A123Systems announce six initial certified partnerships that are authorized to install and convert the hybrid Toyota Prius to an plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The conversion is expected to increase the gas mileage of the Prius to over 100 MPG for the first 30 - 40 mile commute.

The L5 module, designed for the the 2004 - 2008 Toyota Prius, provides approximately 5 kWh of power and takes only 4.5 hours to recharge. The A123Systems L5 module runs $9995 which includes installation and a 3 year warranty.

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With the issue of global warming taking on international importance in recent years, unsurprisingly the focus has fallen on car drivers, with cars seen as one of the major contributors towards global warming. Green cars have been held up as a potential solution, one that motorists should be embracing.

But are green cars actually ‘green’?

Firstly, let’s take pure electric cars. Unfortunately these electric cars are anything but good for the environment. The electricity that they run on is produced in power stations, where only 30-40% of the energy is converted into electricity. Transferring this electricity along electric cables then results in a further 30% being lost to heat energy. So by the time this electricity reaches an electric car a huge amount of the energy has already been lost. Good for cutting down inner city pollution but efficient it certainly isn’t.

Recently hybrid cars have been preferred, cars that contain both an electric motor and a petrol engine. The battery for the motor is powered by the energy generated from braking. When it comes to being ‘green’ these cars in theory offer many more environmental benefits.

In practice this isn’t necessarily the case. Consumer magazine Which? tested four hybrid cars by driving them throughout London. The results were disappointing, as mentioned by George Marshall-Thornhill, senior researcher for Which?, “Some of these should have performed much better.” And this is all without mentioning how to dispose of troublesome electric batteries.

Then there’s the cost of hybrid cars. The Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid car and can be purchased for around £17,000. However, with fuel economy claims in doubt and 55% of people believing that green cars are too expensive, there is still some way to go before green cars arrive on a large scale.

The facts are that green cars use more energy to produce, are harder to dispose of, their fuel economy claims have been doubted, and they are simply too expensive. The age of the green car has not arrived yet.

They use less fuel. They are much more efficient. They are much less polluting. And what’s more, they require much less maintenance. Yes, hybrids really do score better on all counts when compared to conventional vehicles. In fact not only do they need much less service, they are also made to run better and last longer. So you should take all these factors into consideration when you are making a choice. Let’s take a look at why they don’t need as much maintenance.

Firstly, they have fewer parts than a conventional car and hence, fewer parts to wear out. It’s the way they are built. There’s no regular starter and this technology means that there is one part less that needs to be replaced. No starter also means there is no chance of accidentally grinding the flywheel. The battery and the motor too do not require too much maintenance. The engine lasts longer than a conventional engine and requires as much maintenance perhaps as a conventional one. A hybrid does not need any valve adjustments done and even if there are valves, they do not get worn out because the engine does not run constantly. And the injectors do not need regular cleaning, in fact maybe they never need to be cleaned because there is hardly any deposit on them.

The hybrid car uses electricity to run the air-conditioning system unlike the conventional ones that use a traditional pulley that is driven off a gas motor. So this means there is no air-conditioning belt to wear out. There is also no belt used for the steering because it is not hydraulic but electric. So it has very little kickback even when driving over rough, uneven roads.

The hybrid car’s generator can multi-task. The generator is an important part of the hybrid car and there is a separate gas engine that powers it. A hybrid engine is really very small, maybe 10 to 20 horsepower and it is so designed that it gets maximum efficiency if it runs at one speed. Because the generator does many tasks, there is less wear and tear of the other parts and when braking or coasting, the car can recapture the energy. So there is no wastage of the battery and the battery does not need to be replaced very often. With the generator handling a lot of the braking – in fact 80% - it means that extends the life of the brakes too. There is also less chance of the rotors getting warped. Thanks to less of a heat build up, the life of the brake fluid is extended too and the brake pads last longer.

Hybrid cars also have warranties that are much longer. Most of the Toyota and Honda cars have much longer warranties on their hybrids than on the conventional ones. There’s an 8 year or an 80,000 mile warranty on the Honda Insight while for the Toyota Prius, you’ll get a 100,000 mile warranty or 8 years on the hybrid system and the battery. These longer warranties make the hybrid an attractive buy.

If you are making up your mind between a conventional car and a hybrid one, look at all the long-term advantages. Hybrids are built so they last longer and they don’t need as much looking after as a conventional car. Add to that the fact that they don’t guzzle as much gas and have fewer parts, therefore less maintenance and you’ll see why it makes good sense to decide in favor of the hybrid.

