Thursday, December 9th, 2010
Try to Compare Each and Every Hybrid Car with One Another Before Choosing
For the past five to four years, there have been much ado about Hybrid Cars and the many benefits they could offer. Their popularity has been compounded by the ever surging gas prices and the concern for the environment. It seems that Hybrid Cars are the solution to both. When you use a Hybrid car, you contribute less to the thickening air pollution, plus you save a lot of money since they require less fuel, plus there are numerous tax credits being given by many states.
For these reasons, hybrid cars have experienced a sharp increase in sales and more car manufacturers are joining the hybrid vehicle arena with their own versions. For those who are planning to buy a hybrid car, the choices are numerous, that’s why you have to compare hybrid cars with one another to see which one would go perfectly well with your needs.
Two of the top hybrid car manufacturers are the Japanese giant’s Toyota and Honda. They are credited with producing many innovations in the hybrid technology and their hybrid cars are the most acclaimed, most sought after and most awarded hybrid vehicles today.
Here we will compare the hybrid cars they are offering for 2007, these will include the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus GS 450H, Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.
Their fuel efficiency can be compared through their average consumption per mile in different situations, like; City Driving – where the traffic is constantly stopping, Highway Driving – where the engine can freely operate at maximum level and their combined average usage.
Miles Per Gallon – Average Miles Used Per gasoline of Fuel
Honda Accord Hybrid – 28 MPG (city), 35 MPG (Highway) and 31 MPG (Combined Average)
Honda Civic – 49 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 50 MPG (Combined Average)
Lexus GS 450H – 25 MPG (city), 28 MPG (Highway) and 26 MPG (Combined Average)
Toyota Camry Hybrid – 40 MPG (city), 38 MPG (Highway) and 39 MPG (Combined Average)
Toyota Prius – 60 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 55 MPG (Combined Average)
But before you just pick out the one with the highest MPG average, you still have to consider and compare a couple of aspects as well. This includes the fuel type. All of these vehicles use regular gasoline except for the Lexus which uses Premium Gasoline that is pricier.
Then you also have to compare the size class of each hybrid car and their engine size and liters. The Accord Hybrid is a midsize car with a 3 liter – 6 cylinder engine. The Civic Hybrid is a compact car with a 1.3 liter – 4 cylinder engine. The Lexus is another compact car with a 3.5 liter – 6 cylinder engine. The Camry Hybrid is a midsize sedan equipped with a 2.4 liter – 4 cylinder engine and the Toyota Prius is a compact car with a 1.5 liter – 4 cylinder engine. The more powerful the engine is, the more fuel will be consumed.
Considering this aspects and others is needed when comparing hybrid cars. You have to put considerations to see why there are differences. So before purchasing a hybrid car, compare first and do your research. Find one that would suit your needs and your personality best to get the perfect hybrid car for you.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Posted in News | 15 Comments »
Saturday, November 20th, 2010
Lexus Hybrid Car: Driving in Luxury and Comfort without the High Cost of Gasoline
Spearheading Hybrid technology in the motor world, Toyota has several patents which are used by other auto manufacturers to avoid legal issues. Because they have been able to come up with a couple of firsts in the hybrid technology, Toyota is a definite front runner and has unselfishly shared some of these innovations to other car manufacturers.
But of course, those that belongs to the Toyota stable is fortunate to be able to be a part of this developments. Like their luxury marquee, Lexus, there have been a couple of vehicles that has been integrated with hybrid systems.
One of these is the Lexus RX 400H. Introduced first in the 2004 North American International Auto Show, this Lexus luxury vehicle is the second hybrid SUV to be mass produced. It was first released as a 2006 model. Lexus had a hard time filling the demands and had a virtual homerun with the Lexus RX 400H. With less noise than its conventional twin brother, this hybrid vehicle emits less gases and prevents frequent fill ups, you get more miles to the gallon, although not as much as the Prius. But then, it is an SUV.
