Environmentally Friendly Hybrid Green Cars

Not long ago, we were all complaining about the price of gasoline. Now, we are worrying over the fact of whether we could even maintain a car in view of the economic downturn. And in the eyes of fast growing global warming, many are starting to explore potential of a more viable environmentally friendly hybrid car which could help save money, reduce gasoline consumption and toxic emissions and essentially reducing our carbon footprint.

So the crux of the question is do hybrid cars actually honor the above aspirations?
Let us first understand more about hybrid cars before we explore how it can help you save money, achieve fuel efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint.

Hybrid cars are vehicles which run on two types of power, the first being your traditional gasoline engine and the other being the electric engine which taps on electricity stored in special batteries within the cars. Some hybrid cars run fully on the electricity at speed range lower than 40 mile per hour and only tap into the gasoline above the 40 miles per hour gauge. Hence if you are a city dweller who ferries within city and suburbs, you will find the hybrid car a very gas saving alternative car. In fact, there have been many situations when hybrid car owners have maintained zero gasoline consumption over a long period of time.

Great Advantages For Hybrid Electric Car Owners Abounds
With zero or near zero consumption in gasoline consumption, you can totally ignore the mad fluctuations of gasoline prices. Imagine whenever you leave your car to run idle, you not only not need to pay a single cent, you are no longer culprit to toxic gas emission into the ozone. Now these are just two great benefits of the hybrid cars for you.

If you had stopped for a moment to think if technology has advanced for the hybrid car, you would realize that it had indeed. In fact, most hybrids only need a simple wall socket to provide an electric outlet for charging the batteries. And in some hybrid cars, the self rejuvenation approach is even slowing doing away with the plug in. The kinetic energy generated from every movement of the car is captured and routed back to the batteries are energy, recycled to run the electric motor, hence the self rejuvenation process.

Low Speed is a misconception of hybrid cars. Hybrid cars are not made to be slow, rather, the hybrid car drivers drive them a lower speed to accommodate the gasoline conservation. In fact, Silicon Valley has started to build muscle hybrids and muscle electric cars, fully tapping on solar, kinetic, electric energy. Simply look to the Tesla Roadster and you will be awestruck by both the brawn and beauty of what a hybrid car could look like.

Reducing your carbon footprint by about 90 percent is easily achievable as a hybrid car owner. Hybrid cars emit 90 percent less toxic fumes than the conventional car and hence reducing pollutants into the ozone, slowing the span of global warming. Essentially, by the above statement, it is not difficult to derive that you would be saving at least 70 percent on gasoline fuel, running strictly by electricity at speeds lower than 40 miles per hour.

Green Tax incentives to be paid over a period of years another attraction of the owning a hybrid car. On top of doing your next generations a great favor in keeping green environment, you are rewarded handsomely by the Obama Administration with great tax incentives, a cool $7,500 as hybrid car owner which stretches over a period of a few years. Now that is putting money where it really matters again.

It is always unbeatable when Beauty, Brawn and Frugality Adds up to a Great Money Saving Formula.

Find out more about Hybrid Cars Here. More great reads awaits you at Environmentally Friendly Cars too.

Considering buying a hybrid car? Heard of the many myths about the infamous Hybrid Car Battery Packs?

We hope to help you find answers to the many burning questions you have on Hybrid Car battery packs. So, here is a sneak peek from under the hood of the Hybrid Car.

Myth – You Could Be Electrocuted By Hybrid Car Batteries In Car Crashes
It is great to learn from professionals like paramedic and firefighters that the above is simply myth and this debunks the untruth that you could get electrocuted by Hybrid Car batteries in car crashes as well as the rumors that you could sustain burns from battery acid, electrocution and fires.

In fact the hybrid car runs a very fail-safe system. If you breach any of the wires, it shorts out. Now that does give you great peace of mind!

Fact – Your Hybrid Battery Packs Probably Need Not Be Replaced Within Its Lifetime
According to the US Department of Energy which ran tests on the hybrid battery packs, the surprising result is that the pack remained as good as new after 160,000 miles. This is due probably to the fact that when the hybrid car has a self-regenerating break system as well as other built in life extending components.

