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All new design of a Two Cylinder opposed more efficient engine, designed by former Volkswagen executive.  This is coming soon to the automobile industry and not soon enough for our fuel consuming readers.

Bill Gates and other investors have just added a much needed boost to bring this engine dubbed the OPOC^TM (Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder) in to production.  According to a CruchBase article regarding the $23.5 Million invested by Gates and Khosla Ventures it appears as though we will be seeing this predicted 100 MPG engine in production.

The simple process of how this engine works by using four pistons all linked together within two cylinders that automatically balance each other out thereby increasing efficiency and power.

The company that will be building and marketing this engine is named EcoMotors and you may watch the descriptive videos by going to their website.  Prof. Peter Hofbauer, EcoMotors CEO provides the video.

We wish them great success.

For the American market the hybrid minivan is still elusive. But there is hope. Hyundai presented their newest model at the Paris Auto show. This Korean manufacturer presented the world with a hybrid minivan named the Santa Fe. It will be available in Korea the summer of 2009 with possible expansion to America later in the year.

For those of us that think Green, this little hybrid minivan only produces just over ½ lb of CO2 emissions per mile driven. Reports have the fuel mileage being between 38 and 44 mpg.

This entire savings comes from a 2.4 L conventional engine joined with a 40 horsepower electric motor. The electric motor is capable of 151 pounds of torque. This power train is managed by a six speed automatic transmission with an additional 30 kW electric motor.

Since this is a new hybrid vehicle, the engineers developed it with the latest technology available. This includes the best battery system now in use. The new 270V lithium polymer batteries have an increase in density, which helps them hold a charge longer than the conventional nickel-lead batteries.

To help with the fuel efficiency friction was reduced in all areas of the drive train and cooling system. In addition, just like the GM 2-mode hybrid system, when the car is at idle, only the electric motor is running. The conventional engine is switched off to conserve fuel.

The Santa Fe’s all new features and drive train are packaged in the same body and frame as its conventional counterpart. This can only mean all of the increases in fuel mileage and improvements were engineered into the new systems.

So look for the first hybrid minivan in the American market in late 2009.

Consider the New Hybrid Vehicles, are you going to purchase one?

There are 6 official new hybrid vehicles in the year 2009 for the American market. Five are from domestic manufacturers and one from European origin.  The Toyota Sienna is still being postponed. The list is:

1) The Cadillac Escalade hybrid. This full size SUV is only available in 2-wheel drive and comes standard with a 6L 8-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. A combined fuel mileage of 20 mpg and a suggested retail price of $73,135-$87,435.

2) The Chevrolet Silverado 15 hybrid. This full size truck is available in both 2 and 4 WD. Standard 6L 8-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission. A combined fuel mileage of 21 mpg for the 2-wheel version and 20 mpg for the 4-wheel version. Suggested retail price of $38,020-$47,305.

3) The Chrysler Aspen HEV. This full size SUV comes standard with a 4.8L 8-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. A combined fuel mileage of 21 mpg and a suggested retail price of $45,270.

4) The Dodge Durango HEV. This full size SUV comes standard with a 4.8L 8-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. A combined fuel mileage of 21 mpg and a suggested retail price of $45,040.

5) The GMC Sierra 15 hybrid. This full size truck is available in both 2 and 4 WD. Standard 6L 8-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission. A combined fuel mileage of 21 mpg for the 2-wheel version and 20 mpg for the 4-wheel version. Suggested retail price of $38,390-$47,675.

6) The Mercedes-Benz ML450 hybrid. This medium size SUV comes standard with a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 340HP. The fuel mileage is forecast to be 30.5 mpg and the suggested retail price is in the neighborhood of $50,000.

All six new models utilize the same technology that was developed in a cooperative effort of GM and Daimler Chrysler called Two-Mode Hybrid. This hybrid system reduced fuel consumption by supplying some of the energy of the drive train from the battery.

We would love to hear some reports from people that have purchased any of these new hybrid vehicles.  Are they worth the money?  Did you buy one to save money on fuel or just to help the environment?

