The MacPak Auto Blitz

If you haven’t taken the leap into the hybrid automobile market you aren’t alone but the owners of hybrid cars are jumping into the green market and leading the way for those of us still driving the regular gas-only engine cars.

Besides getting the tax breaks and other perks for buying hybrids these drivers still are seeking to improve fuel economy. A lot of hybrid owners have stated that even though their hybrids give them better mileage than their previous gas vehicles they are not really satisfied with the fuel economy because they thought the difference would be even more. (more…)

With the ever-rising price of fossil fuels, it’s no wonder alternative sources of transportation, such as the hydrogen powered car are getting new look. Cars that run off hydrogen, rather than gasoline, are cleaner for the environment, don’t deplete a precious resource and they are not a far off invention.

The hydrogen car’s potential implications for the environment, economy and even politics make it an interesting idea. These cars just might be the answer to getting around without wasting a precious, limited resource. And, they just might help stave off environmental issues as well. But, what are hydrogen cars and how do they work?

A hydrogen car is simply one that relies on hydrogen rather than gasoline for power. There are two basic types: combustion and fuel-cell conversion. Both are currently in existence, but neither have been moved into full-scale production for a number of reasons.

The combustion engine is similar to what is used in most automobiles now. It simply burns fuel to create power. Combustion engines already in existence can be modified for hydrogen burning.

Fuel-cell conversion, on the other hand, uses the hydrogen and turns it into electricity. This electricity provides the power for the engine’s electric motor.

No matter the process, though, the byproduct of combustion or fuel-cell conversion is simply water. Rather than ozone depleting fuel, what’s left behind is nothing more than good, old fashion H2O.

Adding to its environmental friendly stance, hydrogen is more or less a renewable source. It comes from the decomposition of methane or can be gleaned from water. Inasmuch, its only byproduct is water vapor. And, unlike fossil fuels it is fully renewable.

Despite its potential, hydrogen cars have not been moved into full-scale production for a number of reasons. The world’s dependence on oil is a strong one and it will be hard to break. Entire economies depend on its production, processing and sale, so making the switch to hydrogen will be difficult at best.

In addition to a resistance from oil producers, auto manufacturers, too, must get on the bandwagon before this will become a reality. They are, however, beginning more and more to research and develop cars that run on hydrogen. The engines involved in modern cars can in fact be converted to burn hydrogen.

One of the biggest problems with switching to all hydrogen is a problem with storage. Car fuel tanks need to be better developed for this as would “hydrogen stations” where drivers can refuel. In addition, more study needs to be done to increase the miles per gallon hydrogen vehicles can muster.

Although much work still needs to be done to replace gasoline-based cars with hydrogen models, the idea is more than feasible. In fact, with gas prices soaring, it’s looking more and more like a real possibility these cars will someday rule the roads. Already there are cars, buses, trucks and even rockets that use hydrogen for their power to some extent.

Who would have thought we would have cars already that you plug in to recharge? The new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles also called PHEVs come with an extra battery but you can also charge them by lugging them in to an electrical outlet. The ability to plug in is optional since the car also has a gas engine. There are many economic advantages of these types of hybrids over regular automobiles. You can use the plug-in hybrid regularly on short trips and due to the fact that the gas engine only kicks in when it absolutely has to the fuel efficiency is fantastic.

These plug-in hybrids look and operate like regular non-hybrid cars and get this, they can be plugged into a normal 120 volt outlet, so you can recharge it at home or at a parking garage that has electricity available. Most of these cars can travel up to 60 miles on just the charged battery, since this is well beyond the daily roundtrip for most Americans you could drive everyday and never have to use gas! Just keep some fuel in the tank in case you run out of juice. More than likely you could drive all month long and never have to fill your tank more than once as long as you keep the vehicle charged.

Since the plug-in hybrid vehicles use mainly electricity instead of gas they are better for the environment and have much better fuel economy. If you plug the car in every night you can lower harmful emissions by nearly half. This vehicle gives off no bad emissions at all when it is running on electricity only.

MSRP for plug-in hybrids are as much as twenty percent more than regular hybrid cars and the reason for this is primarily due to the requirement of a larger battery size. As the demand and sales for these vehicles increases you will actually see a reduction in price as it becomes cheaper to obtain the batteries because of the larger volume. Even with the higher prices you will save enough in fuel costs in most cases to make up for it if you drive on a daily basis for work or school.