And to top this off, hybrid manufacturers are providing generous battery warranties most which range from 8-10 years and 80,000 to 100,000 miles.

Myth – The Hybrid Car Battery Toxicity Is Environmentally Detrimental
Do understand that currently, Hybrid cars use NiMH batteries. It is good to know that NiMH batteries used in most hybrid cars nowadays are fully recyclable and hence pose less risk to our environment.

Myth – The Hybrid Car Battery Technology Is Still Unstable And Battery Failures Rates Could Be High
Research reports in mid 2008 show that out of the 100,000 Honda hybrids sold, Newsweek found fewer than 200 battery failures after the warranty expired, constituting a failure rate of 0.002. Toyota shares that its battery replacement rate is 0.003 percent, or 1 out of 40,000 second generation Prius, whilst replacement rates for the first generation Prius was closer to 1 percent.
Now this is considered low by the auto industry standards.

Myth - The Cost Of Replacing Hybrid Car Batteries Is High
With the above Myth debunked, there is no issue at all regarding the cost of Hybrid Car battery pack replacements since they are indeed built to last. However, for the record, the current replacement cost of the hybrid car NiMH battery pack is around $2,500 to $3,000.

Fact - The Battery Packs In Hybrid Cars Are Constantly Being Innovated Upon
All across America, from Detroit to Silicon Valley, from Europe to Japan and Asia, the race to produce the ultimate green car has driven battery technology to a new high. Lithium Ion batteries are being developed for HEVs of hybrid Electric Vehicles. In fact some sports models are hitting 0-60 within 4 seconds with the Lithium ion battery pack instead of the more traditional NiMH packs.

One fact for sure is that Mankind will keep experimenting for to achieve near-perfection for battery packs, all for the creation of the Ultimate Green car.

Check out more good reads on in Hybrid Cars and Environmentally Friendly Cars.

Barack Obama has an Electric Car Dream, to fill our roads with 1 million electric cars by 2015, a mere 5 years later with a $2.4 Billion Stimulus Plan. Many are skeptical.

Key Success Factors of The American Electric Car Dream
One of the key success factor of American Electric Car Dream is to ensure that Electric Car Research and development technology is up to par with its competition. This is a fact that even Obama acknowledged that America need to step up on, and at a very steep learning curve at that too. The heat is on as the paradox of reality became apparent when he commented that “Germany is leading the world in solar power…Spain generates almost 30% of its power by harnessing the wind, while we manage less than one percent and Japan is producing the batteries that currently power American hybrid cars.”

The Vertical Integration All Encompassing Supply Chain Approach
From a vertical integration perspective, American electric car technology needs to be enhanced at breakneck speed, in order that production meets target numbers and target time. The American Department of Energy is offering up to $1.5 billion in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce highly efficient batteries and their components. Batteries technology is the heart of success for the electric car and there are vested interests in ensuring sufficient batteries that meet consumer standards and expectations.

Up to $500 million in grants will be given to U.S. based manufacturers to produce other components needed for electric vehicles, such as electric motors and batteries. This amount includes the adjustments and retooling for an entirely different core technology required in production process to produce an electric car.

With up to $400 million devoted to creating new infrastructures required for the electric car or hybrid plug-ins such as electric charging stations and specialized car shops, this would fully address the concern of recharging needs on the road.

And Finally, to stimulate demand for electric cars, the stimulus act gives consumers a federal tax credit worth up $7,500 for the purchase of plug-in electric vehicles.

Pick Your Favorite Electric Car, In Time
The green consumers of tomorrow will be spoilt for choice, as country after country jump on the green bandwagon, in attempt to rescue and boost their faltering economy with their very own versions of the electric cars.

A new chapter in the auto industry has opened, and we will be the ultimate beneficiaries of a better, greener and cleaner tomorrow, with generations to come.

And while we wait anxiously in anticipation for the American Electric Car Dream to materialize, Do check out other good reads on Environmentally Friendly Cars and Hybrid Cars.

