Honda FCX

Honda Motor Co. has finally unveiled its next-generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicle last Thursday with the announcement that it would begin producing a small number of vehicles that will be marketed in Japan and United States.

The new Honda FCX is made more sporty and sleeker as compared to the current version that has a top speed of 100 mph. It also has a longer range from 210 miles to 270 miles and of course a fuel cell power system that is 400 pounds lighter. Its auto parts such as air induction and others were also modified to function on hydrogen fuel.

The introduction of the FCX was right on timing since there is a growing concern for the greenhouse gas emissions not to mention the calls in Congress to dramatically raise fuel economy standards to minimize exhaust emissions.

Hydrogen vehicles provide lower net carbon dioxide emissions. Plus it can help end US dependency on foreign oil. Sadly this is easier said than done. The expenses that comes with building hydrogen fuel cells not to mention the absence of hydrogen fueling stations around the country creates a major obstruction for the fulfillment of this goal.

But thanks to companies like Honda which is at present is looking at an experimental home energy station that is making use of natural gas supplied to most homes to produce hydrogen fuel, hot water, heat, and electricity. According to Ben Knight, Honda’s vice president for research in the Americas, the best thing about hydrogen is that it can be extracted from a broad range of sources that includes methane or natural gas, bio-mass and renewable sources like solar or wind.

He further added that the next generation FCX is a “quantum leap forward”. The FCX will also be given a much higher price tag at least $500 more totaling to only a fraction of the approximate $1.5 million production cost of each Hydrogen fuel celled Honda.

Honda has already sold 30 units of their eco-friendly car worldwide. Mr. Knight also said that the production of the FCX model would eventually surpass the current fleet. Just to give customers a taste of what the FCX has to offer Honda has leased one to a family in California two years ago and last March another FCX was leased to a 17-year-old actress and environmental activist Q'orianka Kilcher. Honda has also allowed journalists to test drive two of its FCX. In addition government officials including top White House environmental adviser James COnnaughton were also invited to test drive Honda’s FCX.

The FCX when accelerating gives off a sound similar to a jet engine rather than a conventional gasoline engine. It is also has superior acceleration as compared to the current model that has a top speed of only 100 mph. Honda has also assured that the production vehicle will be similar to the concept showed last Thursday complete with the upgraded bumpers and revised interior.

Honda is not the only automaker that is conducting research on hydrogen vehicles; most major carmakers have spent billions on research alone. China is also investing heavily in hydrogen and if everything goes well for them they may even become the first country to adopt hydrogen vehicles in large volume.

It can be remembered that General Motors has said that it would introduce the world’s largest fleet of hydrogen-powered Chevrolte Equinox SUVs by means of its “Project Driveway” program in New York, Washington, DC, and California. And next week GM has scheduled a tour to take journalists on a 300-mile drive from its labs in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. to Tarrytown, N.Y., to update them on the progress of its hydrogen research. GM is hoping to build a 1000 vehicle fleet between 2010 and 2012.

Ford Motor Co. is also working on its plug-in electric hydrogen-powered vehicle with a range of 225 miles which will be called HySEries Edge. In addition Ford will have a fleet of hydrogen powered E-450 shuttle buses aside from hydrogen vehicles. DaimlerChrysler for its part will also be producing 100 hydrogen fuel cells to be distributed worldwide and that includes the 25 units destined for California. BMW will also be producing its own 100 Hydrogen 7 vehicles and plans to be leasing them next year.

Ford Escape Hybrid

The Ford Escape Hybrid is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape crossover SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. It is the first hybrid SUV to hit the market. A similar vehicle, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid is sold by Ford's Mercury marque, and a third variation, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, is now sold by Mazda since 2006.

The Escape Hybrid's 133 horsepower (99 kW) gasoline engine and 94 hp electric motor combine to give performance similar to the 200 hp V6 engine commonly used in the regular Escape. The hybrid is said to give approximately 75% greater efficiency, with about 33 to 36 mpg in city traffic, (and has demonstrated it can travel 400–500 miles on a single 16.5 gallon tank of gasoline in city driving), and 29 to 31 mpg on the highway. Unlike conventional vehicles, hybrids often achieve better figures in the city because they do not waste power idling and can recover some power when stopping (by using regenerative braking) that would be wasted on a conventional vehicle.

Ford Escape Hybrid Specifications

* Fuel Economy City 36MPG/Highway 31MPG(2WD), City 33MPG/Highway 29MPG (AWD)

* 0 - 60mph - approximately 9 seconds

* Displacement 2.3 liter

* Net Power 155 horsepower

* Gas Engine Power 133 horsepower

* Electric Motor Power 94 horsepower

* Net Torque 124 lb.-ft.

