WhyHybridCars.net
Welcome To WhyHybridCars.net!
Everyone is going “green” these days, and we’re learning more and more about the urgent need to help protect our environment. The news is full of stories about the effects of the emissions from conventional cars and trucks, and the hybrid car is said to be one of the best solutions to these problems. You may hear about hybrid cars all the time in the media, but how much do you actually know about them? Because this technology is so new, it can be overwhelming and confusing if you haven’t researched much yet.
Here at WhyHybridCars.net we’re working to get you the information you need about this exciting new transportation alternative. We’ll help you discover how a hybrid engine works, why hybrids are a better solution and much more. We’ll also give you in-depth information about the latest hybrid vehicle models and their features. So if you’re considering making the move to a hybrid car, or if you already own one and you want to know more then visit us first to get all the facts.
Hybrid cars are one of the most revolutionary inventions of the century. They have become a style statement as they are eco-friendly. With low fuel consumption, hybrid car mileage comes without losing much on gas! These cars are an answer to the alarming Green house effects due to air pollution by exhaust gases.
Toyota and Honda rule the Hybrid vehicle segment. They were one of the
first to manufacture hybrid cars on a large scale. GMC, Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet,
Lexus joined in the bandwagon. All these automobile giants have come up with
their own versions of the environment friendly Hybrid car which runs on dual
power sources.
Toyota’s popular hybrid line-up includes Prius, the highlander hybrid and Toyota Camry.The Prius, with its perfect mileage and easy driving gives a very stable handling.Honda introduced the hybrid version of its top –selling car Accord in 2008. Even Honda Civic,one of Honda’s biggest success has been introduced in the hybrid category and has become a great success again!
Looking at the hybrid car mileage estimates we can see that the best mileage providers are Toyota Prius, Honda Civic hybrid, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima hybrid with mileage of 55 mpg, 50 mpg,39 mpg and 39 mpg respectively. These values are taken based on 45% highway driving, 55% city driving and 15000 annual miles. These values are promising enough for the keen users to get their hands on their favourite hybrid car. These hybrid cars are an attractive steal
due to their good mileage with less gas and reduced air pollution.
If you just aren’t getting the mileage you were promise don your new hybrid car, it can be a real frustration. You probably spend a significantly higher amount of money to purchase a hybrid, in part because you were hoping to get seriously better fuel economy than you would get from a gas powered car. Take heart though because there are a few things you can do to help make a real improvement in the fuel consumption of your hybrid.
First, you should realize that these cars require a period of breaking in to reach their optimized potential. This may require a few thousand miles of driving to get the car up to it’s peak. The systems need time to adjust, just like they do on a gas powered vehicle. If you’re willing to slow down a bit you’ll save fuel as well. Staying at a top speed of no more than 40-45 mph will help conserve fuel and help the car perform at its best. You should also expirment with various routes to your common destinations. Find one that that is less congested and you won’t be stopping and starting as frequently. Jack rabbit starts take a toll on fuel use in any car. Less traffic also means you’ll have room to try out various braking and acceleration techniques.
On the highway, learn to use the cruise control and keep it set at 55 mph. You may not get their faster, but you’ll get their on less gas, and have more money in your pocket when you arrive. In the winter, you should allow the hybrid some time to warm up. It won’t burn much gas to let it sit in idle for a few minutes, and the car will perform better use fuel more efficiently when does getting going if it’s had to time to warm up beforehand. Everytime you stop to get gas, you should make a habit of checking your tire pressure. You should also purchase low octane gas, which actually contains more potential energy. Skip the high grade stuff, your car’s engine is sufficiently advanced to use low octane. In terms of tire pressure, fully inflated tires make a big difference. They effect aerodynamics and the your safety on the road as well.
Finally be sure to chart the mileage your getting the octane rating of the gas you use, and the speeds you’re traveling. It takes practice to learn to get the best mileage, but once you get skilled at it, the fuel savings will pay off for the time you spent learning.
If you’ve dropped into this site, then chances are you’ve got at least a passing interest in hybrid vehicles. Whether you ultimately opt to purchase one those is going to depend on a number of factors. I obviously believe their better choice, but I also want to work to inform you of the pros and cons of them the best I can. Some people choose hybrids to save money at the pump, which gets more important with every new fuel cost increase. Others have a desire to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Still others and this is probably a majority of current hybrid owners, are concerned about the environment and want to reduce pollution and decrease oil consumption. Whichever one of these describes you, it’s important to know that fuel economy is not the only thing you should use to judge hybrid and gas cars. In order to make the best fiscal decision you also need to weigh the purchase prices, the tax savings, the insurance costs, and the maintenance expenses.
Regarding fuel economy, you need to know straight off that the mpgs advertised on the window sticker are not the exact mileage figures you’re going to get. They’re optimistic estimates which don’t ring true in the real world. You can expect to get about ¾ of the fuel economy which the dealer is promising. That goes for any car whether it’s gas or hybrid. Hybrids will still give you the best mileage though. Even small 4 cylinder gas cars can’t beat hybrid for fuel economy. There’s one caveat to this regarding gas savings though. The amount you save in fuel will still probably not fully offset the extra you pay on the purchase price when you choose a hybrid over a gas vehicle. The good news however, is the remainder can often be offset by tax benefits both state and federal which hybrid owners are given. Also as he cost of hybrids drops, the savings will be bigger than they are today.