Some company’s talk about the future and some of them embrace it. Coca Cola announced on March 4, 2009 that they would increase their hybrid electric truck fleet by 185 vehicles. This brings the total number of hybrid electric trucks in the Coca Cola fleet to 327.

This is in line with the corporate strategy that Coca Cola has followed. They lead by example of being ecologically responsible and use sustainable practices. There are different areas of focus now employed by Coca Cola to make the company eco-friendly. This includes being environmentally conscious by conserving energy, a packaging/recycling program and being a good water steward.

Conserving energy is where the hybrid electric truck fleet comes into the picture. With 142 delivery vehicles that weigh 16.5 ton gross that have been switched to hybrid electric propulsion, the energy conservation is significant. Each hybrid truck produces a third less emissions and operates solely on electric power at speeds less than 30 mph. The hybrid system is developed and supplied by Eaton Corporation and uses a parallel hybrid system that utilizes both the electric and conventional engines to get the most fuel-efficiency out of them.

This idea was initiated back in 2001. After an extensive testing and evaluation period the fleet grew to 142 by 2008. Now up to 327 across the nation, this hybrid electric truck fleet is reducing emissions and setting an eco friendly corporate standard that should be followed by others.

Coca Cola was awarded the “Orion Energy Systems Environmental Stewardship Award” in early January of this year. I just hope more corporations will follow the example of Coca Cola and introduce a fleet of hybrid electric trucks of their own.

Thanks to Greenhybridelectricvehicle.com for the basis of this story.

Enjoy a drive in a high performance hybrid electric car. For some reason that just does not sound right, but it is true. They are out there and soon to be available to you, if you have the money.

Ferrari has been developing their cars since the beginning of the company. Ferrari has been winning in Formula One consistently starting in 1951. Since that first win there have been 208 more wins with 203 pole positions and 218 fastest laps. All of these are records for any one team. Since Formula One is the most advanced form of racing with the stiffest competition in the world, this all-time leading winner knows how to get the most performance out of a car. Now they are developing systems for hybrid electric cars.

The leak came out early this year from the Geneva Motor Show. The Ferrari 599XX may have some form of the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) system deployed on the car. It is not a surprise since the Ferrari Formula One team is currently developing and using this system on their race cars.

If that was not inspiring enough there was additional news from the Paris Motor Show.
The Peugeot RC Hvmotion4 concept car claims 52.3 mpg from this hybrid electric vehicle. The performance part is 62 mph in 4.4 seconds. This is from a 1.6L conventional engine with 218 hp and 206 lb of torque powering the rear wheels. From the front wheels is a 70 kW electric motor that supplies an additional power of 132 lb-ft of circular motion.

This is all being developed because it helps the cars go faster and perform better. The side effect is that the vehicles produce fewer emissions and use less fossil fuel. So going green is beneficial for performance. I really like this trend. I cannot wait till my hybrid electric car reaches this better level of performance. I hope it will be soon.

When features like KERS start to be used in the racing world you can be sure that commercial developments in this area will be following right along.

Automobile mileage

Well the best automobile mileage is settled. Honda’s FCX Clarity has won the 2009 World Green Car of the year with a vehicle that gets automobile mileage of equivalent to 72 mpg. This is not a hybrid car nor an electric car but a fuel cell car. Honda introduced this car as a concept vehicle back in 2007 at the Los Angeles car show.

Unlike other high fuel mileage cars that are usually small this is a luxury sedan. It has some similarities to an Accord until you become seated in the passenger cabin. This model is equipped with seat heaters and coolers, satellite radio, voice activated navigation and an adaptive cruise control. The futuristic display has a color changing energy ball that increases in size with the more energy the car is consuming.

This fuel cell car starts with the touch of a button and makes a whoosh sound from the air compressor. The top speed is 100 mph, which is set by a governor to prevent excessive speeds, but it is capable of more.

The automobile fuel mileage of a hydrogen fuel cell is rated the same as a gasoline engine since the density a kilo of hydrogen is approximately the same as gasoline. With this in mind this car has a fuel mileage of 65 mpg on the highway and 70 in the city with a range of 280 miles. One of the major draw backs is the cost of hydrogen is presently at the equivalent to $10 a gallon. But on the reverse side the major plus is all of the emissions are just water.

