Hybrid car
The hybrid car is becoming more popular as gas prices continue a record breaking roller coaster ride. The basic definition of this automotive technology is a vehicle that blends two different means of propulsion together. The latest wave of these vehicles uses the electric motor coupled with the standard internal combustion gas engine. This should not be confused with alternative fuel vehicles such as fuel cell vehicles that are hydrogen powered or even a straight up electric car that has only an electric motor for propulsion. I have been a student of alternative fueled vehicles for the last 2 decades. I was certified in CNG powered vehicles but I let it expire due to lack of public interest.
This has now fallen by the wayside due to the prices of both of these fuels have increased right along with gasoline. This is despite what T-Boone Pickens says on his commercials. Case in point. If natural gas is so cheap and plentiful why was my gas heating bill record breaking last year despite a mild winter?
Even companies that get natural gas for free do not like running their fleets on this power. I worked for a company that Serviced a natural gas powered Fleet. This is why I became certified in CNG vehicles. The systems where plagued with troubles mainly stemming from water created by pressure differentials. These systems run at very high pressures and can be dangerous (sorry Mr Pickens). I like the straight up electric car option better. And Chevrolet agrees with me but the Chevrolet Volt will not be ready until 2011 and the cost will be high. It will also have a tiny gas engine but for charging the batteries not powering the vehicle. I just read the book above and will be starting a fun project of converting an old clunker into an electric powered car. Note about clicking the book link: "disclosure of material connections" It is a paid affiliate link.
The vehicle also continues our dependency on foreign oil. When all is said and done yes you do get better fuel economy but it is not that drastic of an increase.
My girlfriends 2003 Toyota Corolla gets about 35 mpg gallon without carrying around a golf cart motor. I mean no disrespect to the hybrid car buyers of the world. In fact there is no other out of the box choice at this time. It is just my educated opinion that this car is distracting automakers from finding a better and longer lasting solution. The car makers will build what is popular and sells well even if it is not in our best long-term interest. I will now get off my soapbox and tell you what I know about hybred cars. The hybrid car will save me money right?
The main financial advantage is the tax credits. These hybrid car tax credits range between $ 2,000 and $3,500 dollars. The discount is not a tax deduction, but a tax credit, which means it's subtracted directly from your tax bill. To make this even more complicated, if a taxpayer takes the tax credit and trades or sells his vehicle before the useful life of the vehicle has expired, a portion of the credit will be refunded to the IRS on a pro rated basis. But again the higher ticket price of the vehicle mostly offsets this financial gain. Also note that this tax credit might be coming to end.
The more the unit sells the lower the tax credit. The government designed this program to stimulate sales and drive the hybrid car forward. The fascinating thing to me about the cars themselves is the different methods used to manage the hybrid power train across the different manufactures. For example the Toyota uses a technique that stalls the gas engine when the vehicle is stopped. When you move again the electric motor gets you moving and the gas engine starts up and helps out all automatically.
And if you plan on buying a hybrid car you should road test them around town to make sure your OK with the different quirks about each vehicle. I should also mention the Toyota prius was recalled for computer system control issues recently (not all models) our fleet unit was included in this recall and the control system computer was replaced. The manufacturers are still learning how to build these cars. My advice is to get the best-extended warranty available upon purchase.
Three more hybrid car articlesYes three opinions from 3 different authors and one article about flex fuel vehicles that is pointing toward a cover up coupled with a scam.Saturn has had modest success with their product line. They hope to add some sparks with the Saturn Aura electric gas hybrid General Motors and Toyota are the biggest car makers in the world. They have now stepped into the hybrid car arena to do battle. One persons opinion about the heavyweight championship Aura versus Prius With the lack of available e-85 fueling stations and the unclear vehicle emissions standards the flex fuel cars might be a scam I have received many e-mails requesting information about the water4gas system. I purchased the product and went to the hydrogen exposition in Florida. Here I provide my opinion on if water gas is a pipe dream and also if water4gas is a scam Use the search box to find the automotive information your looking for, on both of my car and truck websites at the same time!  Custom Search Find out more about me and this automotive website on the homepage. This next link takes you to car questions answered
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This type of alternative fueled vehicle just never caught on. Back ten years ago it looked like CNG (compressed natural gas) powered vehicles and propane vehicles were the future. 