* Gas Engine Torque 124 lb.-ft. @ 4250 RPM

* Electric Motor Torque 100 lb.-ft. @ 840 RPM

* Towing Capacity 1,000 pounds

* Tank Size 15 gallons

* Battery Output 330 volts

* Drag Coefficient .29

* Seating 5

* Passenger Space 100 cubic feet

* Cargo Space 27.6 cubic feet

Hybrid Cars

The hybrid version of automobiles offers the customer an interesting assortment of engine features that are supplemented with power options through the use of electrical motor and battery participation. These engine features are not available in every hybrid automobile currently being sold at automobile dealerships or through private sales in society today. The hybrid engines are equipped with gas powered, or dual powered engines, as well as an electrical motor that renders power support when needed. There is a heavy duty battery that serves as a source of power as well.

Within the hybrid breed of automobile engine varieties, there is a mild hybrid category and a full hybrid category. While each of these categories contain the same equipment, the performance of that installed equipment can cause your automobile to operate on entirely different principles. The mild hybrid category consists of a gas powered automobile engine that serves as the propulsion mechanism to move your automobile down the street.

Paired with this gas powered automobile engine is an electrical motor, as well as a heavy duty battery that are snuggly connected throughout the engine maze of pipes and mechanisms that when energized can provide propulsion to move your automobile forward. The hybrid car engine is the only source of propulsion power in the mild hybrid engine model, and the electrical motor remains in standby mode to provide spurts of energy and power to aid the gas powered engine in passing vehicles on a highway or wherever else a sudden surge of power will be of benefit.

The full hybrid category consists of a gas powered automobile engine that is considered the propulsion mechanism as well as an energy saving device. An electrical motor and a heavy duty battery are also part of this full hybrid engine power force. The gas powered engine works hand in hand with the electrical motor to provide the necessary boosts of energy to cause the car to propel through traffic. When the car is stopped at a traffic light, the gas powered engine will cease to operate, and the electrical motor will take over in providing propulsion power for the car to move from the site. Once the car achieves a good level of speed, the gas powered engine in the hybrid car will automatically engage and cause the car to continue down the street under gas engine power. The heavy duty battery is continually charged by the electrical motor at the same time.

The energy savings are accumulated during the different stops and starts that the vehicle might experience as the automobile moves toward its destination. Whenever the gas powered engine is not engaged there is a cost savings realized in its lax state of operation. The hybrid motor is quite capable of consuming energy and generating the right amount of power at the same time. These moments of non-engagement will save the consumer money in gas cost every time the automobile is driven down the road.

In conclusion, there exist more logical advantages of owning a hybrid car which is an unstoppable growing trend and unconfrontational facts.

Toyota Prius Review

Concept vehicles are big in the world of cars. The Toyota Prius has the distinction of being the worlds cleanest and planet friendly vehicle. It has been given the honor of being the 2006 European Car of the year because of the standards that it set for manufactures when building their hybrid cars. Consumer Reports even reported that the Toyota Prius came in with a 94 percent owner satisfaction rating. Most of the current owners of a Prius would definitely purchase another one again, thus making Consumer Reports rate it as the most satisfying vehicles on the road.

So Just what make the Prius a step above the rest? The Toyota Prius is an astonishing Hybrid. The way Toyota uses technology is quite amazing. Instead of just turning a key to start the ignition, the Toyota Prius is started by pressing a round ?Power? button on the dash board. Toyota has incorporated an interactive touch sensitive multi-informational display screen that is mounted on the center console. This display screen has many functions from showing you fuel consumption, radio settings, climate control, and many other functions that are occurring within the vehicle.

The Toyota Prius carries a rating of Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle, making it the cleanest emission production car on the road today. The Prius boasts an average of 90 percent more cleaner air than the average car on the road today. It employs the Hybrid Synergy Drive technology making it the leading vehicle in the industry of Hybrid technology. It offers a seamless integration of gas engine and emissions free electric motor allowing it to achieve amazing fuel economy. This makes it the best choice for the environment and the consumer.

Hybrids have become more and more popular in the world because of its dramatically increased fuel efficiency; especially with the rising cost of gas prices all over the world. People tend to flock to cars that will give them the most bang for their buck and are environmentally friendly. This make the Toyota Prius the most environmentally friendly care on the road today and thus, will be a good choice for you, your family, and the environment.

History of Petroleum electric hybrid vehicle

In 1898 Ferdinand Porsche designed the Lohner-Porsche carriage, a series-hybrid vehicle that broke several Austrian speed records, and also won the Exelberg Rally in 1901 with Porsche himself driving. Over 300 of the Lohner-Porsche carriages were sold to the public. As a series-hybrid, a gasoline engine powers a generator, which powered electric wheel motors. A large and heavy battery pack acted as an intermediate load-leveling device.

