Does Cold Weather Affect Hybrid Cars by Cary Bergeron

Hybrid cars are considered to be the car of tomorrow. Because of the benefits it can give you, you will definitely want to get one for your own. In fact, more and more people are now considering selling their conventional car and purchase a hybrid car. So, why is it that more and more people prefer getting a hybrid car instead of a conventional car even if hybrid car retail prices are far more expensive?

The answer to this is that these people are thinking of the long term benefits that a hybrid car can give. With a hybrid car, you can cut fuel consumption in half compared to conventional cars. Hybrid cars will be able to give you maximum fuel efficiency. It will be able to give you far better mileage to the gallon. Just imagine, with a hybrid car, you can get more than 60 miles to the gallon of gasoline.

This is because hybrid cars run on two engines. One is the conventional internal combustion engine that you will find in conventional cars and the other is the electric motor and batteries. Hybrid cars are basically cars that combine electric energy and gasoline energy. By combining these two to power your car, it will run quieter, cleaner and far more efficient than conventional cars. These are the main advantages of hybrid cars.

Another advantage is that you will be able to save more money from tax breaks imposed by the US government to hybrid car users and buyers. If you own a hybrid car, you will be able to enjoy tax breaks. Also, you will be able to enjoy free parking and other incentives that the government imposed on hybrid car owners.

Now that you know about the main pros of the hybrid cars, you also need to know what the cons of hybrid cars are.

People have been purchasing hybrid cars because of the ability of saving a lot of money from fuel consumption. However, the main advantage of hybrid cars, which is the electric motor, is also its downfall. When a hybrid car is involved in an accident it will be difficult for you and the rescuers to get you out of the car because of the dangers of electrocution. Hybrid cars carry large amounts of voltage. When it gets involved in an accident, wires from the battery may tear off and will be potentially dangerous to handle.

Another disadvantage of hybrid cars is that the retail price is higher than conventional cars in the same weight class. However, the hybrid car can counter this disadvantage by allowing consumers to save money in a long term basis. When you look at it in a long term basis, hybrid cars tend to be cheaper than conventional cars. Try and compute the amount of gasoline both cars will consume during its lifetime and add it to the retail price of the car. You will see that the conventional car will tend to be more expensive than hybrid cars when you look at it in a long term basis.

These are the pros and cons of hybrid cars. You can see that it contains more advantages than disadvantages. Most hybrid cars today are now integrated with the latest technology in car safety. So, if you are planning to purchase a car, think hybrid.

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Hybrid Cars - Should You Buy A Hybrid Vehicle? by Sergei Caro

A hybrid car is a specifically planned and made vehicle that mixes the strength of the conventional gasoline motor and electricity. In the past, many have referred to hybrid cars as electric cars.

Technically, a hybrid automobile can not be classified as just electric because only about 40% of the energy use of the vehicle is from electric sources, in the form of collected electricity in batteries.

As oil costs continue to rise with depleting supplies and rapid expansion in demand, all economies globally are experiencing the setbacks of the need to limit high use of fuel.

For a long time, research and improvement has been vigorously finding ways on how struggles in regards to very high demand could finally be abolished. With the invention of the hybrid automobile, car owners and drivers all over the world are now manifesting comfort that yes there is hope.

Though the wide use of hybrid cars provides hope that in the future, when oil sources finally and fully run out, the transportation industry will not experience the drawback. Yes, at this time, driving a hybrid car could result in huge savings for the car owner.

At least, the overall usage of oil could be significantly reduced. Research continues to be ongoing so that in the near future, further more efficient versions of the modern hybrid car can be developed and launched into the market.

However, just like many other predecessor technologies, there are many problems to owning and using a hybrid automobile. Many people hope that in the upcoming months or years, people can finally realize a better and more useful hybrid vehicle. Here are the most realistic and understandable of those frustrations.

If the hybrid automobile gets into possible accidents and collisions in the future, there is a possibility that the incident would be more tragic. A hybrid automobile traditionally and usually has high voltage cables within it.

Because hybrid cars are still not quite rampant and regular, purchasing spare parts may be very challenging, if not impossible. In addition, costs of spare parts can be rather costly.

Any hybrid automobile needs to allocate a significant amount of space for batteries. Because the hybrid automobile needs batteries to make it work and for the use of some if its functions, the total weight of the automobile gets greater and greater.

Because the hybrid vehicle technology is still a fairly new automobile technology, it is just certain that the automobile is costly. On the average, a hybrid car these days costs more than the standard and typical automobiles by approximately $3,000 to $6,000.

That is just an average and is expected with the high demand for the car as more buyers get thrilled about it and manufacturers continue to make the automobile models on a restricted ability.

There are several states in the United States and some other global governments globally that are charging additional fees and other charges for possession and registration.

A regular and even basic hybrid automobile is composed of a very sophisticated automobile system. Thus, ordinary mechanics likely would not have the necessary and required skill set and understanding to attend to any technical requirement for repair of any hybrid automobile.

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Serg Caro, member of a Car Club. Do not forget that Hybrid Cars move more slowly than traditional automobile models. Visit our car club to find tips on Car Purchase.

Freescale Chips On Chevy, GMC Hybrids by Anthony Fontanelle

General Motor Corp. in partnership with Freescale Semiconductor Corp. will be promoting improved fuel efficiency by using innovative chips. Freescale chips will be used in Chevy and GMC hybrids to pave the way for a green makeover.

According to reports, Freescale chips that control the combustion and electric engines as well as the transmission in the new Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids have produced a 50 percent increase in mileage over their counterparts. The hybrids are efficient for both city and highway. To note, they can tow a 6,000-pound cabin cruiser. The hybrids are now arriving at Valley Chevy and GMC dealerships.

John Hartley, Internet sales manager at Midway Pontiac GMC in Phoenix, said there is considerable interest in the vehicles. However, the production of the hybrid sport utilities is currently limited.

The increase in fuel efficiency is attributed to the automaker’s two-mode hybrid transmission that is operated by Freescale’s advanced microcontroller technology.

"The automotive industry is a very significant part of Freescale's business," said Tony Massimini, an analyst with research company Semico Research Corp. "And the hybrid market is becoming very important part of the U.S. car business."

The Austin, Texas-based supplier of microcontrollers found in American cars, is determined to improve the offers of automakers in the industry. And its cutting-edge products are expected to make it happen.

Kevin Klein, vice president of marketing for Freescale's automotive group, said that a current luxury car can contain over 100 chips that control everything from disc brakes to parking-assistance radar. He added that automotive chip sales now amount to about a third of Freescale's $5.7 billion in annual revenue.

The innovative technology offers two driving modes. Using the first driving mode, the vehicle can operate at low speed and with light loads in three ways: electric power only, engine power only or in any combination of engine and electric power, reported The Arizona Republic. The second mode, meanwhile, is used primarily at highway speeds. This mode provides full eight-cylinder engine power when road conditions require. It can be employed when passing other vehicles, climbing a steep grade or pulling a trailer. Additionally, a refined control unit settles which mode the vehicle should use.

"With the introduction of the world's first full-size hybrid SUVs, GM is pioneering a niche in the automotive market that's in step with today's growing concerns about the environment and global warming," said Paul Grimme, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale's Microcontroller Solutions Group. "We're proud that Freescale technology is helping make these innovative, fuel-efficient SUVs a reality in the market."

About the Author

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.