The Lexus GS hybrid is another hybrid vehicle in the lineup that’s a part of the third generation Lexus GS. Equipped with the utmost comfort and features, this luxury midsize sports sedan has all the power and performance of its conventional mirror image but is more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. The GS 450H comes with a 3.5 liter V6 engine and a high output electric drive motor that produces 340 total output horsepower. The sophisticated and sleek GS 450H has an estimated fuel consumption of 25 miles per gallon in the city and 28 in highway driving. For its price tag, you get features like Bluetooth technology, DVD navigation system, backup camera, homelink transceiver, a great sound system and other high end comforts and accessories.
Then there is the Lexus LS 600H L. It is the world’s first ever full hybrid car that is provided with a V8 engine. Test driving and even just looking at this remarkable vehicle screams innovation. Pumping power to this highly impressive luxury car is a 5.0-liter V8 gas engine with a high-output electronic motor that produces 430 horsepower. When pairing this specification with a conventional car, one would possibly think of the gallons upon gallons of fuel this car would digest. But it is a hybrid, so this means fewer pit stops for refueling and less gas emissions. Coupled with a number of luxurious features and accessories, the Lexus LS hybrid is certainly a gift worth giving to ones self.
Saving up on fuel and helping the environment doesn’t have to mean that we have to drive a small car that has an engine that could barely climb up a hill. We do not have to sacrifice comfort, safety and power. With the Lexus Hybrid lineup, backed up with Toyota’s experience and technology, we can have the best of both worlds.
Check out the internet for a Lexus hybrid car dealer near you, there are a lot of deals and special prices you can avail of. You can even read some reviews and check out which one would suit your lifestyle best.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Posted in News | 30 Comments »
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
The History of the Hybrid Car: An Evolution for the Future
Due to the demand of having a car wherein everyone can consume less fuel and will not contribute to the air pollution, the hybrid car was finally created to meet this end. And due to the rapid advancements in the gasoline engine, the hybrid car has become extremely popular.
A hybrid car is a means of transportation using two power sources; it uses a rechargeable energy storage system found on board and a fuelled power source as the vehicle’s driving force. The hybrid car pollutes less and uses less fuel.
Back in 1899, Ferdinand Porsche have developed and led the way to the very first working hybrid-electric vehicle. Other people followed suit in Ferdinand Porsche’s invention. Many people who became interested in the hybrid-vehicle concept have been continually making hybrid cars. However, there was no major car manufacturer who invested in the hybrid concept and mass produced hybrid cars until the late twentieth century. The hybrid technology was mainly utilized in developing diesel-electric submarines during that interim period.
The diesel-electric submarines mainly operate very much the same as a hybrid car. However, the submarines main goal was to conserve oxygen rather than spend less fuel. During the later years, submarines have evolved and have begun using the nuclear power as a substitute for diesel.
During the 1990′s, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight were the first successful hybrid cars available in the market. It was two of the pioneers in the hybrid car concept which virtually changed the way the world thinks about cars.
An idealistic inventor, Victor Wouk, manufactured a hybrid electric and gas motor vehicle that siphoned fuel at half the amount as practically all the other cars being built then. He built the hybrid car thirty years before the Toyota Prius got the attention of the U.S. as an energy-anxious nation.
The account about the hybrid car and its inventor, who died in May, 2005, at age 86, is unfamiliar among even the most avid fans of the growing hybrid car association. In terms of hybrid car knowledge, it is in fact America that should have led all other countries. Wouk said that the government program that he developed about hybrids was unknown to everyone.
Victor Wouk founded and sold two successful electric industrialized companies in the late 1940s and 50s and in 1962 he was approach by Russell Feldman, one of the founders of Motorola, who recognized the pollution from the automobile as one of the biggest problem of the environment and he wanted to discover the possible solutions with regards to this problem. But his experiment did not work much for the possible solution.
Having an idea, Wouk pondered the problem throughout the 60s and ultimately reached a clever solution. He combined the low-emission benefits of an electric car with the power of a gasoline engine to produce a hybrid vehicle. But Wouk did not get any response to his ideas for creating a hybrid car; in fact he was heavily criticized for not believing in a full-electric system.
With the help of his colleague, Charlie Rosen, who shared his belief about hybrid cars, gave him the chance to prove his ideas of creating the hybrid car as one of the solution to the rapid health cost of auto-pollution. And now the impressive capabilities of the invention of Wouk, the hybrid cars, can now be a very great help in terms of less fuel consumption and less air pollution.