There are a number of these cars being leased for $600 a month in California and it will be available soon to the public. The big stumbling blocks are hydrogen fueling stations and the cost of hydrogen. The future is here for Americans and you can have an automobile mileage vehicle with plus 70-mpg and zero emissions if you want.

If you are looking for hybrid vehicle information for a way to go green, then first you must decide what is important to you. With 20 different models to choose from, the hybrid vehicle is coming of age. Hybrid sales have grown dramatically since their first introduction in 2000. There were 9,367 vehicles sold that first year. The number has grown rapidly to be over 330,000 sold in the year 2007.

The best selling hybrid for the year 2008 was the Toyota Prius with 158,884 cars purchased. The Toyota Camry was the second best seller at 44,384. This places Toyota as leader in sales by far with over half of all hybrid sales going to this one company. But not surprising, the third, fourth, fifth and sixth place goes to manufacturers from Japan also. But what are American companies doing?  We are still waiting for that answer but a hybrid Tahoe/Yukon was seventh in sales with 3683 vehicles sold. This is a hybrid with a fuel economy hovering around 20 mpg.

Good news for Americans is that there is a cooperative agreement from the Electric Power Research Institute and the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority to develop and put in place an information collection program on the operations of electric and hybrid buses and infrastructure.  This will be an electronic database to share the wealth of information on the subject that will be used for the public good.

With a mass transit system using electric and hybrid vehicles, A large portion of the emissions generated in all of the cities of America will be reduces. This is a positive step and has already been expanded to include buses that use alternative fuel sources.

This is a great step forward for America. Now I hold my breath when I am near a bus as it pulls away from a stop.  If only the car manufactures of this country could share hybrid vehicle information and start competing with the Japanese.

The last weekend in March of 2009 was the first Formula One race of the season. With new racing regulations come new devices including the Kinetic Energy Recovery System ( KERS ), will they make a difference? The testing being done in the racing circuit will result in a new way to go green for your personal automobile.

There are two different KERS systems deployed at this race, the mechanical and the electrical.  Most teams are deploying the electrical, which takes the kinetic energy from the process of braking and converting it to electricity.  This electrical energy is stored in a battery. When this stored power is released it is by using the stored energy to an electrical motor that is attached to the drive train.  This sounds simple and efficient.

The second type is more mechanical. This system takes the same kinetic energy from braking and then this energy is stored in a flywheel that is said to spin at between 40,000 and 100,000 rpm. This spinning power can instantly be released into the drive train and an increase in speed will occur instantly. The Williams team is the only Formula One team utilizing this type of system. In testing this team claims this boost will reduce lap times by 0.3 seconds.

The only team formally announcing they will utilize this new technology during the race is Renault. The BMW and Red Bull teams have both reported mechanics receiving electrical shocks from the body and chassis of the racecars, but implementation of the KERS device is still planned to proceed.

In racing, results are everything and with the first day of time trials in Australia one team has the fastest two times, Williams. I wonder why.  This could be a sign of good things to come for the world’s environment. Big money investments mean more and faster advancement of green energy. This KERS system could be on your vehicle within a decade.

The GMC Hybrid Cars utilize the first two-mode hybrid propulsion system in any full size vehicle in production today. This technology is patented and has helped to improve the fuel mileage of the Yukon and Tahoe full size SUV’s without losing any of their pulling power or size in the interior. The control module of the drive train monitors the power demand and with smooth precision the appropriate operating power mode is engaged.

This is a sure way to go green with a hybrid SUV.  The two-mode system is divided to maximize fuel efficiency without the loss of power.

1) Mode 1: This mode is low speed, idle and light power loads. There are actually three different modes within this mode. For the very light power loads, only the electric motor is supplying power. At the appropriate load limit the conventional engine engages and assists the electric motors. And at a heavy power load requirement only the conventional engine is supplying power.
2) Mode 2: This is the mode for which there is a high power load demanded. The full power of the v8 engine is engaged for situations as when passing on the highway, towing a trailer or ascending up an incline.