Hybrids not only perform above average on mileage (the Honda insight can reach above sixty mpg) but reduce their gas emissions and air pollution considerably. Toyota Prius, for example has a 90% reduction in the amount of pollution that would otherwise be in the air. And although this is not perfect it has improved the current standard considerably

About one third of air pollution is caused by the fuel used in cars. The major culprit is the carbon dioxide which causes global warming. Compared to regular cars, the Toyota Prius reduces the amount of carbon dioxide by fifty percent. And the hybrid made by Honda has reduced its emissions by two thirds. Nitrogen oxide, a chemical found in car emissions, not only causes global warming, but will cause acid rain and lung irritations. Hydrocarbons is another substance found in gas emissions from a car and this can cause birth defects or lung cancer. Lead is also released in the air as is carbon monoxide every time the car is in motion. Imagine sitting in rush hour with all those toxic gases being released in the air.

With a hybrid the gases and other substances are dramatically reduced. Because more and more people are becoming concerned about air pollution and global warming, car makers are rushing to meet the demand. There are the hybrid models from Toyota and Honda and Ford. But Saturn and Mazda and GM are following suit.

The EPA is also participating in encouraging this trend by supplying more information to the consumer about the hybrid cars. There are new ratings in place. One is the ultra low emissions vehicle (ULEV) and the other is the super low emissions vehicle (SLEV). The hybrids on the market today receive either one of the ratings but regular cars never reach the mark.

There is a system in place that the EPA uses to rate cars. It gives two scores, one for the green house gases and the other for air pollution. In the seventies, there was a law passed that required cars to keep to certain standards. Regular cars barely met the requirement. Even if you took into consideration things like speed, weather or location, that may change the outcome of results. It doesn’t reduce the high scores of the hybrids. In fact, this score can be perfect at times because the hybrid runs on electric power too. So that reliance on gas is decreased, making the hybrid the better choice of car in the market today for the EPA

With the gas prices being so high, more and more people are becoming aware of how valuable energy is in our daily lives. Hybrid cars show how energy can be conserved and pollution reduced. The cleanest non hybrid car can put about 90 percent smog pollution in the air versus the hybrid.

The Honda insight was the first hybrid on the US market in 1999. It is electrically powered and can go 61 mpg on city roads and 70mpg on the highway. Then in 2000, Toyota brought the Prius to the market, it goes 52 mpg in the city and around 45 mpg on the highway. The Honda Civic hybrid came out in 2002 with 46mpg on city roads and about 51mpg on the highway. Since then there have been other hybrid models such as, the Chevy Silverado, the Dodge Ram pickup and the Ford Escape SUV.

Hybrids are more efficient for a number of reasons. For one, the battery of a hybrid lasts longer. It is equipped with two energy supplies- the gas and electricity. The car is made of lighter materials, that means less energy is used. The engine in a non-hybrid is heavier so it requires more power to accelerate and to go up an incline. And with a hybrid there are fewer cylinders.

Hybrids have less internal machinery. The energy and time needed to move a cylinder up and down in a non hybrid is greater. To start the car, the non hybrid engine needs more power because it has more cylinders. In addition, each cylinder uses more fuel for cylindrical displacement.

There are some tips to keep in mind when driving a hybrid to maximize energy and mileage productivity.

Drive slowly-Aerodynamic drag increases if you drive fast. If you slow down you will save energy.

Drive at a constant speed- Increasing your spend and then slowing down wastes fuel.

Try not to break suddenly-The motor in a hybrid is like a generator. Energy is lost if you stop abruptly. Try to give you car some recovery time.

Many people claim to worry about the environment, but continue to drive their exhaust polluting vehicles through a thick layer of smog. Our energy resources are suffering a terrible blow and so few people are actually willing to do anything about it. One solution to consider is the use of a hybrid vehicle. They emit less pollution that a standard oil burning type and offer less gas used per mile! Imagine the savings. But that’s not the only reason you should consider a hybrid.

The EPA or Environmental Protection Agency, when doing a comparison between a hybrid and regular vehicle, finds some very interesting facts. Vehicles are tested to determine what type of emissions they are polluting into the air we breathe, then they are rated by those conclusions. Among their choice vehicles, the hybrid along with SUV’s and eventually minivan’s are the pick of the liter! The Toyota Camry puts out more than half of what its hybrid counterpart, the Toyota Prius hybrid does, in carbon dioxide. Nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons are diminished by two-thirds and halves supported by their green house emission rating for pollutants. With the exception of trucks, hybrid vehicles have the more favorable of ratings and top their categories over and over. When faced with the fact that hybrids put 97% less pollutants and toxins into the air when compared with gas-burning vehicles, it becomes harder to justify why we continue to drive the latter.