Wouk and Rosen put up a new company particularly to developed their hybrid car idea and make it possible to be in the market and be used as an everyday car that belched far less harmful vapors than contemporary vehicles.
The Prius
Ever since the Toyota Prius was released in the market, it has been able to remain as the premier choice of hybrid cars available. It is true that old hybrid cars looks more like an alien car and cost far more than the conventional car. However, because of the latest technology installed in newer versions of hybrid cars, it looks more like a conventional car and is far cheaper than its predecessors. It is a fact that hybrid cars today looks very much like conventional cars. However, it will enable you to cut fuel consumption in half.
For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid car looks very much like its conventional version. However, when you look at it closely, the hybrid version of the Civic is able to conserve fuel much better than its gasoline counterpart. The Civic Hybrid can get you 50 miles in just one gallon of gasoline.
During the year 2004, Ford has developed and introduced the very first hybrid SUV, which is the Ford Escape Hybrid. A year later, Toyota also introduced their line of hybrid SUV called the Highlander Hybrid.
Because of the growing demand for hybrid cars, other car manufacturers are now following the footsteps of the other companies who already released a version of their hybrid car in the market. For example, Nissan is now planning to develop and introduce a hybrid version of the Nissan Altima.
Nowadays, over 300,000 hybrid cars are running on American roads wherein 95 percent of them are Japanese made. The hybrid vehicles are truly very different technology that can both save money and our environment.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Posted in News | 28 Comments »
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Hybrid Cars from Honda: The Car That Gives You Optimum Fuel Efficiency
Hybrid cars are considered to be the car of the future. Because of the rising cost of fuel prices, hybrid cars are indeed suitable in today’s fuel economy. With hybrid cars, you will be able to cut fuel consumption by half. This means that you can effectively go 60 miles or more in only one gallon of gasoline.
Indeed, hybrid cars can give everyone great benefits. You may not know it but hybrid cars can also benefit those people who don’t have cars. It can do this by emitting far lower toxic fumes than conventional car. This will mean that it is environmentally friendly and also makes air healthier and more breathable.
Hybrid car owners also enjoy benefits that the United States government imposed. For example, because it is fuel efficient and emits few volumes of pollutants, the government imposed tax breaks for owners and buyers of hybrid cars. They will also enjoy free parking space and other kinds of benefits if you use a hybrid car.
You have to consider that it is important that people today should conserve fuel, especially when the fuel reserves in the world is only limited. Because of this, the hybrid car is the best answer for conserving fuel and making the fuel reserves all over the world last.
Even if the price of fuel is on a constant rise, hybrid car owners virtually don’t feel it.
Today, many car manufacturers are on a campaign to promote hybrid cars as an alternative to save fuel. One of these manufacturers is Honda. In fact, Honda now has a line of hybrid cars available in the market today. The company is now one of the leading companies to produce a fuel efficient hybrid car.
Honda is a well-known name in the car industry. Even before, they produce quality cars with fuel efficient internal combustion engine. Now, Honda is taking it one step further by integrating the hybrid technology in their cars.
One car that Honda developed with hybrid technology is their Honda Civic Hybrid. Although the Civic have been around for quite a while now, this new edition of Civic made by Honda now has the hybrid technology integrated. The Honda Civic is already known to be fuel efficient. Now, with the hybrid technology installed, it can allow you to enjoy far greater gas mileage.
The Honda Civic Hybrid is tagged with the Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle rating. This means that it is definitely a green car or an environmentally friendly car that everyone can benefit from. The integrated battery pack in the car is designed to take you to the distance. With an 8 year/80,000 mile warranty, you will truly enjoy the Civic Hybrid for years to come.
Another hybrid car that Honda developed is the Honda Accord Hybrid. This four-door sedan is a high end luxury vehicle that will enable you to save a lot of money on fuel consumption. The Honda Accord Hybrid has a 253 horsepower V6 engine to let you satisfy your need for speed. Also, it has an advanced electric motor and battery installed for you to be able to save money on fuel consumption.
