Think green

A Hybrid Car is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle.

Fuel-Cell Cars Will Take Years Says Toyota

With the global warming uproar, automakers are mandated to fill the roads with fuel efficient cars. Matter of fact, work is moving forward to pave the way for the fuel-cell cars, the next-generation environmentally friendly vehicles. But Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will take years to make the cars commercially viable.

“When we first started the research and development of fuel-cell cars, some people predicted that they may be commercialized by around 2010. But that’s difficult,” Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said. “The technological advances are significant. The only problem is the cost.

The fuel-cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) produces electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen. Fuel cells emit nothing more than water vapor. This is why the FCHV is deemed one of the cleanest cars that are expected to invade the roads.

In 2007, the Japanese auto giant reported success in a test of a fuel-cell car. During the test, the FCHV was driven about 560 kilometers on a single filling. Remarkably, the car finished with 30 percent of the hydrogen still in the tank. Read more

More And More Choices: Hybrid Car Models Of 2008

More than ever, 2008 is a year for the production of gas-electric hybrid cars. Despite their higher price, consumers demand has continued to rise along with inflated gas costs.
Several other automakers have gotten into the act (if they weren’t already). In 2008, the consumer has more hybrid cars to choose from than ever before, particularly SUVs.

The 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV seats up to 8 passengers. It’s got a 6.0L V8 engine and can come as a 2WD or 4WD. The estimated mpg is in the low 20’s, while the price is in the low 50 thousands.

The 2008 Chrysler Aspen hybrid SUV is very similar to the Dodge Durango SUV. Its 2-mode hybrid system was developed by Daimler-Chrysler, together with BMW and GM.

The 2008 Ford Escape hybrid SUV is available as either a front wheel drive or 4WD. It’s estimated mpg is in the low 30’s, and has a base cost in the mid 20 thousands. Ford has had the hybrid Escape in production since 2005, and they are working on other technologies such as the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and plug-ins. Read more

Honda to Strengthen its Hybrid Standing in the World

Japan’s second-largest automaker and producer of Acura CL body parts, Honda, is hoping for its global sales to increase by 6 percent this year to 3.76 million vehicles as demand in US, Asia, and Europe grows, according to Honda’s President Takeo Fukui last Wednesday.
The company has also stated that it plans to invest in research for hybrids and on other new technologies in Japan. Mr. Fukui also stated “The competition in hybrids has just begun”, specifically referring to Toyota which is currently dominating the hybrid market with its top-selling Prius.

Mr. Fukui said the Honda will present a new hybrid model that operates on both gas and electricity offered at an affordable cost by 2009. With this new model the company is targeting to sell around 200,000 vehicles a year. The automaker will try to focus more on its hybrid offerings and in the process increase its overall hybrid sales to around 10 percent by 2010. Read more

Electric Car Designs; What Is Missing?

There are yearly contests for engineering students, as well as high school students that can enter their electric car designs that promote the development of this automotive technology. Despite the fact the electric auto has been manufactured, and forgotten there is a continuous push for more optimal designs that can utilize battery or solar power to move a vehicle.
El Car Designs Do Not Differ that much from Conventional

Electric cars look like conventional cars aesthetically, both when it comes to exterior and interior. The same great and pretty designs are available, and friends and family will hardly be able to tell the difference. However, some new and simmering are emerging even today that promise better efficiency because unlike conventional cars which essentially only stress their aesthetics, electric vehicles also focus on the insides.

A question many people ask is; what exactly makes electric car designs different from other designs of conventional cars? Well, most electric automobiles bypass the use of gasoline and an engine completely although some have a secondary engine and storage tank in case the battery dies. Rather than using gasoline as a primary source of power, electric car design call for the usage of electricity like the name implies. A huge battery, made from materials like lithium ion - which is similar to performance batteries found in electronics like notebook computers - powers an efficient electric motor. New designs allow electric vehicles to travel up to fifty miles or more on a single charge. Read more

Convert Your Car To Run On Water - Save Money, Save Gas!

Convert your car to run on water - save gas, save your car, save money and save the planet.
Fox News recently broadcasted an interesting and very important video report. A savvy automobile owner has come up with a very simple yet incredibly efficient way of boosting his old car’s gas mileage by up to 100% - that means several thousands of dollars economy every year.

The creator claims that his developed invention converts water into a gas called HHO (2 Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen). Also called Brown’s gas or Hydroxy burns better than regular gas at our fuel pumps and provides more energy. This process is often referred to as Hydrogen Fuel Cell conversion.

Gas prices are on constant rise and the fuel economy question is starting to get very serious. More hybrid cars are sold all over the world, concepts of electric cars and Hydrogen fuel cell cars are developed in almost any country and finally there is a way for you to add a little something to fuel efficient revolution. Read more

Hybrid Car Rental Options

The last six years have seen the increase on demand for hybrid cars by 50%. It’s no surprise how much of an effect they have had on the average driver and consumer but it seems that hybrid is definitely the future of the automobile industry; so much so, in fact, that it’s also not a shock to see hybrid car rental companies sprouting up here and there.
On the Rise

Surprisingly, car rental companies that support environmentally friendly cars were around even before the introduction of the first hybrid electric. They were renting out other vehicles that were either purely electric or were using power sources other than the fuel and electric combination as well as the conventional gas-powered cars as well. As soon as hybrid electric vehicles were introduced, it was inevitable for these companies to add them to their rosters as well.

Advantage

In order to address the demand for the use of hybrid electric cars, it is just as well then that these car rental agencies do exist. For the consumer, it will be a good opportunity to test out a hybrid before making the decision to purchasing to own one. By renting one out for a week or so, a person will be able to determine if the hybrid electric definitely will do what manufacturers say it will do. Read more

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