Archive for the ‘Electric Cars’ category

What is a Hybrid Vehicle?

December 8th, 2011

Green is the new way to think. Our society has started to become more aware of the effect we are having on our eco system. This is also true when it comes to what vehicles we are driving. Hybrid cars are the new trend for the future. Hybrids were first introduced by Toyota and Honda, now there are many different brands of hybrid vehicles available today.

A hybrid car is basically a normal fuel efficient car that has two motors. It has both an electric motor and a gasoline powered motor. It also contains an innovation system that captures braking energy to store in an onboard battery.

The reason there is two motors is because electric motors turn off when they are idle and gas motors do better at high speeds. Gas motors can also deliver more power. In the stop and go traffic a electric motor does great and does not produce any emissions. The gas motor charges the batteries while it is running.
In a hybrid vehicle the gas motor starts automatically when the battery gets low and charges the battery. A hybrid never has to be plugged into an outlet. Hybrids are more complex and tend to be more expensive. However, with the increase in popularity the price for a hybrid is going down. Hybrids can now be purchased for a reasonable price.

There are also incentives from the government to choose more fuel efficient and green cars like the hybrid. There are tax credits available and you can also save on car insurance. Some auto insurance companies reduce premiums on hybrid cars.

Hybrids are the most efficient of all gasoline vehicles. They usually get between 48 to 60mpg. The fuel efficiency comes from the aerodynamics, weight reduction and from smaller less powerful engines. With a hybrid you get the best of both worlds and get to same on fuel at the same time.

Ways to Erase Your Carbon Footprint

November 24th, 2011

Driving a car is a necessity in today’s society, but it also produces air pollution that is harmful to humans as well as our natural resources. The average car burns about 98 tons of fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are non renewable because they can’t be regenerated fast enough to keep up with the high demand of human consumption.

Your carbon footprint is the amount of deadly greenhouse gases which are measured in units of carbon dioxide. The Duke University conducted a study and over 97 million billion pounds of carbon dioxide was released into the air from fossil fuels in just one year.

A green vehicle will cut down on this problem and minimize your carbon footprint. When someone refers to a green car they are talking about a car that uses alternative fuel sources. A regular car uses petroleum fuel to run this is also known as fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are what is known as non renewable energy and releases harmful gases into the air. A green car uses other fuel sources which include bio-diesel, solar energy or electricity to run the car.

There are other benefits to driving a green vehicle besides helping to decrease greenhouse gases. They are cheaper to run and maintain. They do not contribute to acid rain and create less smog in the air. A green car is better for our environment and reduces global warming.

Others ways to decrease the greenhouse gases that are cause by driving vehicles that are not eco-friendly is to not drive at all whenever possible. You can walk whenever it is feasible and get exercise and help the earth at the same time. Sharing a ride is another way to help cut down on our carbon footprint.

Green cars are considered the “wave of the future” because of the way they are changing our thinking about what we drive. The green car concept makes everyone more aware of the environment and what we can do to help erase our carbon footprint.