Hybrid Cars - Alternative Energy



Hybrid cars have increased in popularity as of late.Nows the time to support alternative energy solutions and technologies.

Hybrid Cars - Alternative Energy

HYBRID NATION




"Hybrid Nation"











Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Oil Prices Slide, Settle at $71 a Barrel

il prices declined Wednesday after the U.S. signaled a willingness to hold joint direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program if certain conditions were met.

There was also an expectation in the market that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which meets Thursday in Venezuela, would keep its output steady.

Light sweet crude for July delivery fell 74 cents to settle at $71.29 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent crude slid 64 cents to settle at $70.41 a barrel on the ICE Futures market.

In holding out the possibility of direct negotiations with Iran, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Iran first must agree to stop disputed nuclear activities that the West fears could lead to a bomb.
story continued
Google








-Pennsylvania eyes big hybrid car break

By Joan Gralla

NEW YORK, May 31 (Reuters) - Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell wants to use part of a $260 million windfall to double rebates for hybrid cars to $1,000.

But Colorado's rebate of as much as $4,713 will still be one of the nation's richest.
More than half of the states offer motorists incentives for buying hybrid cars, whose gas mileage vastly surpasses that offered by cars with conventional engines, according to the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures.

The U.S. government, eager to cut the nation's dependence on crude oil imports, offers tax credits ranging from $1,550 to $3,150, depending on the make and model of the hybrid car, according to an IRS spokesman.

The federal tax agency's list, which is not yet complete, appears on the Web site: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/O,,id=157557,00.html
story continued
Google








Gas prices dip slightly

BY TOM INCANTALUPO
Newsday Staff Writer

May 31, 2006

Despite heavy demand over Memorial Day weekend, gasoline prices have declined a bit on Long Island, with the average for regular unleaded falling by 2.8 cents a gallon since Tuesday last week, to $3.189.

In New York City's five boroughs, the average for regular unleaded yesterday was $3.231 a gallon, down 1.2 cents in seven days, according to the American Automobile Association's Daily Fuel Gauge report.

Experts attribute the decline to strengthening supplies and a small drop in consumption by Americans. "Part of it is that you've seen a softness in consumption," said Bill O'Grady, assistant director of market analysis at AG Edwards & Sons in St. Louis. "And we're sitting on pretty ample levels of inventory right now. We're not in bad shape."
story continued
Google








Tuesday, May 30, 2006

The Frankenstein Hybrid

New York -

I've lived through all the hype about automotive miracles, such as the 100-miles-per-gallon carburetor, the modern steam car, the modern electric car, fuel cells and hydrogen cars. Billions of dollars have been spent searching for a car that doesn't use gasoline, or at least much gasoline.

This brings me to the latest bit of wizardry that some are promoting as an answer to all our problems: the plug-in hybrid.

Gas-electric hybrids have been on the market for several years. A hybrid is a vehicle with two propulsion systems: one regular internal-combustion motor and one or more battery-powered electric motors, which can drive the car for short distances or give the internal-combustion engine an assist during acceleration.

Now there's talk of something else, a plug-in hybrid. The idea is to give the vehicle additional battery power, which will allow it to run longer and farther on less gasoline. Today's Toyota Motor (nyse: TM - news - people ) Prius hybrid starts out under battery power only but switches to its gasoline engine when it reaches 15 to 20 miles per hour. A plug-in, on the other hand, might run 20 or more miles on battery power alone. Of course, to get this extra range requires additional batteries, which drivers can recharge off the electric grid. Hence the name "plug-in."

story continued
Google








Thursday, May 25, 2006

How Much Gas Does Your Car Eat Up?

Ok, let me start by saying that I just recently purchased a brand new car! What's the big deal you ask? Well the car does 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. Filled up my gas tank 10 days ago (moderate driving) and I still have a quarter tank of gas left. Went to the gas station several hours ago and it cost me 25 dollars to fill her up! In New York! With oil prices and the price of a barrel of oil at just under 60 dollars, that's pretty good in my opinion.

What type of car is it? No it's not a hybrid, its a Honda Civic 2006. Ok close enough. Your probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about, but in my opinion I'm talking about something very important which will effect my life, your life and our grandkids lives in the future. Stop complaining about high oil prices and do something about it! That means not buying a Hummer or an SUV, but buying a fuel efficient car. Empower yourself and stick it to the big oil executives and there counterparts in the middle east.

