Archive for July, 2009
And how much does it cost to maintain them? Thanks 
Pretty much the same as a non-hybrid, but a bit less.
For example, hybrids need to get oil changes less frequently because they use the gas engine less. They rarely if ever need the brake pads replaced because of their regenerative braking system. It doesn’t cost any more to maintain them because even if part of the hybrid system breaks, it’s under warranty for a long time.
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A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be recharged by connecting a plug to an electric power source. It shares the characteristics of both conventional hybrid electric vehicles, having an electric motor and a backup internal combustion engine (ICE) for power, and of battery electric vehicles, also having a plug to connect to the electric grid. Most PHEVs on the road today are passenger cars, but there are also PHEV versions of commercial passenger vans, utility trucks, school buses, motorcycles, scooters, and military vehicles. PHEVs are sometimes called grid-connected hybrids, gas-optional hybrids, or GO-HEVs.
The cost for electricity to power plug-in hybrids for all-electric operation has been estimated at less than one quarter of the cost of gasoline.[1] Compared to conventional vehicles, PHEVs can reduce air pollution and dependence on petroleum, and lessen greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Plug-in hybrids use no fossil fuel during their all-electric range if their batteries are charged from nuclear or renewable energy sources. Other benefits include improved national energy security, fewer fill-ups at the filling station, the convenience of home recharging, opportunities to provide emergency backup power in the home (V2H), and vehicle to grid (V2G) applications.[2]
As of July 2008, plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles are not yet in production. However, Toyota,[3] General Motors,[4] Ford,[5] Chinese automaker BYD Auto,[6] California startups Fisker Automotive[7] and Aptera Motors,[8] and Volkswagen[9] have announced their intention to introduce production PHEV automobiles. The PHEV-60 BYD F6DM sedan and F3DM hatchback and the plug-in Toyota Prius are expected in 2009 (this last, for commercial fleets);[10][11][12] the luxury Fisker Karma PHEV-50 sports car is slated for late 2009; and GM’s PHEV-40 Chevrolet Volt and Saturn Vue and the Volkswagen Golf PHEV50km plug-ins are expected in 2010.[13][14] Conversion kits and services are available to convert production model hybrid vehicles to plug-ins.[15][16] Most PHEVs on the road in the U.S. are conversions of 2004 or later Toyota Prius models, which have had plug-in charging added and their electric-only range extended.
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Only about 15% of the energy from the fuel you put in your tank gets used to move your car down the road or run useful accessories, such as air conditioning. The rest of the energy is lost to engine and driveline inefficiencies and idling. Therefore, the potential to improve fuel efficiency with advanced technologies is enormous. With an Electric Car it costs just $2.00 per 100kms with MUCH more performance than with petrol at $20.00 per 100kms.
Electric Car FASTER THAN A FERRARI ENZO 0-60 3.07 sec! In-Car of ELECTRIC 0-60mph 3.07 sec – Wrightspeed Electric car vs Ferrari. Ariel Atom converted to Ev by Wrightspeed. 165KW 3 phase AC induction motor with 25 kWhr Lithium Ion battery pack.
• 3-phase AC induction motor, 236hp at the motor shaft
• 182 ft lbs torque at the motor shaft, from 0 rpm to 6,000 rpm
• 13,300 rpm rev limit
• weight 1,536 lbs
• no clutch, single gear ratio 8.25:1
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Actually, as gas prices rise, the ROI on the so-called "hybrid premium", or extra cost for buying a hybrid, is down to about two years for the average driver. Cars like the Prius also have excellent resale value and low maintenance costs, so the Prius is a great way to save money in the long term!
The basic way hybrids work is having a second electric motor in addition to the gas engine to start the car moving and sometimes supplement the gas engine depending on the type of hybrid.
The electric motor gets its power from batteries which are recharged every time you brake/slow down. In a nutshell, braking engages a generator that collects energy from your deceleration instead of just losing it to brake pad friction like most cars.
There are other, more in depth tricks that hybrids like the Prius use, like turning the gas engine off when you stop, increasing aerodynamic efficiency through unique shapes and cutting down on the car’s weight by doing things like using a fuel bladder instead of a fuel tank, but the basics have to do with the electric motor and regenerative braking.
THe REVA GWiz shows that electric vehicles have an edge over ethanol powered vehilces,hybrids and conventional petrol vehicles
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YRCWtvhttp://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/yrcwtvPeopledestination, green, hybrid, vehiclesdestination green hybrid vehicles
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Toyota Hybrid Supra HV-R WORLDS FIRST HYBRID RACE WINNER Demonstrated in EV mode.2 x 10KW wheel motor in the front wheels, 150KW motor on the rear axle. Has fast charge custom made Super Capacitors to store energy during rapid braking by using regenerative braking and uses that collected power to help accelerate the car out of each corner. This is the car that took pole and won the Tokachi 24 hour race. The car completed 616 laps, 19 laps ahead of the second-place finisher
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I was looking for buying a new car and have been wanting to get a new fuel efficient car. Since i drive a lot I will be needing some good fuel efficiency. But with my limited spending I was looking for some government programs and agencies that could help with purchasing a hybrid or electric car. But I have had no luck.
They are pretty expensive and was wondering if anyone found ways to get one for cheap. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.
The best program I recently saw was federal incentives coupled with some car companies incentives to turn in your gas hog (less than 18 mpg) to something much more fuel efficient (5 commercial and 10 mpg more.) It sounds like up to a $9000 total. Not too shabby.
A number of years ago someone had their vehicle registered commercially and then put advertising on it. This would not be legal everywhere and there would certainly be limitations but it may be worth looking into.
I recently read about a couple that purchased an electric vehicle (Tesla roadster) to travel across the US. They were using it to raise money for charity. No doubt they did not pay full price for the vehicle. If you can come up with a similar plan you might find a less expensive alternative to an outright purchase.
Good luck to you and let me know how it works out.
Wont the "savings" from these vehicles eventually be absorbed by a tax increase somewhere else to make up the lost revenue from the Gas tax?
Naturally. They will tax hydrogen, corn squeezin’s, water or whatever we come up with.The "savings" deal is just more smoke. The cost of these glorified golf carts and maintenance will negatively offset any gain in fuel costs.There will probably be some "special" recycling fee when the car "dies"for the new hardware because it will be toxic for the environment or some other BS.
I am interested in a hybrid, but I don’t completely trust their mechanics. Is it really going to worth the money if I have to buy a new engine for a hybrid car just after 3 years or so? I mean what is the reliability going to be for hybrid cars out now in the future?
You’ve got it backwards. Hybrids have 2 engines (a small gas engine and an electric motor), so they’re actually each doing less work than an engine in a non-hybrid. Electric motors are also extremely reliable because they have no moving parts that can break.
So basically in a non-hybrid you’ve just got a gas engine with lots of moving parts that can break. In a hybrid you’ve got a small gas engine that does much less work, so it’s less likely to break.
In reality hybrids are lower maintenance than non-hybrids for reasons like this. They also require oil changes just every 5,000 miles, and the regenerative braking system saves the brake pads.
Maintenance doesn’t cost any more than a non-hybrid. In fact, the warranties on hybrids are really good, so if you need a repair it will probably be free.
There’s really no good reason not to buy a hybrid at this point. Every Prius owner I’ve talked to loves their car. It saves on gas, benefits the environment, is low maintenance, and will have a high resale value.