Other features of this hybrid include the KERS technology. This system utilizes the kinetic energy lost during the braking process and channels it to the battery. The Vortec V8 engine also has a new and improved Active Fuel Management System to optimize use of the fuel. The aerodynamics of the body is also improved to have a better streamlining effect. To monitor all the new systems, there is a hybrid monitor display visible for the driver to use.

The highway fuel economy is relatively unchanged. The big savings is in the city driving with an increase of nearly 30% better fuel mileage. This GMC hybrid is making its move in the full size market.

I have been a big fan of Jason Calacanis for a couple of years now after hearing him on Leo LaPorte’s twit.tv podcasts.  Jason is a brilliant serial entrepreneur who has a very high degree of business, financial and life in general insight.  Jason is the CEO and driving force behind Mahalo which is a search engine with real people answers.

From the Team Jason Newsletter just released and used here with permission, I would like to make our readers aware of some new developments in the fabulous XPRIZE contest to develop a practical automobile that will be able to achieve 100 miles per gallon of gasoline.

Read the following news release on this subject and then become an activist yourself and insist that the government get involved and put up some serious money to back the top 50 competitors which will give a huge boost to the automotive industry at a time when it is so badly needed.

Team Jason,

all the best,
Jason

A new hybrid car intended for the American market for 2010 is the Audi Q5. In an unusual move, the American market was chosen as the testing grounds for this new Audi. This is a departure from what most manufactures do. Like the Japanese manufacture Toyota. The American market is screaming for a hybrid minivan and Toyota has three in the Japanese market but none for the American market.

The new Audi is looking to compete with the Lexus 400 hybrid and the BMW X6 hybrid. I could find no details or specifications on this new hybrid vehicle but I did find many references to the management of Audi thinking the future was in diesel engine. The head of the powertrain development for Volkswagen (the parent company of Audi) Wolfgang Hatz was quoted as saying, “If you look at what you have to spend to get the advantage of the hybrid and what you have to spend on other technologies like diesel, the diesel is much more cost-effective,” he further stated “We have to do hybrids in order to show people that we are able to do them.” Wow, what a loaded statement.

Audi, the car manufacturer that gave us the Quad 4, is making the same mistake Xerox did when they did not pursue their original version of windows or Motorola that sold the VHS technology to a Japanese firm. One thing is for sure, Volkswagen does know diesels, but as for the hybrid vehicle, I will chose a manufacturer that embraces the new technology. Not one that feels it is forced to manufacture one. My new hybrid car next year will definitely not be an Audi.

In the year 2008, hybrid cars came of age. In America for the first time in 16 years, a car was the top seller, not a truck. But that is not all that the year 2008 will be remembered for. The roller coaster ride for consumers and investors that came from wide fluctuations in the price of oil and Wall Street instability left us all wondering what was next.  The biggest surprise of all was “Green Car of the Year” was awarded to a V-8 full size hybrid SUV with a combined fuel mileage of 20 mpg

A milestone was also achieved by Toyota last year. The announcement came on May 15, 2008 that more than 1,000,000 Prius have been sold worldwide. With the U.S. Congress approving an increase in the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency to 35 mpg by the year 2020 with a benchmark of 31.5 mpg to be achieved by 2015 the Big Three must respond soon.

GM introduced 6 new models to their hybrid fleet. All but one was a full size vehicle. Chrysler also made 2 new hybrid models, but just like GM, they were full size hybrid models. From the Japanese manufacturer Honda, the announcement came that the all-new Insight will be reintroduced into the American market to compete with the Toyota Prius.

Looking back on the year, one could see a pattern. The American consumer purchased small fuel-efficient vehicles from Japan. The U.S. Government is mandating better fuel efficiency for the future of the automobile industry in America. Investors and consumers are worried about the instability and weakening of the U.S. economy. The Big three from Detroit still think the American consumer wants a big vehicle.

