Posts Tagged ‘automobiles’

How Hybrid Electric Vehicles Work

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Have you ever wondered about hybrid cars? They certainly look stylish and modern, but what is it about them that makes them so different and so special? After all, most cars look the same these days, do they not? They are all designed by computer to be aerodynamic and aerodynamic is aerodynamic, so they all end up looking indistinguishable to anyone who is not an aficionado.

Well, the fact is that the distinction between a hybrid car and a normal car lies under the bonnet. There are various types of hybrid vehicles as well, but the most common kind has a hybrid electric engine. Therefore, you could say that what makes hybrid cars special from most other, ordinary cars is their engine.

Or engines really, because hybrid electric cars basically have two engines. One, the internal combustion engine, runs on petrol, LPG or diesel and the other, the electric motor, runs off electricity stored in an array of powerful batteries. On the other hand, ordinary cars only have an internal combustion engine. It is a good idea to examine these two types of engine separately.

First of all the electric motor. Electrical energy is generated by several components on the car and stored in a large bank or array of powerful batteries. The electricity is created by the turning of the internal combustion engine, just as with a standard car, when it is in use, but also by the wheels or / and the car’s braking system. Different models have different methods of generating this electricity, but they are all very hi-tech and very efficient.

When the car’s internal computers decide that the car no longer needs the strength of the internal combustion engine, it will turn it off and switch to the electric motor instead. The conditions where this might happen are, for example, when you are driving slowly in inner-city traffic, when you are cruising at moderate speed on a flat road or when you are going down hill. This saves a considerable amount of fuel, which is clearly a great saving to you.

However, there are times when you have to have more power than the batteries can give you, for instance, when accelerating hard, when overtaking or when climbing a hill. At times such as these, the electric motor will shut down and the combustion engine will take over and start supplying power to the accelerator and electricity to the batteries. When the requirement for extra power has passed, the batteries will take over again.

These choices are all taken by the hybrid electric vehicle’s (HEV’s) on board computer system and you will not notice much other that a rush of power or a quietening of the propulsion system. This works very well in most scenarios, but some drivers of HEV’s would like to have a manual override for unusual circumstances, such as an undulating terrain.

All in all, cars with hybrid electric engines work very well at reducing fuel bills but they are still too dear to be much more than a gimmicky toy and a salve to the conscience for the rich.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on a lot of subjects, but is currently involved with hybrid electric engines. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at New Hybrid Vehicles.

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Hybrid Cars VS Plug-In Hybrid Cars

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Hybrid cars are on everyone’s lips. Twenty, forty, or fifty dollars for a full tank of fuel? Who in their right mind wants to pay that sort of money? However, frustrated, the fuel 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 fantastic 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 capable of running just on batteries, but they can run on petrol also. These sorts of hybrid cars have some of the characteristics of hybrid vehicles. They are also very similar to all-electric vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles must be charged externally by plugging them into an electrical power source. The combustion engine of plug-in hybrid vehicles is engaged only as a back up. These cars can run only on batteries if desired, but it is expected that these types of hybrid cars are recharged daily.

Hybrid cars travel 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 handle commuter-type distances, meaning about twenty to 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 fuel too.

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

Plug-in hybrids actually 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 petrol 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.

There you have it – the major 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 sold to consumers yet! But this article should make you excited about the wonderful plug-in hybrid car, which will be featuring soon on a dealership 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.

If you are interested in the working parts of New Hybrid Vehicles, please visit our website at http://new-hybrid-vehicles.com Also published at Hybrid Cars VS Plug-In Hybrid Cars.

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1957 Corvette Tidbits

Monday, July 19th, 2010

The 1967 Corvette is a very well-liked classic automobile that will send tingles down the spines of Corvette fanatics all over the world. The 1967 design ended up being the last year of the C2 generation. The 1967 was simply the smoothest riding Sting Ray to be placed on the market by Chevrolet.

The 1967 Corvette wheelbase of the convertible and the coupe models ended up being both 98 inches. Length was 175.1 inches. The width of the 1967 Corvette was 69.6 inches. The curb weight was 3360 pounds for both the coupe and the convertible. The standard axle ratio was 3.55.1. The powertrain basically changed hardly any from a year earlier.

The 1967 Corvette included 11 inch disc brakes on the front and back. It included a standard three speed manual tranny, however you could possibly select a 4 speed manual or a 2 speed powerglide.

Some of the options included things such as leather seats, power windows, head rests, soft Ray tinted glass, auxiliary hardtop, shoulder belts, air conditioning (amazingly only 3788 people added this option), vinyl covering, positraction rear axle, special front and rear end suspension, air injection reactor, transistor ignition system, heavy-duty brakes, the 390, 400, 435, 350, and 430 hp engines, aluminum cylinder heads on the L71, four speed manual transmission (close ratio or heavy-duty), powerglide tranny, 36 gallon fuel tank on the coupe, off-road exhaust system, side mount exhaust system, telescopic steering column, power steering, cast aluminum bolt on wheels, redline tires, speed warning indicator, AM/FM radio.