According to Edmunds.com, these are the most fuel efficient cars on the road:

Honda Insight — 61/66
Toyota Prius — 60/51*
Honda Civic Hybrid — 45/51
Volkswagen Golf TDI — 38/46
Volkswagen Jetta TDI — 38/46
Volkswagen New Beetle TDI — 38/46
Honda Civic HX — 36/44
Toyota Echo — 35/42
Toyota Corolla — 32/41
Scion xA — 32/37
Honda Accord Hybrid — 30/37*
Pontiac Vibe — 30/36
Toyota Matrix — 30/36
Scion xB — 31/35*
Dodge Neon — 29/36
Toyota Celica GT — 29/36*

Don't forget you also get a tax break in 2006 for buying a hybrid car!

Maybe you should buy one? You make the choice, make a smart one. Future generations will thank you!

Gio Mangano publishes a blog on Oil Prices

Google








I want a car I can plug in

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have gotten up to 250 miles a gallon.
If someone would manufacture a plug-in hybrid, I would buy it.
There are many promising technologies that could slash gasoline consumption.
Hydrogen fuel-cell cars hold enormous promise but may require a generation to build the infrastructure to realize the potential.
Hydrogen fuel-cell engines work. They have been used in the space program for years. They are free of pollution.
Major problems must be overcome to produce hydrogen fuel-cell cars. There are only a handful of places where hydrogen fuel-cell cars can be refilled. Currently, hydrogen fuel-cell cars cost as much as a college education.
Cars that run on biofuels offer the hope that the United States can break its dependency on oil, particularly foreign oil. So far, the production of ethanol is being subsidized by taxpayers, and not enough is being produced to keep up with its demand as a gasoline additive. story continued
Google








Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Next Toyota Prius to Be More Efficient

The Daily Auto Insider
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
May 2006

Toyota is determined to significantly improve the efficiency of its Prius gasoline-electric hybrid car and produce it in the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Toyota Vice Chairman Fujio Cho.

"[Given] the way American consumers have snapped up the car, I have been urging the company, almost as a matter of strategy, to produce the Prius in the U.S.," Cho told the WSJ.

Among the techniques Toyota is exploring to upgrade the Prius is shrinking major hybrid parts such as batteries, inverters and electric motors to make them as small as one-quarter their current size. This would reduce weight but would also mean the redesigned Prius, expected to hit the market within the next few years, would be more affordable and have better fuel economy, the story said.

link
Google








Monday, May 22, 2006

As gas goes up, so does enthusiasm for hybrid cars

By Allison M. Heinrichs
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, May 21, 2006

Jim Johns loved his 1999 Ford Taurus, but he chose a 2005 Toyota Prius as his new car a couple of years ago.

Now, with gasoline prices hovering at $3 a gallon and no relief in sight, Johns couldn't be happier.

"It's fun to be ahead of the curve," said Johns, of Bethel Park, Allegheny County. "I like (the Prius) better than the Taurus. And that's not to say I didn't like my Taurus -- it was the best car I'd ever owned."

Hybrids combine an electric motor powered by a battery and a gasoline engine. The gasoline engine provides most of the power while the electric motor gives an additional boost for accelerating or climbing hills, so a smaller, more fuel-efficient engine can be used. story continued
Google








Insurance boost for green drivers

By Gráinne Gilmore

KUDOS for saving the planet, congestion-charge-free trips through London and discounted car tax are just some of the perks for hybrid car drivers. But from today, they can add another to the list: cut-price insurance.

*
More Than, the insurer, is offering discounts on motor cover for drivers of hybrid cars.

Hybrid cars are more environmentally friendly than petrol-only cars because the battery-operated motor which runs the car when it is not moving and which boosts acceleration helps to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emmissions. story continued
Google








Sunday, May 21, 2006

Buyers tired of waiting for a Prius turn to new gas-electric Camry

By Matt Nauman
Mercury News

Teri Wiss says she's neither a car person nor a computer person. Yet her new car, a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid, well, let her tell you: ``It's almost more of a computer than a car. Everything about this car is different than what I'm used to.''

Wiss, an occupational therapist who works in Cupertino, was one of the first drivers in Silicon Valley to get the keys to a hybrid version of the Camry, the bestselling passenger car in the United States for eight of the last nine years.