There was a bright sign that the boys from Detroit have finally received the message. Unlike the previous trip in corporate jets that were used as transport to capital hill, this time the CEO’s arrived in hybrid vehicles with their hands out to ask for more bail out money from the U.S. taxpayer. I think they finally understand that the 2008 hybrid cars are the turning point and this trend should continue.

In America, Chrysler is the leading manufacturer in the mini van market, but have yet to develop a hybrid mini van. Since 2005, Chrysler executives have been shown that the American market is in need of a hybrid minivan and the profit potential is great. They have been encouraged to embrace the hybrid technology and reminded that the minivan is the only untapped hybrid market left.

With this in mind let me introduce the first scheduled but often-postponed entrance to the American minivan hybrid market for 2009, the Toyota Siena.

Toyota already has three different minivans available in the Japanese market. The drive train from this smaller Estima minivan is the likely candidate for use in the larger Siena for the American market. A 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine will be the standard engine used. This hybrid minivan will also be equipped with a four-wheel drive train called the “e-four”. This is a rear-mounted, rear-wheeled electrically propelled motor, which controls and supplies the distribution of power to all four wheels.

This minivan also comes standard with electronically controlled braking system that optimizes the wheel-by-wheel efficiency of the vehicle’s regenerative braking system. This is all packaged in an aerodynamic body with an insulated roof and a humidity sensing air conditioning system.

The expected fuel economy will be in the range of 40 mpg. This is what the American market has needed for some time, a true hybrid minivan.

As for Chrysler, they did enter the hybrid market with the Dodge Durango and the Chrysler Aspen in the late summer of 2008.  By the end of that year, all production had ceased. The American market will still have to wait for an American made hybrid minivan.

www.Hybridcars.com, Toyota Sienna Hybrid

The EZ GO Golf Cart has been supplying this country with non-polluting electric golf carts since 1954. The main purpose of this cart’s development was to enhance the golfing experience. The first carts were developed a one-room machine shop in Grovetown Georgia. The design was added by drawings of the technology used to provide power to the flaps of the U.S. Army’s B-17 aircraft.

In 1961 this small company became part of the multi-industrial company Textron. Textron was a multi million-dollar global company that had the resources to help the EZ-GO with the necessary resources to expand its operations.

Now over 60 years later this global world-class company is still delivering high quality non-polluting carts for golf and more. The E-Z Go-carts are used at Universal Orlando, the Hilton as well as other theme parks and stadiums. With over 24 models to choose from there is a model for your needs.

The frames of these vehicles are made from welded steel or of welded tubular design. The bodies are made of injected molded acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, thermoplastic elastomer, injected molded geloy, fiberglass or steel. Either a 36-volt or 48-volt power sources is used for the electric versions power supplies with 2.5hp motor for the main drive.  Seating accommodations are for 2 passengers to 8 depending on the model purchased. Payloads of up to 1000 lbs can be safely transported with the Industrial 1000 cart.

The manufacturing of these non-polluting carts are certified ISO9001: 2000 and ISO 140001:2004. Parts and service are available at your local dealers, which are located through out the nation.

The EZ-GO Golf Carts are the world’s largest manufacturer of golf cart and utilities vehicles. This all electric non-polluting electric green vehicle is used in industry, event transportation and personal uses and is environmentally friendly.

Toyota is the leader in the automobile world of hybrid engineering. With the best selling hybrid vehicle, the Prius, I am excited with what they are doing in the truck division. The A-BAT is still in the concept stages but made an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show last year. The outward look was futuristic and sleek.

It is said to have a four-cylinder power plant on a unibody frame. Equipped with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive Technology, this hybrid was designed with fuel economy in mind or at least the bases for fuel economy is there.  With translucent solar panels in the top surface of the instrument panel to convert the sunlight to energy this could be the way of the future.

The overall appearance is what caught my eye. Described as a trapezoid appearance with 19-inch wheels, this is one tough looking truck. With an illuminated tailgate and storage lockers in the bed walls, sliding tie downs, an AC power outlet, and a large sliding drawer beneath the bed, this is a work truck that looks great.

Inside the cab there are both AC and DC power outlets to allow for use with almost any application or device one might need. Being Wi-Fi capable this truck will keep you in contact no matter where you go either by back road, trail, or the highway.

