Posts Tagged ‘leasing’

Hybrid Cars vs. Plug-in Hybrid Cars

January 27th, 2010

Hybrid cars are on everyone’s minds. Twenty, forty, or fifty dollars for a full tank of petrol? Who in their right mind wants to pay that sort of money? However, frustrated, the gas customer sighs, but pays up. However, hybrid vehicles are applauded for the small amount of gas they need to operate, and they are being driven off the lots of car dealerships each and everyday in increasing numbers.

But what about a plug-in hybrid? Most consumers have heard that these cars are great too. Then, a person might be asking him or herself, what exactly a plug-in hybrid is? How do they work, and what the difference between a plug-in hybrid and a regular hybrid is?

Plug-in hybrids are able to run solely on batteries, but they use fuel also. These sorts of hybrid cars have some of the characteristics of hybrid vehicles. They are also are very similar to electric vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles need to be charged externally by plugging them into an electrical power source. The combustion engine of plug-in hybrid vehicles is used only as a back up. These cars can run only on batteries if so desired, but it is to be expected that these types of hybrid cars be plugged in every day.

Hybrid cars can go just as many miles as a conventional car. Designed to go the extra mile where gas-mileage is concerned, hybrids can be driven on the highway, in cities, or wherever else a person needs to travel.

On the other hand, plug-in hybrids are designed to be driven commuter-length distances, meaning between twenty and sixty miles between destinations. This way, the plug-in hybrid does not have to use its back up combustion engine, but plug-in hybrids can go further using gas too.

Hybrids help to reduce pollution, but they do still pollute the atmosphere. Compared with plug-in hybrids, hybrid cars still have a long way to go as far as pollution is concerned. Because plug-in hybrid cars can run solely on their battery power, they don’t have to emit waste gases at all.

Plug-in hybrids really do cut total greenhouse gas emissions and plug-in hybrids use virtually no oil at all, imported or not. Studies have revealed that electric hybrids emit at least 67% less greenhouse gases than gasoline cars. Since the electric used to power plug-in hybrids is completely renewable, the difference in greenhouse gas emissions may be even greater than the study indicated.

So there you have it – those are the main differences between plug-in hybrids and regular hybrid cars. It could make a big difference, but you would be surprised at how little it actually matters at the moment, but that’s only because plug-in hybrids are not being marketed to consumers yet! But this article should make you excited about the fantastic plug-in hybrid car, coming soon to a forecourt near you.

And it’s going to be a spectacular debut too – people already like regular hybrid cars, but they haven’t seen anything until they see the new plug-in hybrid cars. However, for now, maybe we should just be satisfied with what we already have, because who knows? Before plug-in hybrid cars come out onto the forecourts, something even better might be introduced onto the market.

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Some Celebrities That Have Driven Hybrid Cars

December 27th, 2009

No, it is certainly not true that you will rise to fame and fortune if you go and buy a hybrid car. But a hybrid car is not only a car for the rich and famous. However it might be right for you. Many famous people are driving hybrid cars nowadays including some of the most famous people in the world like your favourite movie stars. But the big question is, should you be driving a hybrid car at all?

So, are you driving anything close to a hybrid car? Well, if you are not, you can’t rub noses with some of these hybrid car-drivers. These people were very early drivers of hybrids cars. You may not see them in a hybrid vehicle when they stop next to you on Rodeo Drive, but believe me, they’ve owned a hybrid car before. Whatever, believe me or not they have been reported as driving hybrid cars in the past.

Alicia Silverstone This star definitely thinks about the environment. She knows that driving a hybrid car has many benefits for the environment. And if the general public doesn’t have the understanding that she has, then that’s just too bad. Alicia knows that hybrid cars are good for the environment and therefore for everyone. So Alicia Silverstone got herself a hybrid car. So she has helped promote this new technology as far as this article goes, which has to be a good thing.

Ellen DeGeneres Well, this funny lady not only has a great haircut, but she was driving a great hybrid car before you probably even knew about hybrid cars. She was probably smiling at you and your gas-guzzler last time she wizzed past you.