The rear engine of the 67 Corvette was really the L88. Many people thought of this car as near to a racing motor for a production car that has ever been publicly released by Chevrolet. It can flat-out run like a scalded dog. It had 12:5:1 compression and a huge Holly 4 barrel carburetor. This nice motor could generate 560 hp at 6400 RPM but it had to be used with 103 octane racing fuel. Most people could not achieve the speed with the gasoline from their local gas station, but it undoubtedly showed a great deal of power anyway.

The year of 1967 was the year in which Corvette’s sales drop by 5000 units, due to a new redesign that was coming out. However, the 67 Corvette is considered one of the quintessential collector cars of all time. Its impact on the car collecting world has been tremendous.

Learn more about old cars for sale & 1967 Corvette for sale at Buy Old Cars.com. This article, 1957 Corvette Tidbits is released under a creative commons attribution licence.

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Country Boys And Girls Around Georgia Have Plenty Of Mustangs

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

I live in South Carolina, so I realize that there is certainly a lot of Ford Mustangs getting sold in Atlanta each and every day. It is because there is so many people that reside in the Atlanta Georgia region that it is nearly impossible to not to find a excellent bargain.

Considering the internet being as bad as it is,it is no longer necessary to drive all the way up to Atlanta to search around for the sports car you have always wanted. You can simply go online and do queries based on area if you are hoping to find that vehicle you would like in your own state (or any other).

Why are Mustangs preferred in Georgia? I have a idea. I recognize that country folks in Georgia really adore Ford Mustangs. They’re going crazy over them because they love how they drive on the open highway. The fact is, there’s a certain coolness that goes along with driving a Mustang in any event.

With the economic climate like it is, you’ll discover that there’s a lot more more private sellers that making the attempt to advertise their cherished Mustang on the net. It’s important that you check these listings quite often because they will be sold quickly. So do not wait around if you find what you want.

The Mustang is amongst the best vehicles you are able to drive on the highway that is street legal. They are dependable cars that will excite you as you drive them down the highway. It is no wonder they are so popular everywhere, not just Georgia.

The Ford Mustang is extremely luxurious and looks amazing. Really, nearly every calendar year looks good for the Mustang whenever you look back in its history. The traditional Mustang are in high demand with the “coolness” element, and even the later used cars seem to have the same type of mystic.

Don’t let the grass grow under your feet if you’re looking for a car online. Ford has created a number of fantastic Mustangs over the years and you can find them online very easily if you will look often.

Find Mustangs in Georgia and other Classic Cars on BuyOldCars.com Free reprint avaialable from: Country Boys And Girls Around Georgia Have Plenty Of Mustangs.

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Hybrid Cars And The Energy Crisis

Monday, June 14th, 2010

It has been said that not enough people are doing all they can do to fight against the energy crisis. Hybrid cars can help, but definitely not enough people are driving them. Here are a few things related to the energy crisis and how hybrid cars can help.

The U.S. isn’t doing enough really. The United States uses more fossil fuels than any other country in the world. However, most people believe that all of our energy problems can be solved if we would only look further into the oil deposits in Alaska or if we made full use of the recent oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hybrid cars make it so that we might not have to use other sources of energy to keep the economy afloat. Hybrid cars don’t cause Americans to use more fossil fuel. Instead, hybrid vehicles make Americans consume less fossil fuel.

Energy consumers just accept increasing fuel prices. People used to be concerned that fuel prices are much higher now than they were years ago. Now, however, people just accept the higher prices. In the meantime, cars are getting bigger and bigger. Car manufacturers are making trucks and SUV’s, which consume more petrol at the higher prices.

These vehicles use more fuel, but you wouldn’t believe just how many people won’t give up their gas-guzzling SUV. Hybrid cars do eventually cost their owners less to own than conventional vehicles do. So there is no need to worry about settling for being swindled by the oil companies.

Soon there could be an end to the “cheap oil period”. Soon, we could all be in too deep, because not only will we be in an fossil fuel crisis, but in a peak oil crisis too. During this peak oil crisis period, there will be petrol shortages and natural gas shortages as well. The major countries will need to compete against one another for whatever small amount of fuel remains.

Therefore, everyone may have some problems, and countries may have to compete for who gets oil and who does not. The peak petrol crisis can be put off, if more people just drove hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles ensure that people are not always having to be searching for oil. Furthermore, there are advances being made in hybrid technology all the time.

The plug-in hybrid cars, for example, might not even need oil at all one day. So, just in case we do have an energy crisis one day, Americans ought really to be spending the intervening time to finding a answer to the coming oil crisis in America. Hybrid cars are the method to avoid the energy crisis, and if countries still want to compete with each other over gas, at least America will know they attempted to slow the impending crisis by investing in hybrid vehicles.

So, that’s it then. America’s mass adoption of hybrid cars would ensure that Americans use less gas. But Americans also have yet to gain from the large amount of money being made from the manufacture of hybrid cars. The majority of popular hybrid cars come from Japan. Therefore, Americans need to attract that money back into the country by making hybrids at home and do something about the current energy crisis at the same time.

If you are interested in the insides of New Hybrid Vehicles, just visit our website on http://new-hybrid-vehicles.com Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

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