The Camry Hybrid gets 40 mpg in city driving and 38 mpg on the highway, according to its government fuel-economy label. It has a suggested starting price of $25,900.

Its arrival, at a time when gas prices exceed $3 a gallon, is a watershed moment in the history of the hybrid.

When the first gasoline-electric hybrid, the two-seat Honda Insight, went on sale in December 1999, a gallon of regular unleaded sold for $1.36. This week, according to AAA of Northern California, that same gallon costs $3.36.

``The Camry makes hybrid a mainstream concept,'' said Jim Lentz, executive vice president at Toyota Motor Sales USA. story continued
Google








Saturday, May 20, 2006

Hybrids, stepping on the gas

Hybrid cars have been in the news for a while now and are increasingly being seen as practical alternatives to cars that run solely on conventional fossil fuels.

Despite the recent counter claims that have put down the fuel-efficiency advantage of the hybrids in real world conditions, the cost-benefit equation that these cars offer will surely be appreciated as crude oil prices continue to rise.

In the big, mature markets of the US, Europe and Japan, hybrids have completed the migration from being technology concepts to become mainstream automobiles.

But the higher price of the hybrid (compared to the same car's conventional fuel model) has meant that, at least till now, the buyers seem to be those who like to wear their tech `savviness' and environment consciousness on their sleeve. story continued
Google








Friday, May 19, 2006

Honda Diesels, Hybrids to Compete With Toyota's Prius (Update3)

May 18 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co., vying with Toyota Motor Corp. for buyers seeking fuel-efficient autos, will add U.S. diesel models and a new gasoline-electric hybrid by 2009.

Honda's new gas-electric car will seat five and be cheaper and smaller than its $22,150 Civic Hybrid, President Takeo Fukui said in Tokyo yesterday. The Japanese company's diesel engines will probably be available in several U.S. models, and the cars will travel at least 10 percent farther on a gallon of fuel than gasoline versions.

``Their strategy makes sense: Larger heavier, more expensive products get the diesel,'' said George Peterson, president of consulting firm AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, California. Honda is going back to its roots with ``very high fuel economy cars that are very inexpensive to operate,'' he said.

Honda, the first company to sell hybrids in the U.S., is trying to match Toyota's success with its Prius model, the best- selling gasoline-electric car in the world. Consumers are turning to more fuel-efficient cars as gasoline prices approach record highs, and Honda sees an untapped market in diesels. story continued
Google








Thursday, May 18, 2006

Honda revs up for rest of decade

Honda Motor Co. said on Wednesday it was close to selecting a Midwestern site for a new $400 million assembly plant that would employ 1,300 jobs, part of a strategy to boost U.S. sales by 300,000 vehicles by 2009.

At least 100,000 of those vehicles will be a new, hybrid-only model that Honda says will be smaller and less expensive than the current Civic. Honda also said it would end production of the Insight, the first U.S. gasoline-electric hybrid, in September.

The company had said on Tuesday it was planning a new U.S. plant, but had declined to offer specifics. Honda refused to say which Midwestern states are in the running for the plant, or say when it would make its decision.
story continued
Google








New Super-Efficient Plug-in Hybrid Unveiled

"Trinity," a highly fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid vehicle, was unveiled today by engineering students at the University of California, Davis. The vehicle is the team's entry in the national Challenge X competition, sponsored by General Motors Corp. and the U.S. Department of Energy. Field trials for the competition will take place in Phoenix next month.

Trinity is a 2006 model Chevy Equinox SUV powered by electric motors and a small internal combustion engine that can run on gasoline or ethanol. The electric motors and batteries provide power for driving at low speeds and for a range of up to 40 miles, and the gas engine supplies additional power for longer journeys and highway driving.

"This is a car that is completely sustainable with no oil at all," said Andy Frank, professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at UC Davis, who advises the team. Trinity does all the things a conventional model of the vehicle can do with higher performance, Frank said. story continued
Google








Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Honda Kills the Insight

Google








Mad market for used fuel-sippers

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - In an atmosphere of high fuel prices, the market for used cars with high fuel mileage has gotten red hot.

Gas prices can cause greater fluctuations in used-car prices than in new cars for two reasons: used-car prices are more flexible than new-car prices and used-car shoppers generally have lower incomes than new-car shoppers.
Photo Gallery launchSee more photos

In one extreme example, used Toyota Priuses are in such demand that they lose almost no value in the first year or two of ownership even after being driven tens of thousands miles.