Robin Williams Funny and sweet, Robin knew when he played the role of Mrs. Doubtfire that he should probably start thinking more like the sensible driver that you would allow to transport your kids to and from school, so Robin got himself a hybrid car, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Ted Danson Cheers! Ted knows a great car when he sees one. He was certainly sober the morning when he decided to go check out the new cars on the lot. He got up and bought a car that made a whole lot of sense. He was making good sense when he chose a hybrid car.

Brad Pitt What’s cooking good looking? Certainly not Brad’s hybrid fuel engine. He has had a hybrid car, so he knows his car isn’t using way too much fuel.

Prince Charles Surely, if it’s good enough for royalty, then it’s good enough for everyone else! That’s how you should think when you own a hybrid car. You should feel royal, adorned, and admired because believe it or not, that’s just what you are when you choose a hybrid vehicle. So enjoy it.

So, how do you feel? Like a million dollars? Well, you ought to if you are thinking of buying a hybrid car and don’t worry, you won’t have your 15 minutes of fame, but you will be making a very bold statement that people will understand and many people will applaud what you have done and that will go on for years and years because hybrid cars last for decade or more.

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The Hybrid Car and Gas Prices

December 20th, 2009

The appeal and popularity of the hybrid car have grown steadily, especially with the rising concerns about high gas prices as well as worsening air pollution. Here are some useful pieces of information that could assist you to learn more about hybrid cars and how they may help you save money on petrol and be somewhat protected from rising petrol.

A hybrid car is the type of car, or any other vehicle, that makes use of at least two different fuel sources to make it run. Both fuel sources are used together in some instances to help propel the vehicle more efficiently. There are several different combinations of hybrid car possible, but the most common hybrid car so far is the gas-electric hybrid.

The gas-electric hybrid car, also known as the hybrid electric vehicle or HEV, uses of a gasoline internal combustion engine or ICE and a quite separate electric motor to power it. While the ICE makes uses petrol to make it go, an electric battery is used to store the electrical energy that powers the hybrid car’s electric engine.

The HEV usually has a gas engine that is smaller in size and weight than the conventional one used in standard petrol powered cars. Use of a more advanced technology makes this possible and allows the HEV to have better running efficiency as well as substantially reduced polluting emissions.

Apart from the petrol engine, the hybrid electric car also has a special electric motor built in that not only provides added power to the car but also acts as a generator when not being used. The electric motor can act as a generator, in situations where it is not being used to drive the hybrid car, to help charge the battery for added efficiency.

In a usual HEV set up, the car uses its electric motor when being driven at very low speeds, say, in traffic jams. The gasoline engine acts as a secondary power source when the HEV requires much more power, such as when climbing a hill. The petrol engine also compensates the electric motor with power whenever the car needs it in order to go faster such as when overtaking. The gas and the electric motor can also work in combination at certain instances when needed.

Since the hybrid electric car makes use of both an electric motor as well as a gas engine, a substantial improvement in car mileage is achieved. A hybrid electric vehicle or HEV can run much longer distances using the same amount of fuel compared with a traditional petrol powered car.

When the electric motor is being used, petrol consumption is reduced. This results in quite a bit less gas being used when running the same distance as a traditional petrol powered vehicle. And because the hybrid electric car has a smaller, lighter gas engine, the hybrid car also runs more efficiently because of less engine weight compared to a conventional car’s engine.

The working components of the hybrid car engine are also smaller and require less energy to move. This efficiency makes the hybrid electric car quite a great option for people concerned with rising petrol prices. Using a hybrid car can help drivers save a substantial amount of petrolwhen traveling. Not only that, using the hybrid car can also help in reducing polluting emissions by using less gas while driving.

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Hybrid Car Battery Packs Info

November 20th, 2009

Those considering purchasing a hybrid car may be more than a little concerned about what is under the bonnet. Hybrid cars have partially battery-powered motors. Since a battery-powered motor is not something that typically comes to mind when people think about what’s driving a car, it’s a good idea to get a good understanding of hybrid car battery packs. Below you will find a few facts about them.

Hybrid car battery packs do not require to be replaced like flashlight batteries do. They are made to last over the lifetime of the vehicle, and so, a hybrid car’s warranty covers the battery pack for a time period that lasts between eight and ten years. In terms of mileage, a hybrid car battery pack is expected to last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, and the odds are that it will probably last even longer than that.