Indeed, Honda is one of the leading manufacturers of hybrid cars. If you want a quality hybrid car, think of Honda as the hybrid car manufacturer of your choice.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Posted in News | 21 Comments »
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Mankind has made a huge impact on the environment. Although science and technology are continually progressing, it is also the cause of the planet’s deterioration. Natural resources are being depleted to sustain the demand of a growing population. Although we have been gifted with logic and reasoning we are also prone to excess and carelessness that will inevitably bring about our demise. Although eradicated species and holes in the ozone layer can’t be restored, scientists are finding ways to help the environment and maintain whatever it has left.
One of the main contributors of pollution is cars. Transportation is a necessity so this problem is not easy to solve. Scientists and automotive companies have come up with a solution for environmental conscious customers. Hybrid vehicles were created to answer environmental issues and provide alternatives for customers.
What is a hybrid?
A hybrid vehicle is a type of automobile that depends on different power sources other than fuel (ex. diesel, petrol). These vehicles are either powered by internal combustion engines, electric motors, or a fuel cell and a rechargeable energy storage system. These types of power sources can be applied to different type of vehicles for public and private transportation.
Automotive companies today are continually developing this technology to be able to cater environmental friendly cars and deliver quality brand vehicles at the same time. They are turning to popular type of vehicles such as SUV’s to expand the appeal of hybrid technology.
Hybrid vehicles were designed to reduce emissions and save fuel. With the continuing rise of gas prices and global warming campaigns, more people are searching for alternatives to decrease dependence on fuel. This technology will also contribute to the general health of the public because car emissions pose a threat to one’s health.
These vehicles are able to achieve this purpose in four ways. It shuts down the diesel engine during stops or idle periods. It has a battery storage that enables it to store and reuse the energy that it has recaptured. It’s able to recapture energy that is usually wasted while breaking. It relies on two power sources, the diesel engine and the electric motors to reduce fuel consumption during peak power usage.
This type of vehicle is very convenient for traffic ridden areas. It also reduces noise emissions when the vehicle is operating at low speeds. Hybrid vehicles are practical and convenient cars for everyday living in the city.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Posted in News | 33 Comments »
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
There are many hybrid vehicles on the market today. Unfortunately due to the unique technology they don’t come cheap, developments and experiments with high powered engines made them more expensive. The perks provided by luxury cars come at a price. If being environmental friendly is this heavy on the wallet then why buy?
Hybrid vehicles may be an instant shock to the wallet but they are beneficial in the long run. Apart from SUVs and luxury vehicles there are also compact four doors that may provide an alternative for the average Joe. Following the success of the Camry, Toyota has decided to give the model a fresh new trim by turning it into a hybrid. Using Toyota’s latest hybrid technology, the Camry may provide to be an alternative to expensive hybrids.
Camry facelift
The original Camry didn’t give its owner many problems. It’s priced right, big and powerful enough for the average Joe. With soaring gas prices, more people are willing to support and pay for hybrid technology. This prompted Toyota to hybridize its Camry to give customers a break from expensive sedans and Sports Utility vehicle hybrids.
Like other hybrids today, the Camry is equipped with a gasoline engine and electric motor combo. It has a 192 horsepower and runs at 38 miles per gallon. It still has the same accessories as of the previous Camry like alloy wheels, daytime headlights, power heated mirrors, six CD changer on the dashboard, eight way power and eight stereo speakers. The CD changer is compatible with a mp3.
It’s still equipped with standard safety features such as airbags in the front, on the seat mounts for side impact, at the side curtain, and for the driver’s knee.
The main difference is additional features. The hybrid Camry has a push button start system, Smart Entry keyless locking, power door locks, anti-lock out windows and the air-conditioning relies on the electric motor. It also has anti-lock breaking system and Toyota’s Vehicle Dynamics Integrated System. The latter has traction and stability control with other electronic devices for vehicle control.
The Camry may not look as stylish as other luxury sedans and SUVs. But if you are looking for an affordable car that has been tried and tested this would be a good car for you. You don’t really need lots of horsepower for city driving. The Camry provides the best of both worlds while still being able to be accessible for the average Joe.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Posted in News | 42 Comments »