For example, a 2005 Toyota Prius that when new had a sticker price of $21,515 could now sell for $25,970, even with 20,000 miles on the odometer, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. Since Toyota dealers usually charge a few thousand dollars over sticker for new Priuses, the buyer in this example probably wouldn't have made a profit, but nearly so. story continued
Google








Aviva offers premium discount in Quebec for hybrid cars

Aviva Insurance Company of Canada, Scottish & York and Traders General Insurance Company, all Aviva Canada Inc. (Aviva) member companies, are rewarding drivers in Quebec who choose to be kind to the environment with an automatic 10% discount on their Aviva auto policy premium.
Effective June 1, 2006, upon sign-up, Aviva policyholders in Quebec who drive hybrid vehicles will receive the discount. Renewals will receive the discount beginning in August.
Hybrid vehicles are powered by some combination of gas fuel and electricity. In some hybrid cars, for example, gas may be used for high-speed trips, such as on freeways, while electricity will power the car for slower-speed trips through the city. Typically hybrid cars will have better gas mileage than non-hybrid cars.
"We believe that individuals who make a conscious choice to protect the environment deserve to be acknowledged," Normand Brunet, the senior vice-president of Aviva Insurance, Quebec Region, said in a press release. "This program fits with our overall strategy to be a leader in our contribution to the health of our communities. It also rewards our policyholders who, through their actions and choices, are doing the same thing."
Aviva Canada Inc., one of the country's leading property and casualty insurance groups, is a subsidiary of Aviva plc, the world's sixth largest insurance group with more than CD$600 billion in assets and 59,000 employees around the globe.
story continued
Google








Virginia Leads Region with Hybrid Cars

ASHINGTON (AP) - Prince William County (website - news) drivers seem to like the environment - and the idea of saving money on gas.

A new survey by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments shows Washington area households are more than twice as likely as the rest of the nation to own hybrid vehicles. And Prince William tops the list of all area counties in hybrid ownership.

The fuel-efficient gas-electric cars are especially popular in Northern Virginia, where hybrid drivers are allowed to use car pool lanes without any passengers along for the ride.

Northern Virginia jurisdictions average nearly eleven hybrids per thousand households, compared with 3.6 in D.C. and 3.25 in suburban Maryland.

Prince William County led all area counties with nearly 15 hybrids per thousand households. That's more than four times the national average of 3.3.

link
Google








Monday, May 15, 2006

Hybrid Car Sales Skyrocket

NEW YORK (AP) - The number of hybrid electric-gasoline cars sold in New York State jumped 28 percent this year. Figures by the Department of Motor Vehicles shows that just over 17-thousand hybrid cars were registered in the state as of May Tenth - compared to 13-thousand-380 hybrids registered in December of last year.

With gasoline prices topping three dollars a gallon across the state, more people have been interested in the hybrid cars - which use an electric battery to travel at low speeds, and have the gasoline engine kick in at high speeds.

Westchester had the most hybrids registered - with two-thousand-98 vehicles, followed by Suffolk with 17-hundred-61 hybrid vehicles.
story continued
Google








Spirits Co. To Use Hybrid Cars From Hertz Fleet For Local Travel

By Michael B. Baker

MAY 15, 2006 -- Brown-Forman Corp. has melded its environmental policy with its rental car program, forging a special agreement with Hertz Corp. to use hybrid cars for the company's regional travel needs.

The Louisville, Ky.-based wine and spirits producer, known for such brands as Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort, officially rolled out its hybrid rental program in April, following a few months of testing with employees, said Walt Tressler, Brown-Forman's corporate services manager. The agreement gives the company use of three Toyota Prius automobiles in Louisville.

"We have a great leadership that very much believes in preservation and sustainability," Tressler said. "All of our products come from the earth—from grain and water—so we want to be good stewards."

Employees now are strongly encouraged to use the hybrids for their regional travel needs, such as trips to the distillery in Tennessee or for nearby conferences, Tressler said. The company's travel agents also were instructed to suggest the hybrid rental to employees. Employee training also was vital, as hybrid cars handle differently than standard cars, and inquiries about the hybrid rentals now are coming in daily, he said.
story continued
Google








Sunday, May 14, 2006

Turnpike to allow hybrid cars in car pool lanes starting Monday

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ Drivers of fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles will be allowed to use the high occupancy vehicle lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike starting Monday.