The toxicity of hybrid car battery packs is a concern, but not a major concern, since hybrid car batteries use NiMH batteries, not the rechargeable nickel cadmium ones. Nickel cadmium batteries can be detrimental to the environment if not disposed of correctly, but the NiMH batteries that are used in hybrid car battery packs are fully recyclable.

Hybrid car battery packs contain hundreds of cells. Hundreds of cells means that hybrid cars have a complex battery underneath their hoods, and complexity does usually mean expensive, but with the generous warranty car manufacturers are giving on these cars, there is little risk of additional massive expense from the battery pack involved in purchasing a hybrid car.

The number of hybrid car battery pack failures has been really low. When I say low, I mean really low. If failure happens, it’s probably before the hybrid car even gets off the forecourt. Toyota has even said that some of its original Prius models have packs that have gone over 300,000 miles.

The cost of replacing hybrid car battery packs isn’t really even an issue It isn’t an issue because the hybrid car battery packs are built to last. The Department of Energy looked into hybrid cars, but stopped its test when the capacity was “just like new” after 160,000 miles. So very few people really seem to know for sure what it costs to replace hybrid car battery packs.

Hybrid car battery packs are evolving very quickly. If we look into the near future, we can see the next generation of hybrid car batteries is already in the works. The goal is, of course, to discover a technology that gives lots of power, lasts for the hybrid car’s lifetime, and costs less to make than it does today.

If your hybrid car battery pack does run out, there is a solution. Toyota has given some advice on what to do, should your hybrid battery pack run out after the warranty has expired. Their advice is to have the battery reconditioned. This solution works well because if something does go wrong, the problem usually lies with only one of the 28 modules that make up the battery.

So, if you simply replace the problematic module with one that matches the chemistry of the other 27 modules, your hybrid car’s battery should be back in good shape. You can find a match by getting a battery pack from another car that has a similar mileage and age.

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Buying A Hybrid Car to Save on Gas

November 6th, 2009

As you pull up to the gas station pump and fuel your car up with $10-$40 worth of gas, you may find yourself releasing a huge out sigh. How on Earth did gas become so expensive? Should you check out one of those new hybrid cars you saw on the TV? Everyone’s talking about hybrid cars anyway. Hybrid cars and other types of cars may seem like a good idea, but before you go out and do something you’ll regret, perhaps you should ask yourself some basic questions about how you can begin to save on petrol.

There are many options now that include everything from staying home to purchasing a hybrid car, but you have to find out what’s best for you. You can only do that by asking yourself the following questions.

Perhaps you should drive less often?

Of course, you could spend the rest of your life in the house on the couch, but how would you eat then? I know what you’re thinking! You will walk more and so get more exercise. That could be true, but what will happen when you get bored with walking and riding your bike? How are you going to be able to get to the gym then? And, have you forgotten about work? You know you just love listening to your books on tape while you are sitting in the traffic jams at the end of the workday. Should you drive less? Perhaps not then. But what should you do? Well, have you ever considered buying a hybrid vehicle?

Should I buy a car that gets more miles for less gas?

Yes, of course you could do this, but what about when the vehicle starts to get older and it becomes less fuel-efficient than you thought it would be? Moreover, because you know you have a car that is getting more mileage per dollar, you are going to start travelling more miles than you travelled beforehand.

How about getting up earlier each morning to look for the cheapest gas prices in the area?

Come on, who has the time to do all that? If you really think about it, you could probably spend your time more profitably finding the right answer to the real question. Do you really want to spend extra time looking for a cheap gas station? What would your boss think if you arrive late for work and tell him you were trying to save money on gas? And anyway, how long do you honestly think you’d keep that up?

Should I find a way to run my car on electric?

Let’s see, you definitely don’t want to have to recharge your car’s batteries every day before going to work because that might make you late too. However, with a hybrid car, you wouldn’t have to worry about that. So, the next question should be obvious.

How about buying a hybrid car?

Perhaps you should. It’s possible that buying a hybrid car could be a wise way to avoid higher gas prices. Would your car depreciate as soon as you drive it off the forecourt? A hybrid won’t do that so readily as it brings the buyer in more and more money as they save on petrol. A hybrid car just could be a good solution here. However, it’s still a good idea to conduct further research on a hybrid car.

