Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Are Hybrid Cars Right for You – The Advantages of Owning One

Many people today now think that it is impractical to own a car. With the rising gasoline prices coupled with a poorly performing economy, you too would think twice before purchasing a car. You’d rather get a bike or just use the public transportation system to get around the city. However, have you ever considered that there are cars today that are very fuel
efficient? These cars are called hybrid cars.

So, just what exactly is a hybrid car?

First and foremost, a hybrid car is just like your ordinary car. However, instead of having only one motor to propel the car, it will have two motors. One is a gasoline motor that you will normally find in all conventional cars, and the other is an electric motor.

By combining these two motors, this particular car will have better gas mileage. It will also have batteries installed that power the electric motor. In the past, these batteries were charged by plugging it in your conventional home electric outlet. However, later models were developed where more advanced batteries were installed and is charged using the car’s wasted energy. The energy used is from the gasoline engine and also the energy that would normally be lost during braking or decelerating.

Depending on certain factors, the car will use either the gasoline or the electric engine. Factors include the speed the car is currently running. Sometimes, the car will even use both systems to provide extra boost to the car without using too much extra fuel.

The result would be better gas mileage and less carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional cars that is only powered by a conventional gasoline engine. For example, the 2006 Honda Civic gets about 50 miles to the gallon on the highway. When compared to the 2003 Honda Civic model, the 2006 model is 14 miles to the gallon better. So, in every 12,000 miles, you will be able to save 69 gallons of gasoline as well as 258 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year.

If you are the type of person who is concerned about the environment and you also want to save money on gasoline, then hybrid cars is for you. With this car, you will be able to enjoy better gas mileage, which will allow you to save a lot of money on gasoline.
Also, you will be doing the environment a favor as you will have a car that emits lower levels of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming.

However, you have to keep in mind that hybrid cars today can cost about 5 thousand dollars more than a conventional car of the same type or weight class.

Although this may seem heavy for some people, you have to remember that in the long run, getting a hybrid vehicle can be a lot cheaper.

Not only will you enjoy better gas mileage, but you will also see that the government is providing huge tax breaks for people who own hybrid cars.

Many people fear that hybrid cars are very costly to maintain or repair. Also, they fear that the insurance cost will be a lot higher than in conventional cars. However, research has shown that the maintenance cost for hybrid vehicles are no higher than conventional cars. And, because hybrid car owners are less likely to be involved in vehicular accidents, insurance companies today are now offering discounts to owners of hybrid cars.

So, if you are ever on the market for a car, you might want to consider hybrid cars. With this, you will not only enjoy huge savings on gasoline and tax breaks, but you will also contribute a lot on the environment. Remember these things and you will be able to know if hybrid cars are definitely for you.

Friday, October 9, 2009

3 Reasons Why People Are Now Buying Electric Cars

When people hear the words electric cars, they normally think about futuristic looking cars like the cars they see in movies. However, you need to consider the fact that the concept of electric cars is almost as old as the concept of car itself.

Ever since the invention of the first car, people have been experimenting on the different ways on how to power the car and the electricity powered car was one of those experiments. Back then, the batteries were rather primitive or crude and it really didn’t last long. Also, recharging the batteries was expensive and it took a very long time. These are the reasons why electric cars back then didn’t really catch up with people and the car powered by the internal combustion engine was more convenient, efficient and a lot cheaper.

Today however, electric cars are far more advanced than what was available in the past. Thanks to the advancement of battery cell technology, electric cars today are now able to go faster, further, and last longer. And, the batteries can be charged at a very short period of time. In addition to that, electric cars today are a lot cheaper to power than gasoline powered car.

This is the first reason why electric cars today are fast gaining popularity among a lot of people.

You have to consider the fact that the country or the whole world is going through a financial crisis. With gasoline prices constantly fluctuating and because people want to save as much money as they can, a lot of people are now getting rid of their gasoline powered car and they are exchanging it for electric cars.

Another reason why people are now buying electric cars is to enjoy the tax breaks and other benefits that the federal and state government offers. In order to lessen the dependence of the country on foreign petroleum products, the federal government is encouraging people to buy electric cars by offering huge tax breaks on people who owns and uses electric cars. In some states, they also offer benefits to people who drive electric cars, such as exemptions from carpool lane requirements and free parking on parking meters and pay parking lots.

If you think about it, you will be able to save a lot of money on taxes and also get a lot of convenience as you will be able to use the carpool lane anytime.

You also have to admit the fact that a lot of people are concerned about the environment. And, because of global warming and climate change, more and more people are actively getting involved in contributing to stopping global warming and climate change. And, one of the best ways to do it is to go electric.

Gasoline powered cars or cars that burn fuel through the internal combustion engine produces carbon dioxide, which go up to the atmosphere. This produces the greenhouse gas, which contribute to global warming and climate change.

Because people are getting concerned about the environment, more and more people are now buying electric cars as this doesn’t emit anything harmful to the environment.

These are the 3 reasons why people are now buying electric cars and why electric cars are getting more and more popular than ever before. Whether you want to save money or you want to give something back to the environment, the electric car can provide you with both.