British PM Gordon Brown has unveiled plans to create first green cities geared towards electric cars in drive to create 400,000 new jobs. His environmentally friendly Budget later this month is designed to kick start a “green recovery” - including the mass introduction of electric cars in Britain.

The British Green Electric Car Dream Begins

The attempt is to catapult Britain into a world leader status producing and exporting electric cars, hybrid petrol-electric vehicles and lighter cars using less petrol, creating two to three green cities and populating them with a national network of battery recharging centres. New car owners will literally get up to £2,000 for trading in a polluting older car for a cleaner new vehicle.

Key to the British economic recovery is the drive to achieve a low carbon economy with the country spending about 50% more on environmentally friendly goods and services at about £1.5bn in the next few years, with the bulk as incentives to help the car industry become a market leader across the world for electric and hybrid cars. Already plans are put into action with a £340m loan to Jaguar Land Rover to develop green vehicles, with a further £373m to be split between Nissan’s plants in Sunderland and Spain.

The immense investments made today are expected to create a whole new and different type of economy when it emerges into recovery. Green Jobs which seemed jobs of the future have become jobs today, and with a much lighter carbon footprint easily achievable with the advent of the Made in Britain Electric Car, the green revolution has Finally Begun.

With 400,000 jobs being created to jump start the electric car dream, and a whole new industry which is sustainable over the long term, as well as cutting its carbon footprint by 50%, there is hope of a better and greener Britain tomorrow.

It is no wonder that Mr Brown is so determined to move the environmental agenda forward.

For more good reads, check out Environmentally Friendly Cars and Hybrid Cars

In the auto industry currently, Hybrid cars have begun its foray in dominating the roads of our future and are probably the most endorsed route by global environmentalist, politicians, and the masses. Barring potential economic downturn, the global car manufacturing industry is expected to thrive again with the advent of the Hybrid Car.

Hybrid Car Market Share On Target

Still early in its product adoption curve, the proud Hybrid Car market share has broken 3% for the first time in April 2008, when record gas prices sent summer sales through the roof. It is expected that as the adoption stage progress, hybrid market share of around 8% by the end of 2009 is possible.

Research shows that on current growth rates and market-share figures from the past seven years, conversely however, a whopping 9 percent market share for hybrids in 2009 and a ripe 17 percent share by the end of 2010. The discrepancies are probably due to both consumers’ purchasing preferences and more so, supply issues. Hybrid Car manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand with a long six-month waiting lists in parts of the country for the Toyota Prius, currently the best-selling hybrid model.

Too Optimistic for The Economy?
An optimistic analysis based on the theory of innovation and the history of the auto market suggests that the hype about hybrids is justified and indicates the possibility, although remote by today’s economic crisis situation that hybrids should account for a robust 17 percent share of total vehicle sales as early as 2010. How much politicians and environmentalists can push this ambitious plan towards reality is for all to guess. The green revolution may have to bide by its time when the rest of the world is in economic turmoil at the moment.

Start Ups & Venture Capitalists, Now’s the Time

While we, as consumers, can afford to hold on till the demand and supply equilibrate themselves for a better pricing structure, start ups and venture capitalists are not resting on their laurels. The toil to make a better hybrid car for the future and create a better environment for all has begun long ago. In fact, some hard work have already started bearing fruits.

Is Being Small More Efficient And Nimble?
What makes venture capitalists on the West Coast, more accurately, California’s Silicon Valley, different from the stodgy Detroit Car manufacturers? Their ability to think outside of the box, without the union shackles that pinned Detroit throughout the years labor issues, healthcare costs. Conversely, despite exuding enthusiasm and funding money, they lack experience in the car business which is the ultimate means to survival in a very competitive industry.

Despite the above, there are more start up car manufacturing companies today hoping to latch on to the hybrid cars adoption uptrend and they could potentially be the next important companies of the future.

The venture capitalists, who funded the information superhighway, are now pouring money into the actual highway, backing at least 30 small start-up companies.

Fisker Automotive, the maker of the “Karma,” a four-door plug-in hybrid like the Volt, innovates with a solar power roof.