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The History Of The Hybrid Vehicle

October 20th, 2009

Just where did a hybrid car get it’s beginnings? Read on to find out. Hybrid cars are very popular for modern car buyers and there are many reasons why that should be. But before you even think about choosing which hybrid car to buy, you might want to learn a little bit about the history of the hybrid first.

It is surprising, but hybrid vehicles were around even before gas-powered cars. In about the year 1665, a Jesuit priest by the name of Ferdinand Verbeist began making plans for a new type of vehicle. That vehicle or cart would be very simple, nothing complex. Simple was all he was interested in.

So it was that Ferdinand designed a vehicle that would have four wheels and would run on steam. It took roughly fifteen years of work for Ferdinand to go through with his plan. He laboured to perfect his dream vehicle. But no one knows for certain if he ever finished it because there is no physical evidence that his concept ever passed into reality.

Then in 1769, a man by the name of Nicholas Cugnot designed and developed a carriage that was driven by steam. This carriage really did go and it went at six miles per hour. This project was great, but it was difficult to get the amount of steam needed to allow the car to go any significant distance.

A break through in hybrid car design finally came when Robert Anderson developed an electrically powered car in 1839. It was the first of its breed and was built in Scotland.

This electric car was a highly applauded innovation of its time. However, the only problem was that it was very difficult to recharge the car’s battery. Some pioneers came after Anderson, but they too had a hard time getting the battery recharged easily.

Then there was another outstanding break-through, in the year 1898, Porsche brought out an electric and fuel combo combustion engine that was the first of its type. The car was named the Lohner Electric Chaise and it could go for up to 40 miles using just its batteries.

Soon, pioneers combined both gas and a battery powered engines to power what would become today’s hybrid car. In 1999, Honda made its jump into the US market. It came out with the Honda Insight, which was a lightweight two-door hybrid. Since then, hybrid cars have been evolving and improving into what we see on the market these days. Hybrid cars are no longer just for the techies who think it’s cool to combine battery and fuel power to get them where they want to go. Hybrid cars began life simple, and they are still quite simple today.

Now hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular as people understand them more. Hybrid cars in the 21st century saw a boom in sales when the Toyota Prius came out on the market. It was the first hybrid with four doors that was marketed in America.

Then, Ford’s Escape hybrid became the very first SUV hybrid ever made. So there, you have it, the history of the hybrid vehicle, today’s modern car.

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Can a Hybrid Save You Money?

October 3rd, 2009

The cost of fuel continues to rise even now, but that does not mean that you have to be left penniless. You don’t have to let the unstable economy control your life! Take whatever measures you need to, to change the circumstances you are in: there are all types of options open to you.

For instance, did you know that a hybrid car can help you gain more control of the money in your pocket? Well, it can. Hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular as the cost of fuel goes up, and the cost of hybrid cars is going down.

Petrol prices go up and fuel prices go down and the cycle just seems to go on and on without giving us much relief at all. However, if you really take the time to think about it, that is not the case, it is how you think about the situation that counts. So don’t be sad, be glad, and pay close attention to the television commercials on hybrid cars.

A hybrid car really will help you combat sky-high gas prices. If you purchase a hybrid vehicle after having had a conventional car, you would immediately notice that you have rather more money in your wallet with the hybrid car.

Nobody likes to waste their money. I sure don’t, but that is exactly what you are doing if you stick with a conventional vehicle. Hybrid cars and trucks save you up to 50% on your petrol/diesel bills and that very soon exceeds the premium that hybrids vehicles cost. Over the life of your hybrid vehicle, which is over ten years, you will definitely make money on your environmentally-friendly purchase.

But work it out for yourself! Write down the cost each time you visit the gas station. What does the cost of a full tank of fuel tell you about your car? Whatever it is telling you, a hybrid car won’t tell you the same as a conventional car. And that is guaranteed.

So, make your money speak to you in the manner you would like it to: instead of having it tell you all the time that your money is flowing out of your pocket, have it tell you, that some of it is going to stay in your bank account, so buy a hybrid car.

Who slogged for those forty hours? You did, of course. So, make sure that you have something to show for it for a change. A hybrid car is a super car to have and it will be of real assistance to your bank account.

It is a car that is not cheap to buy, but it will pay for itself over its lifetime and over that lifetime you will have done a lot of good for the environment and people will have admired you from afar, even if they don’t actually come up to you and express their feelings in person.

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