Archive for November, 2011
Hybrid Cars History
Hybrid cars have been around in the U.S. for about 10 years; the best known and most popular hybrid is the Toyota Prius but most car manufacturers now make at least one hybrid model.
A hybrid car is a vehicle that is powered by two energy sources; namely gas and electricity. Open the hood of a hybrid car and you get to see a regular gas engine and an electric motor. Both work in conjunction with other.
When you are driving around town, or accelerate from a stop position the electric motor drives the car. As soon as the car reaches a certain speed the regular gas engine cuts in and takes over. The benefit of a hybrid car is you don’t have to find electric charging stations. The batteries that power the electric motor get recharged when the gas engine is working or when the car is free-wheeling, such as going down a hill. Additionally, when the car breaks, the electric motor acts as a power generator, which also charges the batteries.
Hybrid cars are the stepping stone between a regular gas car and a full electric car. Many observers believe that with ever dwindling oil supplies, the regular gas powered cars days are numbered. However, this is still some way off, because while there are several examples of electric cars around, their speed and low mileage between needing to get charged only makes them suitable for short distances in town.
Nonetheless, hybrid cars and the people who have bought them, has meant there has been exceptional investment in battery and electric motor technology. Hybrid car batteries still weigh a considerable amount and take up a lot a room, but over the past decade they are gradually getting smaller, lasting longer and charging faster. Read the rest of this entry »
Is it Smart to Drive Electric?
Posted by admin in Drive Electric on November 25, 2011
Unlike any other the smart car is still demanding our attention and proving that, despite being small they can keep up with the big dogs – in terms of what they offer us the consumer.
The Innovative Smart cars compact and distinguished appearance is still turning heads and triggering smiles amongst most drivers. you can even see its influence on other car manufacturers with the introduction of Toyota IQ and the Fiat 500. Other manufacturers may be jumping on the toy car wagon but they are soon again going to be left behind. Smart are set to turn a head or two and reignite the stir that they created when they first appeared on our roads back in 1998, by introducing a new generation of the quirky roadster- soon to be available in electric! Introduced as the Smart Electric Drive.
Smarts ethos from the beginning of its life has been to get the best out of motoring while making minimal impact on the environment. (And of course, having fun while doing it.) So I expect that it comes as no surprise to most of you that the Smart journey would end up going down the electric route!
Smarts brand mission from the beginning has been to get the best out of motoring while making minimal impact on the environment. (And of course, having fun while doing it.) It was only a matter of time until their dream became a reality.
Like your favorite everyday appliances, phones, laptops, the Smart Electric Drive will need a hearty charge of 8 hours, so probably over night ideally, it will then drive for up to 84 miles before it needs hooking up to the mains again. So where’s the plug? Tucked away under the old petrol cap! Read the rest of this entry »
Water Fuel Technology – The Future of Hybrid Cars
Posted by admin in Fuel Technology on November 21, 2011
Hey, Dave here. Have you ever wondered why other technologies seem to advance rapidly while car companies continue to make vehicles that are still getting the same crappy gas mileage they were 40 years ago? Today car manufacturers boast about their latest line of electric hybrid cars, which I will admit are a great step in the right direction, although I still believe they can do much better.
Over the past few decades many different types of hybrid cars have been developed. Besides the popular gas/electric version, there are a few other methods that have been implemented to produce high mileage vehicles. Some of these methods include the use of compressed air, liquid propane, E85 ethanol, and the more recent water powered hybrid car. While all of the above mentioned technologies have proven very effective methods for increasing fuel economy, in this article I am going to focus on the use of water as a means to improve gas mileage in modern internal combustion engines.
The use of water as a fuel source is by no means a new concept. Hydrogen and oxygen molecules are extracted from water through the use of electrolysis, a process which is well over 100 years old. In 1800, William Nicholson and Johann Rutter were the first researchers to extract hydrogen and oxygen from water. This mixture of hydrogen and oxygen (called hydrogen) is very powerful and remains the cleanest form of fuel in the universe, as the byproduct of combustion is nothing more than water vapor.
When gas prices skyrocketed back in 2008, water fuel technology was successfully implemented by backyard mechanics as a method of increasing a vehicles gas mileage. This radical new concept uses a device called an HHO Generator, which uses electrolysis to split the hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water. This HHO gas mixture is then directed into the engines air intake manifold, where it can mix together with the gasoline to provide a more complete and powerful fuel burn. Read the rest of this entry »