The 1915 Dual Power made by the Woods Motor Vehicle electric car maker had a four cylinder internal combustion engine and an electric motor. Below 15 mph (25 km/h) the electric motor alone drove the vehicle, drawing power from a battery pack, and above this speed the "main" engine cut in to take the car up to its 35 mph (55 km/h) top speed. About 600 were made up to 1918.

There have also been air engine hybrids where a small petrol engine powered a compressor. Several types of air engines also increased the range between fill-ups with up to 60% by absorbing ambient heat from its surroundings.

In 1959 the development of the first transistor-based electric car—the Henney Kilowatt—heralded the development of the electronic speed control that paved the way for modern hybrid electric cars. The Henney Kilowatt was the first modern production electric vehicle and was developed by a cooperative effort between National Union Electric Company, Henney Coachworks, Renault, and the Eureka Williams Company. Although sales of the Kilowatt were dismal, the development of the Kilowatt served was a historical "who's who" of electric propulsion technology.

A more recent working prototype of the electric-hybrid vehicle was built by Victor Wouk (one of the scientists involved with the Henney Kilowatt and also brother of author Herman Wouk ). Wouk's work with electric hybrid vehicles in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the title as the "Godfather of the Hybrid"). Wouk installed a prototype electric-hybrid drivetrain into a 1972 Buick Skylark provided by GM for the 1970 Federal Clean Car Incentive Program, but the program was killed by the EPA in 1976 while Eric Stork, the head of the EPA at the time, was accused of a prejudicial coverup[5]. Since then, hobbyists have continued to build hybrids but none was put into mass production by a major manufacturer until the waning years of the twentieth century.

The regenerative-braking hybrid, the core design concept of most production hybrids, was developed by Electrical Engineer David Arthurs around 1978 using off-the shelf components and an Opel GT. However the voltage controller to link the batteries, motor (a jet-engine starter motor), and DC generator was Mr. Arthurs'. The vehicle exhibited ~75 mpg fuel efficiency and plans for it (as well as somewhat updated versions) are still available through the Mother Earth News web site. The Mother Earth News' own 1980 version claimed nearly 84 mpg.

The Bill Clinton administration initiated the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV)[6] program on September 29, 1993 that involved Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, USCAR, the DoE, and other various governmental agencies to engineer the next efficient and clean vehicle. The NRC cited automakers’ moves to produce hybrid electric vehicles as evidence that technologies developed under PNGV were being rapidly adopted on production lines, as called for under Goal 2. Based on information received from automakers, NRC reviewers questioned whether the “Big Three” would be able to move from the concept phase to cost effective, pre-production prototype vehicles by 2004, as set out in Goal 3.

The program was replaced by the hydrogen focused FreedomCAR initiative of George W. Bush's administration in 2001. The focus of the FreedomCAR initiative being to fund research too high risk for the private sector to engage in with the long term goal of developing emission / petroleum free vehicles.

In the intervening period, the widest use of hybrid technology was actually in diesel-electric locomotives. It is also used in diesel-electric submarines, which operate in essentially the same manner as hybrid electric cars. However, in this case the goal was to allow operation underwater without consuming large amounts of oxygen, rather than economizing on fuel. Since then, many submarines have moved to nuclear power, which can operate underwater indefinitely, though a number of nations continue to rely on diesel-electric fleets.

Automotive hybrid technology became successful in the 1990s when the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius became available. These vehicles have a direct linkage from the internal combustion engine to the driven wheels, so the engine can provide acceleration power. The 2000s saw development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which can be recharged from the electrical power grid and do not require conventional fuel for short trips. The Renault Kangoo was the first production model of this design, released in France in 2003. However, the environmental benefits of plug-in hybrids depend somewhat on the source of the electrical power. In particular, electricity generated with wind would be cleaner than electricity generated with coal, the most polluting source. On the other hand, electricity generated with coal in a central power plant is still much cleaner than pure gasoline propulsion, due to the much greater efficiencies of a central plant. Furthermore, coal is only one source of centrally generated power, and in some places such as California is only a minor contributor, overshadowed by natural gas and other cleaner sources.

The Prius has been in high demand since its introduction. Newer designs have more conventional appearance and are less expensive, often appearing and performing identically to their non-hybrid counterparts while delivering 50% better fuel efficiency. The Honda Civic Hybrid appears identical to the non-hybrid version, for instance, but delivers about 50 US mpg (4.7 L/100km). The redesigned 2004 Toyota Prius improved passenger room, cargo area, and power output, while increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions. The Honda Insight, while not matching the demand of the Prius, is still being produced and has a devoted base of owners. Honda has also released a hybrid version of the Accord.