Repairs and maintenance are another factor. Many people believe the myth that hybrid repairs are costlier and that they can only be performed by a few specialist shops or dealers. That’s false. All types of cars are becoming more sophisticated electronically, so most mechanics are required to keep up with the latest advances. Therefore they shouldn’t have much more problems understanding hybrid systems than they have understanding modern sophisticated gas vehicle systems. Also many of the top hybrid makers like Toyota, Ford, and Honda place a great deal of confidence in their hybrid models and back them with excellent 8 to 10 year warranties on the hybrid components. Your basic oil changes and tune-ups are all you should need on a hybrid for the most part. Maintenance requirements are pretty equal to those of gas powered vehicles.
Transport is the act of commuting from location to another physically or by using other means. Among the various means of transport employed by humans, motor vehicles are the majority and most vehicles are powered by fossil fuels. Gasoline and diesel are popular fuels which are not only exhaustible but also pollute the environment.
Hybrid vehicles serve as an alternative to motor vehicles that run solely on fossil fuel. These vehicles are powered by more than one energy source and their principle of working is simple. The vehicle is powered by a renewable power source such as solar energy by default and the energy generation is taken over by fossil fuel upon exhaustion of the renewable source. Not only does such an arrangement help to save on fuel expense, it is also gentle on the environment.
Hybrid cars are slowly gaining popularity in most countries due to advancement in design which makes them easy to drive. Development in automation has made it possible to compare hybrid and gas car and the former is being preferred more than ever after the dawn of the economic slowdown, simply because gasoline is expensive. These cars employ easily available resources such as electricity or solar energy which makes them deserving winners of the hybrids versus gas cars race.
Earlier, cars powered by multiple energy sources were expensive but with increased popularity, hybrid cars are being priced within the reach of every potential car buyer. It is astounding to note that celebrities across the globe are popularizing hybrid cars without considering them commercial endorsements, a trend that is creating awareness on conserving the earth’s resources. Thus, when faced with a ‘hybrid vs regular car’ confusion while purchasing a car, it is better to opt for a hybrid model and play an active role in keeping the earth clean and green.
The most worthy contender for the top spot in the field of family hybrid vehicles right now is probably the Toyota Camry Hybrid. It doesn’t get the best mileage of all the possible choices, but it does deliver a ride which feels pretty close to a traditional gas-powered sedan. It’s go enough power that you feel the herky jerky stop/start motion which is the Achilles heel of some hybrids. The Camry still gets a respectable 34 mpg in mixed driving which is almost 10 mpg better than the gas powered Camry. For a car in this class that’s not too shabby at all. Toyota seems to have put a lot of effort into ensuring a steady, smooth ride and plenty of essential safety features. It comes standard with a pretty comprehensive package before you even add in the optional features. The only sacrifice you make compared to the non-hybrid Camry is in terms of trunk space. That hybrid battery hogs a little room that you would otherwise have for storage.
If you’re looking for a true gas sipper, then you still won’t beat the Toyota Prius. 46 mpg is simply far and away the best fuel economy you’re going to find in a hybrid. It also has a very respectable amount of storage space. Thanks to that hatchback design, you get ample room in the rear for your shopping bags. Even the Camry hybrid has less trunk space which is really saying something. The hatchback look also gives it a more desirable appearance that sets apart from other cars in its class. Power is the main place where the Prius still falls short. The Prius still lacks the get up and go you’d like to have in highway driving. If you’re a speed demon, you’re obviously not going to enjoy the sluggish feel of this one, but hot rodders aren’t really the target market for the Prius anyway. During street driving you’ll notice how quiet this car is. That’s a result of the electric engine which operates alone at slower speeds. The gas engine only jumps in when you speed up. The Prius also features a more spacious interior than you’ll find in competing models such as the Honda Civic Hybrid, which is quite nice if it’s being used as a family car.
Finally, we come to a model for those with more, um refined tastes. The hybrid market has finally reached a point at which its able to serve the luxury market as well. If you’ve got the money and desire for a more upscale option, then you should take a look at the Lexus GS 450h or event he lexus LS 600h. These cars stand alone in terms of quality and performance. They allow you to make a statement in favor of the environment without sacrificing the pleasure of traveling in comfortable and classy surroundings. Although the Lexus GS 450h gets a scant 23 mpg, it still boasts better mileage than other standard luxury sedans with V8 engines. Many gas powered rivals have to struggle to get 15 to 20 mpg, so this one clearly has them beat out. It also has a nice standard package which includes heated seats, wipers equipped with rain sensors, a decent nav system, satellite radio, leather seats, a top notch 14 speaker hi fi sound system. Under the hood it delivers 340 horses which means ample power.
If recent sneak peeks at hybrid technology development are any indication, then one of the most important improvements we should see will be in the batteries. Although NiMH batteries are dominating the market right now, they seem to be on their way out. We should begin to see many manufacturers start to use Lithium battery technology in the future.