With no fuel data I am still waiting to see if this is truly a green truck. Knowing the people at Toyota, I can be assured their idea of green is better most and this will be the truck to move into the future with.

With a first of its kind for Formula One racing, the promotion of “Make Cars Green” is an attempt to lessen the impact the automobile has on the environment by educating drivers and developing new technologies. Formula One is determined to help the environment with promotions that are on a world’s stage like their races. The visual part of the first promotion was the green strip on the hard compound Bridgestone tires that were used at the F1 race at the Fuji raceway last year in Japan.

The 2008 Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton state, “the campaigns help to show us we can all drive in a greener way.” He went on to say “the sport can also help in other ways, especially with the launch of new energy-efficient technologies next season.”

For those who are unaware that technological developments in Formula One cars trickle down to the passenger cars we drive after it is economical feasible to do so. One good example is the aerodynamics of the cars we drive. Racing teams developed this to hold the cars down on the track better to improve cornering first developed this technology

One of the key developments for use in the new hybrid cars is the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). This will be deployed on Formula One cars in 2009. This has been in development for a few years now and is already making a difference in production vehicles.

The “Make Cars Green” campaign has the full support of not only Formula One but also the FIA President Max Mosley. He has been quoted saying, ”New rule changes, along aside the support for awareness-raising initiatives such as the Make Cars Green Campaign, will change the face of motorsports and place it at the very heart of environmental developments in the automobile sector”.

The BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said: “Devices such as KERS are important in motorsport” He continued with “BMW is in Formula One not just for marketing reasons but also because the F1 program can create technology synergies and innovations which can be carried over to road car development.” and “If you look at what is required by future road cars, fuel economy/CO2 reduction is the top objective right now and for the foreseeable future.” Further more ”So it is clear that if we can do something in this area in F1 we will really benefit from it. “

With this type of big money help and exposure, it will become popular and the in thing to do to find ways to help the environment.

For that greener driving, Chrysler offers six separate models of GEM battery-electric vehicles to chose from. This is a low-speed all electric vehicle that is perfect for neighborhood or industrial plant transportation needs. With a top speed of 25 miles per hour, they are street legal on almost all 50 states on streets with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less.

This green vehicle has a travel range of 30 miles on a single charge. For convenience, the plug-in is a standard 110 volts hook-up and a charging converter located on each vehicle. With a six to eight-hour recharge time, it is ready to use everyday.

Unlike most vehicles today, this car is completely assembled at the Fargo, North Dakota plant making it distinctly an American car. With hundreds of thousands of miles of testing done by Chrysler, this vehicle delivers a safe, reliable mode of transportation that never produces any green house emissions.

With over 150 dealerships providing sales and service, this vehicle is available to anyone wishing this green alternative for their short-range travel needs. With a price range from less than $7,400 to $11,500, this is an affordable option that will help the owner reduce their carbon footprint on the world. This vehicle also offers a complete range of options and accessories to make your ride comfortable and safe. These include radios, heated seats, tilt steering wheels, PA systems, seat belts and a wide variety of lights and mirrors.

New for the year 2009 is a 10% federal tax credit for the purchase of a GEM Electric car. This is available throughout the entire year of 2009. There are nearly 40,000 all electric vehicles today in America. Is this the day to join this group of GEM owners for you?

What do you think of this Gem of an electric car?

For the year 2009 there is a wide variety of new hybrid cars to choose from. There are different ways to put all the models in categorically form for comparison. The following is by fuel mileage.

For the consumer that is looking for the best fuel economy from their hybrid car, there are two models to choose that rate between 40 and 50 mpg:
1) Toyota Prius is equipped with a 1.5L engine with fuel economy at 45-city, 48-highway, and retail price of $22,000 – $24,270.
2) Honda Civic is equipped with a 1.3L engine with fuel economy at 40-city, 45-highway and retail price of $23,650.