Tesla Motors is one such company is based in Silicon Valley and is aggressively making waves to solicit orders for its future hybrid cars, high-performance sports and utility cars. At the time of this article, in October 2008, is taking orders at the last count of 1,000 for its “Roadster” which is capable of hitting 0-60mph in 4 seconds. The Roadster is touted to be twice as efficient as the Toyota Prius. The cost, however, is at least 4 times that of the Prius.

Tesla Motors unveiled its first Tesla Family Electric Saloon, the “Tesla Model S” in March 2009, capable of achieving 300 miles per charge, carries 7 passengers, twice as efficient aa a hybrid car. The Tesla Electric Family Saloon will be available by 2011, but the order books are opened now.

Yes, numerous start ups have jumped on the Hybrid Car bandwagon and the message is clear that Hybrid and Electric cars are here to stay. The challenge is achieving economies of scale which eventually equates to palatable prices for the averaged income families to afford.

The key issue is how long more is needed for the Hybrid technology to stabilize, standardize and economize for the mass public to afford one.

For more reads, check out the other categories at Hybrid Cars And Environmentally Friendly Cars.

Tesla Motors has done it yet again!

Tesla Model S Electric Family Saloon made history as the world’s first mass-production all-electric saloon car. Order books are now open and Model S will be rolling off the manufacturing plants as early as 2011.

Tesla Model S Value Add Functional Features Unlimited
Touted to be twice more efficient than a hybrid car, Model S takes 7 passengers and is capable of travelling up to 300 miles on a single charge.

The Model S carries its charger onboard and is capable of recharging at any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. In addition, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank.

“Electric Car Range Anxiety” No More
So your Model S has a flat battery? How would you like to have a nice long meal with the family and at the same time recharge your totally flat battery within 45 minutes? This is one key convenience feature achievable with Tesla’s special adaptor, resolving your “electric car range anxiety” for good. So how would you like to have a drive from New York to LA with a short meal break in between and still spend less than a gasoline car?

How Fast Can It Get?

The next question you ask is how fast can the standard Model S get? Would 0-60 mph in under six seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph meet with your approval? But then again, with the Tesla Sport versions, it could well achieve 0-60mph well below 5 seconds. Now that’s an electric car for you!

Space Unlimited!

So you need space. You’ve got your golf set, the baby chair to stash away with not in use, and loads of groceries. Well, the Tesla Model S has it too. “BIG on Space” is the understatement as it has two trunks since there is no engine under the bonnet of course. The floor-mounted powertrain also results in unparalleled cargo room and versatility. Like the company said, the Model S can take a 50-inch TV, mountain bike AND a surfboard, all at the same time! And the claim is that it has a bigger boot than any rival car model of its category.

Affordable Price Tag
Compared to the Roadster which is going at the price tag of US$109,000 at the moment, Model S only costs half as much but give much better value than peers of its kind. According to Tesla Motors, “The ownership cost of Model S, if you were to lease and then account for the much lower cost of electricity v gasoline at a likely future cost of $5 per gallon, is similar to the cost of a gasoline car.’

Note that the base price is subject to ‘green’ credits from Government. Such schemes are already established in California. This, coupled with the fact that President Obama has said that his administration wants to see a million electric cars on the road by 2015, the Tesla Model S is set to become the world’s first viable and affordable electric car.

For more information on Tesla and The Famous Tesla Roadster Here. Or check out the Hybrid Cars & Environmentally Friendly Cars for more good reads.

Amongst the many discussion of the CNG conversion car as discussed in my article Environmentally Friendly Cars - CNG Cars Alternative To The Conventional? the average CNG car conversion kit cost about USD800 to USD1,000. But this sunk cost could be recouped within 6 to 9 months of fuel savings.

Below is a brief outline of the key components of the CNG Car Conversion Kit:

The Cylinder
The cylinder is used to store CNG at a working pressure of 200 bar. The casings of the cylinders are made of good grade steel capable of rough handling of travelling. It is fitted with a shut-off valve and a safety burst disc.