2005 saw the first hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV) released, Ford Motor Company's Ford Escape Hybrid. Toyota and Ford entered into a licensing agreement in March 2004 allowing Ford to use 20 patents from Toyota related to hybrid technology, although Ford's engine was independently designed and built. In exchange for the hybrid licenses, Ford licensed patents involving their European diesel engines to Toyota. Toyota announced model year 2005 hybrid versions of the Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX 400h with 4WD-i which uses a rear electric motor to power the rear wheels negating the need for a differential. Toyota also plans to add hybrid drivetrains to every model it sells in the coming decade.

For 2007 Lexus offers a hybrid version of their GS sport sedan dubbed the GS450h with "well in excess of 300hp". The 2007 Camry Hybrid becomes available starting Summer 2006 in USA and Canada. The initial batch of Camry Hybrids are built in Japan; starting October 2006, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) will also produce these hybrids. Also, Nissan announced the release of the Altima hybrid (technology supplied by Toyota) around 2007.

An R.L. Polk survey of 2003 model year cars showed that hybrid car registrations in the United States rose to 43,435 cars, a 25.8% increase from 2002 numbers. California, the nation's most populous state at one-eighth of the total population, had the most hybrid cars registered: 11,425. The proportionally high number may be partially due to the state's higher gasoline prices and stricter emissions rules, which hybrids generally have little trouble passing.

Honda, which offers Insight, Civic and Accord hybrids, sold 26,773 hybrids in the first 11 months of 2004. Toyota has sold a cumulative 306,862 hybrids between 1997 and November 2004, and Honda has sold a total of 81,867 hybrids between 1999 and November 2004.

Why buy a Hybrid Car

1. - Gas Savings -
Hybrid cars can get up to 60 mpg (miles per gallon), due to their advanced aerodynamics, engine efficiency, tire technology (which is so different to the standard cars) just to mention some of its characteristics.

2. - Environmental Issues -
Reduced gas emissions equals less air pollution because a hybrid car has an electric motor and batteries to rely on when the gasoline engine is not in use. They can reduce smog up to 90%.

3. - Better engine efficiency -
Reducing the overall weight of the hybrid car is a way to increase its efficiency, smaller engines equals better efficiency. Another way is how the hybrid cars recharge they batteries, the hybrids battery pack never needs to be charged from an external source, every time you hit the brake, the brake system stores some of the energy to the batteries (this is known as regenerative braking). Also the batteries get recharged by the gasoline engine when necessary.

4. - Low Maintenance costs -
The electrical motor and the batteries dont require any maintenance; they have the same life span as the car itself. The gas engine doesnt require any more maintenance than any other normal car.

Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sedan

The world's first V8-powered full hybrid was introduced, at the 2006 New York Auto Show. Introduced in long wheelbase form (but to be made available in standard wheelbase form outside the U.S.), the LS 600h L uses a 5.0 L V8 engine mated to a high-output electric motor with Nickel-Metal Hydride battery packs to generate over 440 hp (328 kW). This output is comparable to V12 sedans such as the BMW 760Li, which produces 438 hp (327 kW). The LS 600h L will be available with an all-wheel drive system and a two-stage continuously variable (CVT) transmission. The LS 600h L is positioned as the halo vehicle of the LS Series, and is equipped with the highest levels of ultra-luxury features ever offered on the Lexus flagship.[31] Lexus claims the LS hybrid is the most technologically advanced vehicle in the world,[32] and predicts that the vehicle will be certified as a SULEV vehicle. Because of the silent nature of its hybrid design, the LS hybrid may be the quietest sedan in the world.[31] More details such as curb weight, price (speculated to be in the region of $100,000) are yet to be released.[33] The standard wheelbase hybrid LS model, the LS 600h, was unveiled in Japan in April 2006.

The LS 600h and LS 600h L contain a number of features which are exclusive to the LS hybrid sedans, including one of the world's first LED headlight systems, a leather-trimmed dash, and different exterior colors. Differently-hued trunk "600h" and side chrome "hybrid" badges are also unique to the LS hybrids.

For 2007, Lexus announced the LS 600h L Launch Edition for the first 100 LS hybrids in the U.S. Available only through the Neiman Marcus catalog for InCircle members, the Launch Edition is offered in a hybrid-specific Truffle Mica exterior color, with an Alabaster interior, individual badging, 19-inch hybrid alloy wheels, and a set of Italian luggage.