Hybrids are the better choice for so many reasons, including the evidence that they emit fewer pollutants and the fact that they get phenomenally better mpg, between 20 and 30 for larger engine models likes trucks or SUV’s and well into the 60 range for cars! Manuals traditionally get better mpg than automatics, which is evident by the Honda Insight whose automatic gets 50mpg and middle 60’s for it’s manual. Aside from being more efficient, the greenhouse effect and fossil fuel debate would be null and void by the use of hybrid only vehicles. It’s unfortunate that our vehicles only allow for 15 to 18mpg, but can that argument really justify the damage they are doing to our environment? Society as a whole needs to get serious about conserving our fuel, and hybrid vehicles are definitely a step in the right direction.

Have you ever been stuck in traffic on a hot day, in a busy city? How was the air quality around you? Could you take a deep breath and exhale on a smile? Probably not. It’s not just the environment we need to concern ourselves with. Our bodies and health suffer from the effects of carbon monoxide and methane, being emitted into the air by our vehicles. We are doing damage to our lungs everyday. Did you know that one third of all air pollution in America is in direct relation to that which our vehicles output? Researchers are studying the effects these pollutants have on the human body as we speak and direct links to cancer are being found. Sounds scary doesn’t it? Yet another reason why hybrid cars are the better, more health conscious choice.

If you could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being polluted into the air by 10 tons, would you? The fact of the matter is, 1 vehicle getting 25mpg instead of 20mpg, would do exactly that. The EPA measures the effects these pollutants have on all living things and reports its findings on every industry. Today, with the advance in our technology, there is no reason for the continued desecration of our environment by the use of these inefficient, toxic vehicles. Yes, it’s true there is much left to learn and the EPA is continually breaking ground and finding new solutions to old problems. How we put the information they provide us with, to use, is up to us. We are responsible for our world and our bodies and in the long run, it is the population as a whole who will undoubtedly have to answer for our actions or lack thereof.

Currently, there is a lot of interest in hybrid cars due to the gas prices of recent years. There are two forms of hybrid cars. The first is a parallel hybrid, where there is both a gas and electric supply attached to the transmission of the car and the car is able to use both sources when running. The second is a series hybrid, where the gas portion powers a generator and the generator supplies electricity for the motor to run. These both improve the efficiency of the car, which is why hybrids are favored today. The only drawback for some consumers is the size.

The reason for this is that smaller cars help maintain the efficiency of the car. With a big car the engine is heavier and so when speeding or traveling up an incline, more energy is needed. Further more, because of the size, the hybrid car has an engine that requires less energy to perform its tasks. Then there is the cylinder displacement, which in a large vehicle takes more power. And in terms of cylinders, the smaller hybrid car doesn’t need as many to perform.

The Honda Insight is one of the smallest hybrid cars on the market. It was designed to carry two people. There is hardly any space for cargo or luggage. This design improves the fuel efficiency considerably, but the lack of space is a drawback.

The Toyota Prius has more space than the Insight. It can fit more than four people and the hatchback trunk can carry more cargo or luggage. This design has won Toyota awards and honors but for a family car, today’s consumers are used to having much more room.

Then there is the Honda Civic Hybrid. This car is the same size as a regular Honda Civic. The compartment spaces are maximized as much as possible in this model. Again, for the consumer who is used to driving an SUV or a minivan, this may still be not enough.

And for those consumers, there are some SUV and minivan hybrids available, however they don’t perform well. The efficiency has been compromised by the size. The price tag of these cars is a couple of thousands of dollars more than the regular models so in the end it may not be worth it in terms of gas mileage. So if you are buying a hybrid, it is best to go for the smaller cars and if you are looking for something larger, a hybrid may not be worth it.

With gas prices averaging over three dollars a gallon, everyone in America is looking for ways to get more gas mileage out of their car. People are making sure they have enough air in their tires, changing their fuel filter, and watching their speed to try to conserve gas. However, there are many gas friendly car models on the market today, which could really put some money in your pocket.

The days are gone where the only gas friendly car models look like toy cars, or have no horsepower. Now you can get a sleek, sophisticated car, with quite a bit of horsepower, and great gas mileage. Many cars are available now like the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Honda Insight, Lexus GS450H, Toyota Camry, and the Toyota Prius. These cars get anywhere from 25 miles per gallon in the city (Lexus GS450H) on the low end to 61 miles per gallon in the city (Honda Insight). The Insight also gets 68 miles per gallon on the highway, while the GS450H, gets 28 miles per gallon on the highway. Some of these cars have a fully integrated hybrid (gas & electric) engine, while others have a six cylinder engine that turns off three cylinders on the highway to conserve gas.