If the consumer would like more choices but still receive relative good fuel economy there at 4 different models to choose from that rate between 30 and 40 mpg:
1) Chevrolet Malibu is equipped with a 2.4L engine with fuel economy at 22-city, 30-highway, and retail price of $21,605 – $26,880.
2) Nissan Altima is equipped with a 2.5L engine with fuel economy at 33-city, 35-highway, and retail price of $26,650.
3) Saturn Aura is equipped with a 2.4L engine with fuel economy at 26-city, 34-highway, and retail price of $26,240.
4) Toyota Camry is equipped with a 2.4L engine with fuel economy at 33-city, 34-highway, and retail price of $26,150.

This class still provides an increase in fuel economy but size and performance is not compromised to achieve it. These cars get between 20 and 30 mpg:
1) Lexus GS450H is equipped with a 3.5L engine with fuel economy at 22-city, 25-highway, and retail price of $56,400.
2) Lexus LS600h is equipped with a 5.0L engine with fuel economy at 20-city, 22-highway, and retail price of $105,885.

All of these hybrid cars come with a variety of options and accessories. But from looking at the cars above and the engines offered, except for the Toyota Prius, there is a direct correlation between engine size and fuel mileage. The Toyota hybrid system statistically has the advantage. So chose your new hybrid car with what you feel is your priority.

The definition of electric hybrid vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle is that this vehicle has combined conventional propulsion with a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS). The RESS has to be capable of improving its fuel economy over that of a conventional vehicle.

Unlike the first hybrid vehicles to come out to the market, today’s version does not just rely on a conventional engine and electric batteries. With advances modern technology, the kinetic energy from the braking system is now converted to electricity. In addition many use the electric motors during idling time to reduce not only fuel consumption but also emissions.

Most hybrid vehicles have a smaller displacement conventional engine than their non-hybrid counterparts. This in itself increases fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.

What most people do not realize is that the hybrid vehicle has been around for over 100 years. Ferdinand Porsche produced the first hybrid in 1901. He utilized a gasoline engine to power electric motors mounted on the wheels.

In 1915 Woods Motor Vehicle had a 4-cylinder internal combustion engine along with an electric motor that used both for propulsion of the vehicle. This vehicle ran on pure electric power until reaching a speed of 15 mph when the main engine would engage propelling the vehicle to an amazing 35 mph for that time.

Erich Gaichen made the most amazing hybrid vehicle in 1931. This hybrid car combined an electric motor and compressed air powered motor to propel and recharge the battery.  The battery was recharged by the electric motor when the vehicle was traveling down an incline.  A compressed air cylinder could also charge the battery if no incline was within reach at the needed recharging point of the battery. The vehicles vibrations also activated several small air pumps that recharged the air cylinder itself.

It is true that the modern era of the hybrid did start in the 1960’s by Victor Wouk. But the true reach into history of the electric hybrid vehicle starts back in 1901.

Considered the best hybrid car by consumers is the Toyota Prius. This is based on sales and a satisfaction rating of nearly 98%.  Since its introduction in 2003, this gas-electric hybrid has found a solid market in United States with being third in overall sales of all cars.

New for 2010 is the third generation version with an increase in power. The engine displacement was increased from 1.5L to 1.8L. This translates to an increase of 50hp to 160 over the previous model. Unlike conventional cars, the larger engine delivers an increase in fuel mileage. All this with an additional increase in over size of the vehicle shows that smart engineering is in demand and doable.  Also new this year is the bragging right of the Prius to claim to be the only vehicle today that can deliver over 50 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving.

The smart engineering was utilized when the engineers keep the overall weight of the vehicle down and has the best aerodynamics of any production vehicle being produced anywhere in the world. For those that wish to have zero emissions, there is also a situation during driving that offers all electric propulsion. The only two draw backs appears that the Prius still lacks plug-in capability and the electrical side is still powered by nickel metal hydride batteries.

With his year’s model being longer, taller and wider, occupants will feel more comfortable and relaxed while riding or driving this vehicle. With a new optional moon-roof that is fitted with solar panels that provides the power to the ventilation system, this car is truly green. This is the best hybrid car and in our opinion the best vehicle in production the world has ever had a choice at purchasing.