Hybrid Cars: The next generation of hybrid electric vehicles - Plug-in Hybrids

Hybrid Cars: The next generation of hybrid electric vehicles - Plug-in Hybrids

Compared to standard hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles offer even greater fuel economy and diversity and fewer emissions.

Plug-in hybrids have a larger battery pack than a standard hybrid electric vehicle. This allows plug-in hybrids to operate predominantly on electricity for short trips. For longer trips, a plug-in hybrid draws liquid fuel from its onboard tank, which provides comparable driving range to a conventional vehicle. The vehicle's onboard computer chooses when to use which fuel most efficiently.

Unlike a battery used in a standard hybrid electric vehicle, the plug-in hybrid battery can be recharged using a standard electrical outlet at home or even at the workplace. And the electricity used to recharge its battery can be generated by a renewable energy source, such as solar, wind, or biomass. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle can also draw from an alternative fuel in its onboard tank.

Cars: Luxury Hybrids Vehicles

Cars: Luxury Hybrids Vehicles
by Thomas Jones

Do you know what luxury hybrid vehicles are available on the market today? Do you get confused when you see advertisements on the television for the many different makes and models? You're not the only one. Hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more popular in today's driving world and the choices are growing each and every day. This handy guide will give you - hopefully - a clearer look at the variety of hybrid vehicles that are available for consumer purchase.

BMW
The racing market has been cornered by BMW and its HR2 hybrid. They also have a line of consumer hybrid vehicles which include the BMW C-1 scooter, BMW X6 hybrid, BMW SUV hybrids, and the BMW X3 hybrid.

Lexus
Luxury vehicle manufacturer Lexus offers consumers two hybrids in the sedan style: the GS and the LD. The RX is their SUV hybrid. The LS sedan is one of Lexus' top line models with a hefty price tag of$104,000.00 MSRP. The GS comes in at $54,900.00 MSRP, and the RX SUV starts at $41,280.00 MSRP.

Mercury
Mercury is the working classes luxury automobile and their Mariner SUV hybrid is a four-wheel drive starting at $28,945.00. The full wheel drive model is $27,195.00. Mercury's prices for their hybrids are staying to close to the MSRP for their conventional models even though most hybrids go for an average of $10,000.00 more.

Porsche
Deep pockets drive Porsches in the first place and they are getting into the hybrid market with the introduction of the Porsche Cayenne SUV sometime in the 2008-2009 automobile season. Considering a fully loaded Porsche SUV sits around $93,700.00, plan on bringing your bank book. This will probably not be the only hybrid Porsche will develop. Many people will be interested in the sedan line the company offers and that will probably be the next offering after the Cayenne.

Mercedes-Benz
While they still don't have a consumer hybrid on their dealership lots yet, Mercedes is planning on bringing one out in 2009. One of the S-Class cars, this hybrid will not be cheap. Estimates are already placing cost between $127,000.00 an $195,000.00. Hybrids tend to be more expensive overall so don't be surprised if it goes over that $195,000.00. If it goes well, Mercedes will bring out more by 2010.

Just because you don't see your favorite car line on this list, that doesn't mean they do not have a hybrid available. Toyota and Ford both have models on the lots and there is rumor circling that Volkswagen will begin producing them as well. As a matter of fact, it will probably just be a matter of time before most major automobile manufacturers have a hybrid in their 'stable' of vehicles.

Also, car manufacturers are constantly adding to the product line and rolling out new models every year. If you have a little bit of patience, you will be able to find the perfect hybrid for you. It doesn't matter if it is an SUV or car - maybe even a truck - hybrids are the way of the future and there will more on the road as the years go by.

Hybrids: How to Select the Best Hybrid Vehicle

Hybrids: How to Select the Best Hybrid Vehicle
by Darren Williger

Environmentalists are fans of the hybrid vehicle. Customers consider them in high regard. Manufacturers feel the demands of the consumer market and can't wait to manufacture more variations of these vehicles. Mixture cars are becoming all the more popular. The constant variations in the prices of gasoline have meant a lot of benefits for the manufacturers of hybrid vehicles. People who purchase mixture vehicles are flooding the market in order to determine whether these vehicles are worth the prices that they are being sold at.

Estimated projections have shown that in the next decade or so there will be a substantial number of alternative fuel vehicles in the global automobile market. This is quite a large difference from the minimal number of hybrid vehicles in existence a while back. Despite this fact, the main thing that people who are out to buy alternative cars should do is try to understand what these are about.

What Is A Hybrid Vehicle?
A hybrid is a vehicle that is between an electric vehicle and a gas powered engine. Hybrids have an internal combustion engine as well an electric motor that has a backup battery. Most typical mixture vehicles tend to share both gas and electric energy at the same time. What this means is that traditional mixture vehicles are actually a whole lot more fuel efficient than they are environmentally friendly. Another thing that consumers should be aware of when buying a hybrid is that they should know that two main hybrid types exist. These hybrid types are the mild hybrid and the full hybrid. Buyers of such cars should also decide how important it is to save on energy before choosing one energy saving vehicle or the other.

Mild Hybrid Vehicle
Mild hybrid vehicles predominantly use gas as a means of power. The electric motor is only used in cases where additional power is needed to support the gasoline engine. Mild hybrid vehicles therefore rely on a whole lot more gas than their full hybrid vehicle counterparts. Because of this reason they only offer a small reduction in the amount of dangerous emissions that they release into the atmosphere. When you compare these hybrid vehicles with traditional vehicles on the other hand, they still offer a greater financial and environmental benefit.