If you are looking for a sports utility vehicle, but you do not want to get a second mortgage on your house to pay for gas, then you are in luck, because many hybrids are hitting the market now. These include the Ford Escape, Lexus RX400H, Toyota Highlander, and Mercury Mariner. The gas mileage for these models ranges from 31 to 33 miles per gallon in the city, and 27 to 29 miles per gallon on the highway, with the Escape and Mariner getting higher gas mileages.

Not only will these gas friendly car models get more mileage for your gas dollars, the federal government is giving income tax breaks for buying gas friendly car models as well. Many different states are also giving sales tax breaks, parking fee exemptions, and state income tax breaks for purchasing gas friendly cars. Some major cities are also allowing hybrid cars the ability to drive in the high occupancy vehicle lane with only one passenger. The perks to owning a gas friendly car model are very lucrative, so what is stopping you from going out and buying one the next time you are looking for a new car?

With gas prices hovering at $3.00 per gallon, drivers have already begun to migrate from gas guzzling SUVs to fuel efficient hybrids. As a sign of the times, GM recently announced that they plan to discontinue the namesake of the “Hummer deduction” in favor of the smaller Humvee.

“In addition to getting better gas mileage, purchasers of hybrids are also rewarded with a sizeable tax credit through 2010,” explains Andrew Schwartz, CPA, founder of CPANiche.com, a site where taxpayers can interact with CPAs who specialize in a variety of niches such as healthcare and real estate professionals.

“The new hybrid car tax credit replaces the $2,000 Clean Fuel deduction that was in place through the end of 2005. But you should be aware that this credit is only available in connection with the purchase of a new hybrid vehicle, so leasing one or buying a used hybrid vehicle won’t qualify.”

According to the information available on the IRS’ website, below are the vehicles currently eligible for this tax credit, along with the credit applicable to that model:

• Ford Escape Hybrid Front WD - 2006 $2,600
• Ford Escape Hybrid 4 WD - 2006 $1,950
• Honda Civic Hybrid CVT - 2006 $2,100
• Honda Civic Hybrid SUVEL - 2005 $1,700
• Honda Insight CVT - 2005 & 2006 $1,450
• Honda Accord Hybrid AT - 2006 $1,300 or $650
• Honda Accord Hybrid AT - 2005 $650
• Lexus GS 450h - 2007 $1,550
• Lexus RX400h 2WD or 4WD - 2006 $2,200
• Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4 WD - 2006 $1,950
• Toyota Camry Hybrid - 2007 $2,600
• Toyota Highlander Hybrid - 2006 $2,600
• Toyota Prius - 2005 & 2006 $3,150

Even though the hybrid car tax credit runs though 2010, the credit won’t be available for long on many popular models. To level the playing field for Ford and other newcomers into the hybrid market, the allowable tax credit starts to disappear for a manufacturer once they have sold 60,000 hybrid vehicles. [PRWEB]

Vincentric’s Best Value in America™ awards were announced today, with hybrid vehicles leading the way. The Toyota Prius, along with the hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Highlander each won the Best Value in America™ award in their segment. In addition, Vincentric assigned Excellent Value ratings to the Mercury Mariner hybrid, the Lexus RX400h hybrid, and the Honda Insight.

To determine Vincentric’s Best Value in America™, Vincentric analyzed over 1,800 different vehicle configurations and computed the cost to own and operate each vehicle. Eight different cost factors were calculated to determine overall Cost of Ownership: depreciation, fuel, insurance, opportunity cost, financing, maintenance, taxes and state fees, and repairs.

Using a statistical model, the company identified the Best Value in Americaâ„¢ by measuring which vehicles have a lower than expected ownership cost given their market segment and price. The strong value of hybrids was clear when both a hybrid and non-hybrid version of the same vehicle were compared to other vehicles in the same segments. In those instances, the hybrid version had ownership costs that averaged 16.2% lower than a similarly priced competitor, while the non-hybrid version had ownership costs 7.9% lower.

“Hybrids benefited from three main factors”, stated David Wurster, President of Vincentric. “First was their strong fuel economy ratings, resulting in lower fuel costs for these vehicles. Second was their strong residual values due to high demand, resulting in lower depreciation costs. And third was the federal tax credit that went into effect this year. This combination of factors creates extremely strong value for consumers.”

Including the Prius and Highlander hybrid, Toyota had eleven Best Value in Americaâ„¢ awards, with Honda also faring well with six winners. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: hybrid vehicles | hybrid version | highlander hybrid | toyota prius | lexus rx400h