Hybrid Hazards...

Hybrid Cars - Is there really anything to worry about?

With all of the talk of hybrid vehicles many people are singing their praises about these lightweight, fuel-efficient cars. But are there hazards to driving a hybrid? Is there really anything to worry about? Let's take a closer look at potential hybrid hazards.

One of the biggest concerns often talked about when it comes to hybrid vehicles has to do with those personnel responding to accidents involving a hybrid. Many traditional looking cars such as the Honda Accord and Ford Escape are being built with hybrid engines and rescuers might experience some difficulty at the scene of an accident identifying one as such. The reason the identification is crucial is that as compared to conventional gas powered cars, hybrid vehicles have a tremendous amount of electricity coursing through them and thus could cause injury to rescuers and further injury to drivers already hurt by the crash. Many people believe that the solution to this problem is for automakers to affix a label on the driver’s side visor stating that it is a hybrid vehicle, equip with all the features that this kind of car entails.

New hybrids are bursting onto the market at an increasing rate and therefore all first responders (including the police, fire department and paramedics) need to be taught about ways in which hybrid cars differ from more traditional non-hybrid models. Lack of education could result in safety measures being compromised and injuries (life threatening or otherwise) taking place. To use the battery in a hybrid to illustrate the point, in some hybrid models the battery carries with it a charge of up to 500 volts and is powered both by gasoline and electricity.

First responders need to be taught where the battery is located in a hybrid car and how to cut the cables without risking being electrocuted by the high voltage that the battery puts out. This is particularly important when machinery such as the Jaws of Life is required to physically remove a passenger in imminent danger from a car. It cannot be emphasized enough, without proper training, more serious injury, and even death, could result.

This problem is being addressed by manufacturers of hybrids with Honda and Toyota going to the front of the line on safety procedures. Hybrid cars are being suited with color codes so first responders can easily comprehend the flow of electricity in the car. Honda hybrids use the color bright orange to designate the high-voltage power line which helps reduce safety risks for rescuers responding to calls.

Concerns about hybrid hazards have led Honda ,Toyota and other car manufacturer to create their own individual safety guides for rescue personnel. Every fire department in the United States received a copy of these guides to be made available for their staff to educate themselves. Toyota has just completed new guides for its latest hybrid vehicles, the Highlander and Lexus. These guides can easily be read online by any member of the public, whether they are emergency workers or not.

In South Florida, with its many canals, many people have expressed concerns about the hybrid hazards involved in water submersion, as these kinds of accidents are common in this area of the state. Manufacturers of hybrid cars say that the only thing emergency personnel need to keep in mind in regard to safety issues is to remember to make sure the car's ignition is turned off once it is out of the water.

Hello Hybrid Cars And Trucks!

Gone with the Gas Guzzler- Hello Hybrid!

The concept behind the creation of hybrid vehicles is to get as much fuel efficiency out of a car made of lighter materials with a smaller engine as possible. No one wants a gas guzzler of a car eating up all of his or her hard earned cash and that's where the hybrid car comes in. The hybrid vehicle answers the call for helping save dollars at the gas pumps.

It is estimated that depending on their model, hybrid cars can give drivers anywhere from 20, to 30 and in some cases even 60 miles per gallon more than the standard non-hybrid vehicle. Hybrid vehicles have as good a performance, if not better than traditional vehicles and the ride is smooth. Gas guzzler it is not. Many drivers are uttering the words, “Hello hybrid!” more and more these days.

Automakers chose to build a car that was considered very complex to both improve gas mileage and also to reduce emissions from the tailpipe. In the United States carmakers are mandated by law to meet what is known as “Corporate Average Fuel Economy” standards (or abbreviated to CAFÉ).

The current standard dictates that all new vehicles sold to consumers must have an average mileage of 27.5mpg (or if you go by the metric system, 8.55 liters per 100 km). To put it another way, this means that if a car company is able to sell one hybrid car with an average mileage of 60 mpg (better than the average standard) or 3.92 liters per 100 km, then this is good news for them because they can then turn around and sell four, large and expensively priced luxury cars that get a great deal less out of the mileage (20 mpg or 11.76 liters per 100 km).

