Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars generally have smaller engines than the regular gasoline cars since the power is obtained from two sources, so the smaller engines are closer to the normal power necessity of engines that will give an efficient performance, especially at highway speeds. After all, at those speeds only a small engine is needed to maintain the car's speed whereas a heavier engine is needed to get fast starts and provide power in cars designed with less fuel economy in mind.

6. “Hybrid Car Technology” Is The Greatest Currently Available Solution To Today's Air Pollution Problems

Hybrid cars use less fuel and incorporate a groundbreaking technology that helps diminish possible damages to the environment caused by conventional vehicles.

Despite these many advantages, there is one thing to be considered regarding the hybrid car. Its actual price in the market is not yet as affordable to a lot of people as a conventional vehicle, but it is an investment that will pay a hundred fold. Also, as time goes by, more and more companies are manufacturing hybrid cars and this will help eventually to lower the price on some models, and more used hybrids will become available. The hybrid is gaining in popularity. I just passed a house yesterday that had two brand new Toyota Prius Hybrid cars in the driveway.

OTHER NEWS:

Did you know that using synthetic motor oil can help prolong the life of your car, snowmobile, or RV while helping you save money on gas and maintenance.

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Monday, July 30, 2007

2007 Hybrid Cars

A little late on this one as the 2008's are about to come out, but here it is anyway.

Almost every day, it seems like more and more car manufacturers, big and small, are developing "greener" versions of their well-known brands or adding new hybrid vehicles to their lineup. The growth and wide acceptance by the public of Hybrid technology has made a big splash in the motoring world and its popularity as well as the growing concern for the environment has added to the demand for this type of vehicles, urging more vehicle manufacturers to add more of their vehicles in the hybrid bandwagon to capture more potential consumers in the market.

Coming from one of the industry leaders, one of the newest in the batch 2007 hybrid car lineup is the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid, the third in Toyota's Hybrid vehicles. The Camry hybrid boasts of a performance of a topnotch six-cylinder engine with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder engine. Although it is not as fuel efficient as the first Toyota hybrid, the Prius, the Camry hybrid is a whole lot better than the regular Camry.

Of course, where Toyota goes, can Honda be far behind? That's right, giant Japanese car manufacture Honda, has also the Hybrid Accord and the Hybrid Civic. These two sedans offer what Hybrids are known for, less emission and less fuel consumption.

The 2007 Honda Accord Hybrid combines luxury and fuel efficiency, not to mention the lower emmissions of the typical hybrid, that is truly environmentally friendly. Even with a V6 engine that generates 253 horsepower, you can be sure that you will get more miles to the gallon. It is a nice change knowing that you get the luxury and power that you want and still get the fuel economy that we all deserve.

Then there is the 2007 Civic Hybrid which continuously provides the true essence of hybrid technology. Its ingenious engineering has rightly earned it its Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) rating. What this means is that you don’t only get from point A to point B in less gas usage, but also save the environment by not adding to the air pollutants already swarming over it.

Joining the Hybrid car race in 2007 is General Motors' second Hybrid vehicle effort, the 2007 Aura Hybrid sedan. This vehicle will be competing with other high-end hybrid cars such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Honda Accord Hybrid. Sporting a V6 engine as well, the Aura Green Line is dedicated to providing utmost engine power with minimal gas consumption. Its engineers claim that it will be able to generate 20 percent savings in fuel economy over its conventional model.

Auto manufacturer Nissan has also announced that a 2007 Altima Hybrid will be offered and has offered test drives and a glimpse of its development vehicle. In a deal inked with Toyota, Nissan will be dedicating five years into the project with the Hybrid Technology developed by Toyota.

Volkswagen is rumored to be soon unveiling its first hybrid model, The maker of the ubiquitous Beetle is said to be preparing a full-hybrid car for 2007 but it hasn’t disclosed yet which car model they will be infusing the technology. Latest rumors said that it would be on the Jetta for the upscale engine level or in the Passat for the four-cylinder class.

With more and more vehicle manufacturers realizing the potential of Hybrid vehicles, it might not be long before every car produced will incorporate Hybrid technology. And as oil prices continue to soar and concerns for the environment are ever growing, we can all be sure that these vehicles will be welcomed with open arms.

OTHER NEWS:

Another big step in the battle to save the planet is the growing acceptance by the public of the use of synthetic motor oils which can aid in lowering the cost of vehicle maintenance, prolong the life of the vehicle, and result in helping save money on gas.

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