The Vapor Bag, High Pressure Pipe, Refueling Valve and the Petrol-Solenoid Valve
The Vapor Bag is fitted onto the cylinder, and is used to enclose the cylinder valve and the pipes connecting it and is vented out of the car. The High Pressure Pipe is the component which connects the refueling valve to the CNG Cylinder and Pressure Regulator. The Refueling Valve is used to refuel the CNG cylinder. The Petrol-Solenoid Valve is used to cut off petrol supply to the engine when it is run on CNG.

The Pressure Regulator
The Pressure Regulator is a very critical gadget in the CNG car conversion kit. It has a Solenoid Valve to shut-off gas supply to the engine. The CNG stored at a high pressure in the cylinder is reduced to just below atmospheric pressure by this unit. This negative pressure is also a safety feature that will not allow gas to pass through when the engine is not running.

The Gas-Air Mixer and the Selector Switch
The Gas-Air Mixer is a unique component, specially designed to suit each engine model and precisely meters gas fed into the engine. The Selector Switch is fitted at the dashboard, enabling the driver to manually choose either the CNG mode or the petrol mode of operation. The electronics built into this unit also ensures safety by switching off the gas solenoid whenever the engine is switched off. It also serves as a fuel indicator for the quantity of CNG available in the cylinder.

Always Use a Certified & Authorized Workshop For CNG Car Conversion

If you are seriously considering converting your gasoline guzzlers into a CNG car, always ensure that you do the conversion at a certified and authorized workshop and never do it yourself in your own garage. The above shows the conversion could be very complex and your USD1,000 could be well worth the money for expert conversion.

Always keep in mind your own safety and that of other road users. Get more information on the 8 Key Dos and Don’ts of CNG Car Conversion here.

For more reads on CNG cars check out CNG Cars here and Hybrid Cars Here.

Telsa Roadster

“Sleepless” and restless in Silicon Valley, the cash flushed computer gurus in California Silicon Valley have taken a renewed interest in funding the ultimate electric car. They believe in thinking out of the box, being nimble and that there is room for creativity and innovation in the cut throat world of auto industry and are placing their bets against stodgy Detroit.

Mapping the path of the ultimate green car, 4 years ago, others have experimented with the hydrogen car. Then 3 years ago, the ethanol powered car. Enter the new age - the Electric Car. There is a nagging question that looms over the scene - In each experiment, there were problems which causes focus to shift to the next Big thing. Would this phenomenon happen to the Electric Car?

Making of The Ultimate Hybrid Green Car - The Silicon Valley Business Philosophy
In retrospect, this is essentially what Silicon Valley is all about. Rejuvenation, learn from failure and bounce back with an even better idea and see it to fruitation. In fact, a handful of environmentally friendly Silicon Valley enthusiasts are slowly but surely making inroads to the electric green car market, albeit quietly. Telsa Motors with its Roadster for one.

Making Of The Ultimate Hybrid Green Car - The Silicon Valley Business Positioning
Creating a customer centric culture throughout, mapping the customer-centric mold of managing customer expectation and consumer comforts. An Valley Green Car entrepreneur envisioned a customer sending the car for repair, served with a latte, read the newspapers and watch on while his car gets repaired - Hence, giving rise to the customer-centric philosophy.

Then Comes The Overwhelming Investment Budget & Government Regulations
A Valley investor shared that the investment budget for creating the Green Hyrbid Car had ballooned 3 times the expected amount upon implementation stage. Then too, the overwhelmingly extensive government regulations that comes with the package.

Down the road, with mass production come more woes like union problems, health care costs, labor issues and shareholders to contend with. These “happy problems” are part of the eventual path that comes with the success of the Green Hyrbid Car Dream.

Can the Silicon Valley Mongols stomach endless stifling boardroom meetings, manhandle union problems and shareholder problems without critical auto industry experience? After all, the auto industry is not simply made of customer-centric business philosophy alone..

Only time will tell. But let’s just say that these are exciting times, amidst an economic downturn and cash flushed Silicon Valley mongols.

Read more on Hybrid Cars & Environmentally Friendly Cars at my site here.