Let's take a closer look at how hybrid cars most definitely does not fall into the category of being a gas guzzler. In order to get the best mileage possible, there are many tricks of the trade that automakers rely on. Three that we will focus on include the reduced weight of the hybrid, the small, efficient engine, and the advanced aerodynamics.

In the making of most hybrid cars, a lightweight aluminum body as well as structure is used to cut down tremendously on the weight of the car. Together the lightweight body and smaller, lighter engine allow for the excellent performance that is expected of all cars, hybrids or not. For example, the Honda Insight doesn't even begin to tip the car scales at less that 1,900 pounds (or 862 kg). This is only a fraction of what traditional gas guzzler types of cars weigh. Other materials often used to make hybrids include composite materials such as carbon fiber and other lightweight metals such as magnesium.

A small, efficient engine goes a long way in saving on mileage in hybrids. Big engines expend more energy when they accelerate and in particular when they accelerate up hills or inclines. As well big engines are equipped with more cylinders and require more work from the cylinders to allow them to do their job properly. All these things contribute to the need to buy fuel for your car more often. The hybrid vehicle's smaller, more fuel-efficient engine doesn't have this problem.

To use the Honda Insight as an example once again, its engine weighs a mere 124 pounds (or 56 kg) and contains a very small 1.0 liter three-cylinder that makes it possible for the car to produce approximately 67 horsepower at 5,700 rpm. Plus the VTEC system and lean burn technology are incorporated into the car to make fuel efficiency even more of a reality in this hybrid.

The hybrid car is not a gas guzzler for a third reason- it uses advanced aerodynamics to help reduce drag. When you are driving along a busy freeway the majority of the work that your engine needs to do involves the force needed to push the vehicle down the highway (or through the air). This force is given the name “aerodynamic drag.” This aerodynamic drag can be reduced in two different ways- first by constructing smaller frontal areas on hybrid cars and secondly, by limiting and/or reducing disturbances around items that protrude from the car. For example, airflow is smoothed tremendously by placing covers over the wheel housings and drag is also reduced. On some hybrids cars tiny cameras are placed where mirrors are generally positioned on conventional cars.

Three Top Tips to Maximize your Mileage on Hybrids

Owners of hybrid cars are taking the plunge for those of us still driving the regular gas-only engine cars. Although they are getting some perks for having these electric/gas hybrids, they still want to improve their gas mileage. In fact, although some drivers have reported much better gas mileage than they had with their regular cars, they are finding that their expectations have not been met quite the way they imagined they would be.

In these cases, some hybrid owners have actually made it something of a game to try and get better and better mileage. It appears that the expectations are high with hybrids. Some models of hybrids are getting in the 60 mpg range for cities and highways. For some owners, however, the expectations are not being met because regular consumers are not driving like a trained tester. Experts on hybrid cars and driving in general are trying to consult with the owners to show them that the mileage guides were not deceiving them after all. After some workshops done with hybrid drivers, owners have reported much better mileage after taking advice from the experts. The added bonus from mileage tips for hybrids is that they also work for those of us who have not yet been able to make the switch over to these mileage makers.

For certain hybrid cars, the term “pulse and glide” is becoming popular. This basically translates to finding the zone with the hybrid where energy use leveled off between the electric and gas engines. Lexus and Toyota get to claim use of the pulse and glide which is best found when driving somewhere between 30 to 40 miles per hour. Getting into this mode requires a little bit of fancy foot work which involves gradually getting to the speed (within the 30's to 40's range) which you want, and then once there, pressing quickly on the gas pedal. After this quick press, a Toyota or Lexus hybrid driver will get a clean screen on their dashboard which shows all black arrows. This indicates that energy use has stabilized. When this tactic is used properly, it is possible to double or triple your mileage. This process takes a little time to get used to but is probably a lot easier than driving a manual transmission or parallel parking.

Another top tip for saving on gas mileage will be a little harder to hear. The key is to take the rushing around out of driving. Slowing down and driving at the speed limit for a change is one of the best ways to save on gas. Although this tip might require some organization and lifestyle changes, it will also save you the most money. A dime saved on every gallon is the estimate by energy agencies when you stay slow and steady.