According to studies done on product feasibility, it is believed that the plug-in hybrid will be extremely popular as it has been determined that people would generally prefer to charge the cars at home as opposed to having to go to gas stations for fuel. Still, at this point the Big Three of Detroit and other large automakers aren’t showing any signs of exuberance over the vehicle and are instead focusing on regular hybrid cars.

Hybrid cars are a fusion of technologies. Unlike standard cars moving on a single propulsion system, hybrid cars are driven by the power of multiple propulsion systems. Most common among these hybrid vehicles are those cars that use gasoline and electrical energy as their source of power. Serious experimentations with ethanol or plant based oils are also being conducted.

History

The history of hybrid cars runs back to the time when inventors were strongly battling to switch over from steam-powered automobiles to electrically driven carriages. At best, these could be termed as trials and were limited to working with just one, two or few models. Success on a mass-scale came about the beginning of the twentieth century; however, it was not until 1999 (on the verge of the 21st century) that America saw the launching of the hybrid car on a commercial-scale, to be bought and used by the mass.

Components

The hybrid car driving mechanism consists batteries, an electric motor, a fuel tank, a gasoline engine, a generator and a mode of transmission. Each part has its definitive role and keeps a hybrid car running.

How Do They Work?

As said, the dual mechanisms employed in these hybrid vehicles make use of both gasoline and electric energy to set the vehicles into motion - while gas cause the internal combustion engines (ICEs) to function, the electric batteries supply power to the car’s electric motors. The recent car models are even converting kinetic energy (produced by the engine) into electric energy to charge the batteries.

Conclusion

Hybrid cars with their comparatively smaller gasoline engines contribute to the pollution-free, greener environment cause. Moreover, with their sleek, aerodynamic designing and ultra light materials joining hands to give these vehicles driving force of about 60-90 horsepower, you can be sure that the hybrid cars will rule the automobile industry until the arrival of new eco-friendly, efficient cars.

As the price of a gallon of gasoline crept over three dollars a gallon during 2006, many people decided that there had to be a way to spend a lot less money on gasoline. There were different approaches to doing this, one was finding a vehicle that was better on gas mileage. Another interesting possibility is a hybrid car. A hybrid car is one that can use both gas and electricity. The need for these types of vehicles is actually more pronounced because of the pollution of our planet than even just because of gas prices. A moped is an example of a vehicle that uses both electricity and gas.

Any kind of vehicle should be able to drive three hundred miles without having to refuel. It also should not be difficult when it is necessary to refuel them. One other thing that most people may not consider when purchasing a car but that is important when considering a hybrid car is the ability of the vehicle to keep up with other cars on the road. Hybrid cars are typically more expensive than those cars that just use gas, but that is usually made up for by the fact that their operating costs are a lot less.

There are a couple of draw backs that many have had to get used to, one is the speed factor. The hybrid cars have not been able to go as fast as the gasoline driven cars. Honestly though, it is definitely safer to drive slower, and more economical. Another drawback would be that the hybrid cars are not as fancy as the gasoline driven cars. But with a little modesty you can get past that too.

Honda has made the first hybrid sold in the United States. It is called the Insight. Honda states that it is the most fuel efficient at sixty six miles per gallon. This particular hybrid is a sporty looking car that looks like a lot of fun to drive. This is a gasoline/electric car that you never have to plug in.

Honda’s goal has been to be environmentally fundamentally friendly for quite a few years now. The Insight was first introduced in December, 1999. They won the highest fuel economy rating awards from 2000 through 2005. The Insight does not require a special kind of fuel, it uses regular unleaded gasoline. It depends mostly on the gasoline engine; the electrical motor assists it when extra power is needed. The batteries are recharged during forward momentum and during breaking. The gasoline engine also does some charging of the batteries. The Insight exceeds all safety standards, from emission standards to personal safety standards regarding seat belts and air bags.

More and more hybrid vehicles are coming on the market, making saving gas money a much easier perspective. As the new vehicles are developed it is expected that prices for these electric and hybrid cars will decline to a more natural number.