Lightning Hybrid Cars

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Lexus hybrid vehicles are the consequence of better than 10 years of major scientific endeavours and specialized changes that eventually proved rewarding. The improved Lexus hybrid vehicles include the GS 450h saloon performance, the RX 400h SUV and the LS 600h saloon luxury flagship; all the three styles are a major mark to the consumer market that low emissions, ride proficiency, high power and energy benefits are possible in our century.

the top design from the Lexus hybrid models is the 1st type of car within its category not to mention that it also scores the record as the very 1st back wheel drive hybrid auto. This kind of car translates as little stress in the natural environment, yet also more rewards for person who rides it.

The fuel-powered engine works in combination with a quite sophisticated electrical engine that takes care of the operation of the auto from standstill to instant motion. Even if the engine is the 6.-liter model,

The Lexus hybrid engine proves outstanding by means of the quite low emission range. Apart from the environmental advantages that electrical vehicles stand for there are the major results and goal achievements of hybrid and electrical vehicles in general, and Lexus hybrid models also bring an large degree of enjoyment that is just specific to luxury vehicles such as the reclining ottoman or the Shiatsu massage system.

The power button in a Lexus hybrid will only activate the electric power system, and although you’ll be pressing the acceleration, there are no gas emissions whatsoever

the most important accomplishment in the creation of the Lexus hybrid vehicles is that the 2 power sources, electrical and fuel-based can be capable to work as one single system. This is reflected in the way the electronically controlled continuously variable transmission works allowing smooth acceleration possible without the inconvenience of changing gears several times. This kind of transmission equipment has a crucial impact in the saving energy properties specific to Lexus hybrid vehicles.

Furthermore, the noise level changes to very low levels, you’ll be operating a quiet vehicle that will not bother either the occupants or the neighbors.

How long can an electrical battery work properly? That is the main problem for anyone purchasing a Lexus hybrid. The manufacturer states that the battery power is designed for extended life usage: it is a 288V Nickel Metal-Hydride device that is located in the back part of the car so as to ensure a good weight distribution in the economy of the vehicle. eventually, a Lexus hybrid car are more silent and energy saving from acceleration to slowing down. When slowing down and you press the break pedal, the engine becomes a generator. motion power that is reduced and lost is captured and transformed into electrical energy that is sent back to the battery recharging

One of the most popular Hybrid cars on the market today is the Toyota Prius. It is both compact and economical, with a starting price of just $22,400. This price puts the Prius within the realms of possibility for the average, although environmentally-conscious, individual.

The third generation of Toyota Prius, the 2010 model, has EPA ratings of 51 miles per gallon in the city, and 49 miles per gallon on the highway. Even for a hybrid, that’s not bad, and it’s a step up from earlier years’ Toyota Prius models.

But a new pricing structure is lined up for this hybrid. The Toyota Prius I, II, III, IV, and V are reportedly already available.

The most economical model is the Toyota Prius I, which should run for around $21,000, while the Prius V starts at $27,670.

The new line of Priuses will include a range of features, but it gets better.. A solar-powered roof package is available for the Toyota Prius II, III, and IV Models – but not for the V.

The solar roof system costs between $3,600 and $4,500. It uses solar panels to supplement the vehicle’s power and to get even better mileage. This package also includes a solar-powered ventilation system, a navigation system, a power tilt/slide moon roof, and remote-control air conditioning (for those of us who just can’t be bothered to lean forward and turn the knob?)

With the combination of hybrid technology and solar power, a whole new range of fuel efficiency may be well within our grasp. The solar powered version is said to make mileages of up to 70 mpg possible, under ideal circumstances.

If you live in or often visit a sunny climate, the solar roof might go a long ways in reducing your gas bill and pollution emissions.

Under some (although somewhat theoretical) circumstances, the driver of a solar-powered Toyota Prius might never need to buy gas at all.

But at the very least, a driver of a solar powered Prius who uses the vehicle’s “eco” settings and follows basic guidelines can expect to stop for gasoline far less often – so infrequently, in fact, that he should probably take care not to forget to stop for gas at all.

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how they can live greener and more environmentally friendly lives.

To learn more, visit her blog, Green Gadget.

Source Article: Solar Powered Toyota Prius

Some companies are light years ahead of others by adding a little black box to their fleet vehicles.

A little black box the size of a Zippo cigarette lighter is plugged into a port below Chris Williams’ steering column. It lets him know how he’s doing behind the wheel and lets his employer make the company’s drivers safer and more fuel-efficient.

Williams, group leader of special projects for EnCana Corp.’s U.S. division, was surprised by his first driving report, delivered to his e-mail from the wireless device.

“I always said I thought I was a really good driver until I started receiving my scorecard,” said Williams, who works in the energy company’s Dallas office.

Williams, determined to improve his score, quit hitting the brakes so hard. He went from eight incidents of hard braking per hour in July to 3.3 in September. His overall score rose from 80 to 96 on a 100-point scale.

That’s the kind of improvement EnCana hopes to see as it rolls out use of the device that began as an experiment in Dallas and Denver, where the company financed a driving pilot project for the city.

“We saw some very positive results and felt like this was something we wanted to do divisionwide,” EnCana spokesman Doug Hock said.

The Canadian-based oil and gas producer is interested in saving gas, cutting pollution and, most importantly, keeping drivers safe, Hock said. “We had a vehicle fatality in Texas early this year,” he said.