The next ten to twenty years are going to be a time of earthshaking innovations coming right after each other. Hybrid development will probably happen as rapidly as we’ve seen computer technology evolve. It’s likely that every few months will bring about some revolutionary technology which will far surpass anything that came previously. The hybrids of tomorrow will feature batteries which are many times more efficient than the ones we have today. They’ll also decrease in cost and weight. A much lighter weight battery will definitely have an even further effect on the efficiency of these batteries too.
Full hybrids will become common. As they do, the battery technology will become increasingly important. Once a major manufacturer makes the switch to Lithium, it should set off a huge trend which will result in lithium batteries becoming the standard. If a car like the Prius is released with a Lithium battery, then the imitators are sure to follow.
Going into the next few years, diesel hybrids are going to make an even better showing. In nations beyond the United States where fuel costs are even higher, people are yearning for improved fuel economy. Gasoline is just getting too unaffordable and consumers are getting pinched very severely in some nations. Ford’s Reflex Diesel Hybrid is one model which has shown promise, and there’s a number small manufacturer models which look to have potential as well. Some of these designs may be bought up by the auto giants and hopefully they will put them to good use in mass production. Now that the ethanol bubble seems to have bust, diesel may be the “in” thing for a while. Flex-fuel vehicles may enjoy a good run too though, if alternative fuels reach a point of better accessibility and affordability.
What about plug in hybrids? Well they have a few obstacles to surmount in the minds of consumers right now. Most people just don’t understand them very well and they tend to shy away from something they have to plug in. Hopefully as the facts get out this will change. Electricity appears to be a cleaner alternative, even considering some of the dirty technologies required to generate it, and it’s also lower cost. If home power generation becomes more common and people begin to install home solar and wind power generators in their homes, then this will be a great help. Convincing them that the initial infrastructure cost is worth it in the long term may be a challenge though. We’ll have to see how smart the manufacturers are in the way they pitch some of these concepts to the consumer.
Hydrogen has some potential, and Ford and Toyota have luckily begun to pick up on it. They’ve already started developing some hydrogen hybrids and they’ve got a number of them on the road in a few areas. An improvement in hydrogen hybrid technology could serve as a transition into hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. If fuel companies get interested in building a network of hydrogen fueling stations then it might be a real possibility.
A hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid vehicle that combines a rechargeable energy storage system with a conventional propulsion system to achieve better fuel economy than a standard internal combustion engine alone. Hybrid Vehicles have a secondary propulsion system, in addition to the electric motor (or motors, depending on the vehicle), means that it does not require visits to a charging unit.
There are several types of hybrid vehicles, first we have the series hybrid. Diesel-electric locomotives and ships started using this technology late in the 20th century. In a series hybrid car, a large electric motor propels the vehicle. A series hybrid is only an electric vehicle in the sense that the electric motor drives the wheels, the electricity is produced by an internal combustion engine working as a generator for the batteries to power the electric motor. The series hybrid still uses fuel and produces emissions. This version of the hybrid is not currently available to the public.
Parallel hybrids are much simpler and less expensive for current production and use. With the parallel hybrid, the engine and electric motor work together to power the vehicle. The internal combustion engine propels the vehicle and the electric motor is there to propel the vehicle once it it at a steady speed, but only for fairly short distances. It can also be used for a small amount of extra power. The batteries are powered by regenerative braking.
Third are the Series-Parallel hybrids, they are a combination of both of the above mentioned hybrid vehicles. Both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are fed into the transmission through separate connections, making either or both available at any time. The internal combustion engine can either drive the vehicle or charge the batteries as the electric motor propels the vehicle. These vehicles are equipped with a sophisticated computer system that monitors conditions and determines which drive motor is the most efficient at any given time. As of current research, the series-parallel hybrids offer the most miles per gallon as well as higher speeds and longer runs with only the electric motor.
How An Electric Car Works
Hybrid and electric cars use similar technology both aimed at decreasing the use of gasoline. The first way to compare hybrid and electric cars is through the difference in what they run on: Electric cars use only electricity, while hybrids use a combination of gas and electric power.
The most obvious way to compare electric cars to hybrid cars is through their technological similarities and differences. Electric cars are usually powered by large batteries that are charged overnight through a power outlet, there are some types though that uses fuel cells which never run down. Hybrid cars consist of batteries like the ones in electric cars, and petrol. Hybrids use the electricity when driving at low speeds, but when driving at a high speed the petrol kicks in.
Consumers usually buy a hybrid or electric car because they are eco conscious. Electric cars are completely non polluting so that appeals to people who are able to deal with the charging and range of an electric car. People who want something more convenient opt for a hybrid because they are lower maintenance.
The debate of hybrid vs. electric cars goes beyond consumer debates. Certain auto makers are skeptical of how successful hybrids will be in the future and thus are investing in electrics, while others think that electric cars are too expensive and that the market for them will not grow. The hybrid vs. electric car debate has certainly pushed auto makers to make advances to the current technology of hybrid and electric cars, so we can expect the debate to continue on.