Full Hybrid Vehicle
When most people think about hybrid vehicles they are actually thinking about the full hybrid. This is because the full mixture vehicle is more in line with what people feel mixture vehicles are supposed to be all about. These vehicles allow the electric motor to work independently of the gasoline or the traditional engine. A full hybrid can solely be powered by electricity thereby eliminating the release of dangerous substances and saving the costs of gas as well. When you make an idle stop such as you would before a traffic light, the full hybrid switches power entirely to the electric motor. The full hybrid is great for town driving and allows the electric motor does most of the work when you're travelling at slow speeds. Most people often think that hybrids must be plugged into a recharging source at one time or the other to recharge their batteries, the truth however is that these vehicles recharge themselves by using the internal battery pack while you're driving.

Why Buy A Hybrid Vehicle?
Regardless of current claims by certain researchers that alternative automobiles don't save as much gas as the manufacturers of these vehicles claim. These same researchers agree however that these vehicles tend to use half as much fuel as their traditional gasoline counterparts. Newer models may be heavier and this requires more gas to run but hybrids remain much more environmentally friendly and cheaper than other vehicles.

Cars: Choose the Best Hybrid Vehicle

Cars: Choose the Best Hybrid Vehicle
by Joseph Then

In the past there was not a lot of option in hybrid motor vehicles. You were very limited to a few manufacturers and a few choices in models. Today, though, almost every major manufacturer has started seeing the potential in hybrid cars and they offer some choice in hybrid cars.

You can find hybrids in everything from sedans to SUV's. Your choices are not limited anymore. You will be able to choose a hybrid that meets your needs so you do not have to sacrifice just to be able to drive green.

There are some basics that you should understand before setting out to shop for your hybrid car. You will need to understand these basics so you can get the most out of your shopping experience and up with the hybrid car that meets your needs.

Weight is a big factor when it comes to hybrids. The way the engine and motor in a hybrid work is that when your vehicle needs more power the gasoline engine takes over. In order to allow for the benefits of the electric motor the goal in a hybrid is to reduce the weight so that the electric motor runs more then that gasoline engine.

If the hybrid is too heavy then it defeats the purpose of the vehicle being a hybrid. Hybrid SUV's, for example, are usually kept much lighter then the gasoline counterparts. The easiest hybrids were all cars and smaller models were made. As technology advances, though, hybrids are evolving and weight is becoming less and less of a factor.

You should also be aware that you will have choice. As mentioned, technology ha advanced and manufacturers have been able to develop a wider range of hybrids in many different styles and models.

You can always check the sticker for gas mileage and other factors of a hybrid to see what you are getting. That is a smart idea if you are choosing a hybrid for a specific reason over a gasoline car.

Shopping around is your best way to get a good hybrid vehicle. You can see what is available and gather information that can be useful to you in making your decision. You should check out reviews and the manufacturer's information on the vehicles you are considering. You can also look into pricing so you can try to negotiate the best deal once you get to the dealer.

Make sure once you do get to the dealer that you test drive the vehicle. Also get some quotes first from various dealers so you can have a bargaining edge.

Hybrid Cars: Ethanol-Fueled Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid Cars: Ethanol-Fueled Hybrid Vehicles

Ford Motor Company: As part of a national energy strategy to tap the potential of renewable fuels, we've committed to doubling the production of vehicles in our fleet capable of running on renewable fuels, such as ethanol and other bio-fuels, by 2010.

To reach this goal, we've developed myriad new technologies. Starting in June 2007, we'll begin delivery of 20 new hybrid flexible fuel research vehicles to officials in six states. Development of these vehicles is just one way we're helping to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Best of Both Technologies

The Ford Escape Hybrid E85 is a demonstration vehicle marrying two petroleum-saving technologies: hybrid-electric power and flexible fuel capability.

The Escape Hybrid E85 is the world's first hybrid vehicle capable of operating on blends of fuel containing as much as 85 percent ethanol, a renewable fuel that can be produced from American-grown corn or sugar beets. And ethanol use releases no fossil-based CO2, so using ethanol in place of gasoline reduces the release of greenhouse gases.

Leading the Way Forward

As a leader in both hybrid vehicles and vehicles capable of operating on ethanol-based fuels, we're the right company to bring both technologies together for the first time.

We have three full hybrid-electric vehicle models on the road today—Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Mazda Tribute. Two additional hybrids, Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, will soon be available.

We produced 250,000 ethanol-capable vehicles last year, including Ford F-150 pickup truck, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car.

From the Heartland of America

E85 is a fuel blend that contains 85 percent ethanol and only 15 percent gasoline. Ethanol is a completely renewable fuel that, in the United States, most commonly is made from corn.

If all of the nearly 6 million flexible fuel vehicles now on America's highways operated on E85, more than 3.6 billion gallons of gasoline could be saved a year.

Additionally, ethanol-fueled hybrids could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Ford Escape Hybrid would produce about 25 percent less carbon dioxide if operated exclusively on renewable E85 ethanol fuel instead of carbon-rich gasoline.

Filling Up with Ethanol

Last year, we partnered with VeraSun Energy Corporation to create the Midwest Ethanol Corridor, increasing the number of E85 pumps along two major highways to encourage greater availability of E85 fuel at retail filling stations. Today, E85 is most commonly available in parts of the Midwest.

Source: Ford