EnCana teamed up with Denver last year in what was believed to be the first-of-its-kind experiment to test whether drivers could reduce emissions by adjusting their driving styles. The company gave the city a $400,000 grant for the project, which included 160 city vehicles, 240 private vehicles and 30 EnCana employees.

City officials said the results showed a 10 percent drop in vehicle emissions and overall better driving, including a 35 percent decrease in idling.

Denver-based Cartasite Inc. provided the telemetry technology to transmit data from the vehicles over the Internet. The company provides real-time tracking of vehicles and remote equipment, including offshore drilling rigs, for corporations.

The equipment Cartasite used for the pilot project included three brick-sized boxes and antennas in the car.

“We knew we wouldn’t be commercially viable unless we could reduce the technology,” said Cartasite CEO David Armitage.

A Chinese company repackaged the technology into a little black box named Rover — Realtime Onboard Vehicle Evaluation Reporting. The device tracks hard braking, rapid acceleration, speeding, idling, fuel efficiency and the amount of nighttime driving.

The company provides the service, including the device and drivers’ weekly scorecards, for $1.50 a day.

EnCana is expanding the service to all its U.S. vehicles — 575 total in Colorado, Louisiana, Texas and Wyoming.

Hock said a test run of 50 company vehicles in Texas over the summer showed an overall 35 percent reduction in idling time, resulting in a weekly $8.30 savings in fuel per vehicle. Hard braking dropped by 20 percent and the percentage of drivers deemed aggressive — initially 7 percent — was negligible at the end.

Some employees were concerned about “Big Brother” looking at their scorecards, Hock said. But EnCana is interested in tracking driving trends companywide, not focusing on individuals, he said.

“The individual data is really for that person for self improvement,” Hock said

Source AP Denver;
By JUDITH KOHLER
Associated Press Writer

So the long waiting lists and high prices for the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrids have turned you off a new hybrid? Don’t worry because used hybrids are now starting to hit the market and it may be a great chance to grab a bargain. There are some very important things to take into consideration before you jump into a used hybrid however.

Given that hybrids are new to the used car market, they have been somewhat of an unknown quantity. Figures from Kelley Blue Book are now showing that the depreciation of hybrids is significantly more than other used cars, with the Prius holding only 58% of its value after two years and 41% after five years, and the Civic Hybrid holding 60% after two years and 43% after five years. This compares to the gas-engined Civic which maintains 66% of its value after two years and 50% after five years. The good news is that buying a used hybrid will save even more money over buying a new model, however the depreciation continues and when you go to sell it, you will lose more than other vehicles on the road.

So why is the depreciation on Hybrids so high? There are a few factors at work here.

Firstly, the cost of replacing hybrid batteries is much more than other car batteries. The batteries on a hybrid store the energy that has been produced through regenerative braking, and use it when the car is running on electric. These need replacing after 8-10 years or 80,000 – 100,000 miles and it is a big investment, costing between $2000 and $5000. If you buy a hybrid car that is ready for a battery change, you may be slugged with a replacement cost that makes the savings of buying a used hybrid redundant.

Another important consideration is that hybrids are still more expensive to maintain because there are a lot fewer mechanics that are qualified to repair the completely different mechanical system. On the other hand, overall maintenance should be less than a regular gasoline car due to the reduced stress on the engine and the brakes in a hybrid.

The computer system of a hybrid is extremely sophisticated in order to manage the two engine systems and switch between them at the appropriate times. This relies on a system of sensors throughout the car and a central computer, and like all computers, things can easily go wrong. If the used hybrid is outside of its warranty period for computer maintenance, this could end up being an extremely expensive investment to repair it.

Finally, the insurance of a hybrid car is higher than other cars due to the high cost of maintenance.

Given these issues with used hybrids, it is even more important than with other cars to have the car fully inspected before you buy it, to understand exactly what you are buying and what kind of costs you will be up for. Hybrids are still surrounded by a fair degree of hype, so sellers will often be looking to add a premium just because it is a hybrid. To avoid this, be sure to research the true value of the car in Kelley Blue Book and other local selling guides and as with any other used cars, the better your homework, the more likely you are to get a great deal.

About The Author
Danielle Ali Shah is a contributor for Autotropolis, a full-range car buying and research site dedicated to providing car buyers with the information they need to navigate both the new and used car markets.

Visit the author’s web site at:
Autotropolis.com

VanDyne SuperTurbo, a member of the Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative’s incubator program, will design, develop and produce a hybrid superturbocharger that can deliver fuel savings of 25 percent in passenger vehicles and heavy-duty engines.

VanDyne SuperTurbo Inc. has just spun out of Fort Collins-based Woodward Governor, where the technology for the superturbocharger was developed during the past four years. The spinoff will bring the product to the high-volume automotive market, which does not fit in with Woodward’s core business lines of aerospace, and power generation and industrial controls. Woodward Governor will retain an equity position in the company.

The superturbocharger technology allows automotive companies to reduce the size of their engines while maintaining performance. Results have shown a 25 percent to 30 percent efficiency improvement for gasoline engines and a 7 percent to 10 percent improvement for diesel engines.

VanDyne SuperTurbo Inc. is effectively a new company determined to develop products that will help manufactures cut the fuel consumption and reduce the carbon emissions of their engines, no matter what fuel they are using. According to local reports, low-volume production is slated for late 2011.