A hybrid, or any car for that matter, does not like a lot of stop and go, either. Luckily, driving a little slower will give you more opportunities to see which lane will keep you from slowing down up ahead, so hopefully, you will not need to make a lot of sudden stops. Keep in mind the word “glide” as much as possible. This will keep you from having to continually accelerate and break to get where you are going. When drivers get into that mode, they also tend to speed to get out of whatever cluster they are in and get into more accidents on top of that. Accelerating to get through a yellow light may save you 15 seconds, but it will not save you any mileage on your hybrid.

One of the other top tips for adding mileage to your hybrid is to pay a little more attention to your tire pressure. Under-inflated tires can reduce the mileage performance on a hybrid by at least 10%. This is large enough of a number to inspire a trip to the auto shop for a tire pressure gauge. The trick is to stay just under the maximum recommended tire pressure and make sure that you are checking the pressure once or week. Slow tires make a car drag, so let your hybrid become the super-mileage maker that they aim to be by making a note on the calendar to check them.

Maximize your Mileage on Hybrids

Invest in your Future- Buy a Hybrid

With gas prices soaring each and every week, more and more people are considering the advantages of buying a hybrid. But what is a hybrid exactly? Before we define a hybrid let's make it known that hybrid vehicles are more common than most individuals realize. Many commuter trains are electric hybrids and plenty of cities throughout the United States, such as Seattle for example, have buses that are diesel-electric powered. Diesel-electric hybrids can be found in mining trucks and even advanced forms of water transportation, such as submarines. Some submarines are nuclear-electric while others are diesel-electric powered. Many automobiles on the market today are gasoline-electric hybrids.

A hybrid is defined as any vehicle that is run by not one, but two kinds of power. As in the examples given above, a combination of gasoline and electricity forms a hybrid. Another example that many people have experienced is that of a motorized pedal bike. This enjoyable form of transport has two sources of power, even though they are very elementary in design, an engine and the pedaling motion.

Should you buy a hybrid? There are certainly many reasons to consider it as a viable option. Let's turn our attention to hybrid cars.

Hybrid cars are considered to be energy efficient, affordable and a creative, innovative concept worth buying into! These kinds of cars have small gasoline engines that are very efficient in terms of fuel distribution and work in concert with an electric motor. Together the two aid in the acceleration of the vehicle. Batteries allow the electric motor to work because they automatically recharge when the vehicle is in motion. Hybrid efficiency is attained by periodic engine shut off, regenerative braking, advanced aerodynamics, lightweight materials and low-rolling resistance tires. Let’s take a closer look at what each of these features are all about.

Periodic engine shut off is a simple concept for a hybrid car. Basically what it means is that when the car is stopped at an intersection the engine goes into temporary shutdown mode but quickly kicks back into working order once the gas pedal is applied. Regenerative braking has to do with the electric motor and the ability of the hybrid to slow the action of the car. With this type of braking, the electric motor works as a generator and in this way when the car is slowing down, the batteries are charged up. Advanced aerodynamics takes place in order to cut down on drag. Materials that are lightweight allow for the greater energy efficiency of a hybrid. This important point cannot be stressed enough. Low-rolling resistance tires (also referred to as LLR) are special tires in that they are stiffer and much narrower tires than most and have a great deal less drag to them.

But are there still other reasons to buy a hybrid? Most certainly there are. Read on to find other ways to invest in your future by buying a hybrid.

Hybrid cars are better for the environment as they emit up to approximately ninety-seven percent less emissions and have about the same amount of carbon dioxide as non-hybrid cars. Mileage is definitely better with hybrid cars and is somewhere in the range of 2-3 mpg (or to put it another way, 8-10%). Hybrid cars are no more or no less safe than non-hybrid vehicles. The combination of an engine that runs on electricity and gasoline has no obvious noted effect on the safety of the vehicle.

But the pros of buying a hybrid don't end there. Hybrid cars are driven the exact same way as non-hybrid cars. Drivers can breathe easy; there is no fancy manual to memorize and no difficult instructions. You can drive in the manner in which you are accustomed to driving any vehicle. From state to state there are incentives put into place to encourage prospective customers to buy a hybrid. This does vary from area to area so if you are out car shopping ask dealers about purchase incentives before you make any final decisions.

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