Introducing The All New Toyota Prius 2010

The All New 2010 Toyota Prius Gas Electric Hybrid Car

• Sold in 80 countries
• Target 400,000 units to be sold in 2010

Key New Specifications:

• Achieves 50 miles per gallon
• Attains 0.25 coefficient of Drag, making it the World’s most Aerodynamic vehicle
• Has 5 additional cubic feet more of Interior Space with no change in Wheelbase, Length, Width & Height
• 3 Selective Modes - EB, Economy & Power to accommodate a wide range of driving conditions
• Improved Multi Information Display, Integrated conveniently in the Dashboard for more driver feedback - Fuel Consumption, Energy Flow and New Hybrid System Indicator
• Solar Power Sunroof - automatically powers the Ventilation System on hot days. With 107 F in the sun, the solar panel allows Improved Ventilation Cooling in the cabin, so as not to strain the Air Conditioning, hence Conserving Battery Power

The Basics

• Drive wheels: front
• Engine: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with battery-driven electric motor
• Horsepower: 98 gas engine, 134 combined
• Transmission: continuously variable automatic (CVT)

Dimensions - No Change

• Wheelbase: 106.3 inches
• Length: 175.6 inches
• Width: 68.7 inches
• Height: 58.7 inches
• Base curb weight: 2,975 pounds (CG estimate)

If you have missed the car show, Check out more good reads at Hybrid Cars.

Hybrid vehicles are a combo of 2 technologies which enables it to run on gasoline as well as electric motor. And have you noticed recently why people are moving on to hybrid cars? In fact, if you even realized, the blockbuster Hollywood movies for the past year have caught on the craze of featuring their lead roles driving hybrid cars! And lately, you might have noticed your neighbors trading off their SUVs or their gasoline guzzlers for hybrid sedans. Also you observed more and more car advertisements which give high trade in values in return of hybrid cars.

No doubt hybrid cars are more slightly expensive than your conventional gasoline powered vehicles. But people are finally realizing the true financial benefits of hybrid cars. Let’s face it, in these times of economic crunch, a single dime saved is a single dime earned.

Now then, would you settle for a vehicle which lets you save at least 50% gasoline, is much smoother and quieter to drive, gives you eligibility to green tax credits, requires minimal maintenance throughout warranty, helps you directly do your part for the environment? Or would you buy one which guzzles gasoline every moment you drive it, no green tax credits and incriminates you as one who contributes to the expanding hole in the ozone layer? The answer is obvious.

Save on Fuel Cost.
This is a fact, not simply theory. When a hybrid car uses electricity more often than gasoline, the driver can expect an absolute savings. This is due to the fact that the reduction in gasoline consumption is fixed at a certain amount, but the electricity used by a hybrid motor is self-replenishing. Research shows that hybrid cars drivers have reportedly been consuming an average of 54% less gasoline. By the same token, this is equivalent to a near absolute savings of 54% on fuel costs.

Although Tax Breaks Don’t Come Easy, They Do With Hybrid Cars.
The government is doing its very best to reduce reliance on the fast depleting oil resources and in view of this, there is much greater incentives to encourage you into buying a hybrid vehicle with attractive tax credits. This means great savings in the form of reduction in your payable taxes.

Reduced Cost Of Maintenance
Hybrid cars have been mass marketed actively by the auto industry since 2001. Statistics show that the cost of maintenance required by a hybrid car is about 23% less then the average gasoline conventional car. And to top this off, hybrid car electric batteries are on 8-year warranties which means that if the batteries are faulty any time within the 8 years, a total replacement will ensue.

In addition to this, hybrid cars may be a tad more expensive, but hybrid car owners are eligible for discounted insurance packages as figures show that hybrid cars are less prone to accidents.

Be a Green Enthusiast, Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Most popular hybrid cars run on electricity below 40 mph and most urban cars travel within this ranges. Hence, if 80% of the time you are travelling at lower than 40 mph, you are effectively not using any gasoline at all, thereby eliminating any toxic fuel emission in the atmosphere. You indirectly reduce your carbon footprint for the benefit of generations to come.

The above are the 4 key benefits that Hybrid Cars bequeath upon us. And whether owning a hybrid car could alleviate your Hollywood status, depends on what and where you drive your hybrid car!

For more information on Hybrid Cars, Check out the Hybrid Cars Category.