The move is meant to help offset rapidly rising gas prices and encourage consumers to be more fuel-efficient, state officials said. Hybrids run on a combination of gasoline and electricity from batteries and get more miles to the gallon than traditional vehicles.

Currently, cars using the HOV lanes must have at least three occupants. Motorcycles and buses are also allowed to drive there. The northbound car pool lanes are open weekdays from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. and the southbound lanes are open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Google








Saturday, May 13, 2006

GM sets ethanol as fuel of choice

General Motors Corp. ’s drive to put ethanol-based fuel in the tanks of more U. S. cars and trucks may transform Detroit’s neighborhood gas stations and its drivers into pioneers in the use of the gasoline alternative.

GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner says he’ll join employees next month in using fuel that is 85 percent ethanol when the company begins requiring hundreds of its Detroit-area executives with ethanol-compatible company cars to fill up at new public pumps. Wayne County, which surrounds Detroit, is trying to attract an ethanol refinery.

“This is such a great idea,” said Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, who governs about 2 million residents in the mostly urban county. “We’re spending billions of dollars a year to stabilize the Middle East, and we’re subsidizing farmers to encourage them to not grow crops. This addresses both.” story continued
Google








Friday, May 12, 2006

GM chief sees hybrids as image boosters

By Jui Chakravorty

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. plans to stay in the hybrid vehicle business for the favorable image it projects, Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said in an interview this week, adding that the United States also needs to focus on ethanol to reduce foreign-oil dependency.

Wagoner said automakers should focus more on ethanol as an alternative fuel and that GM is focused on increasing the distribution system for fueling vehicles with E85 -- a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. story continued
Google








GM Orders `Fill 'er Up With Ethanol,' and Detroit Adds Pumps

May 12 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp.'s drive to put ethanol-based fuel in the tanks of more U.S. cars and trucks may transform Detroit's neighborhood gas stations and its drivers into pioneers in the use of the gasoline alternative.

GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner says he'll join employees next month in using fuel that is 85 percent ethanol when the company begins requiring hundreds of its Detroit-area executives with ethanol-compatible company cars to fill up at new public pumps. Wayne County, which surrounds Detroit, is trying to attract an ethanol refinery.

``This is such a great idea,'' said Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, who governs about 2 million residents in the mostly urban county. ``We're spending billions of dollars a year to stabilize the Middle East, and we're subsidizing farmers to encourage them to not grow crops. This addresses both.'' story continued
Google








Thursday, May 11, 2006

Toyota and Honda hybrid cars sold in the U.S. through April

Toyota: 30,357 Prius hybrids and 11,469 Highlander SUV hybrids. Camry, which came out in late April, sold 86 units.

Honda: 12,913 hybrid vehicles in 2006, with the Civic Hybrid accounting for 10,264 of those sales.
Google








Hybrid Cars Give Business Travelers Price Break at the Pump

OS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2006--While the Bush administration and Congress debate how to alter fuel economy standards, and soaring gas prices continue to cause financial hardship for 7 in 10 Americans, business travelers are turning to alternative means of transportation to save corporate coffers from the squeeze at the pumps. But companies can't put important business travel arrangements on hold, so one small car rental company is offering a solution to weary business travelers in the western states.

EV Rental Cars, the nation's only rental car agency exclusively offering hybrid vehicles, is rapidly building its fleet in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. story continued
Google








Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Tax credits can reduce premium you pay for hybrid vehicle

Back when gas cost $1.50 a gallon, folks who wanted to impress their neighbors bought luxury cars with lots of horsepower and wide leather seats.

Now that gas is selling for close to $3 a gallon on average nationwide, trendsetters are buying hybrids. "Purrs like a kitten and gets 58 miles per gallon in the city," Mr. Jones says as he lovingly waxes the Prius in his driveway. "Plenty of legroom, too."

What Mr. Jones probably won't tell his buddies is that he paid a premium for his hybrid. The most popular hybrids cost about $3,000 more than comparable gas-powered models. Even with the increase in gas prices, you'd have to drive a lot of miles to offset the higher price tag. But you can reduce the hybrid premium by taking advantage of all the tax credits available to you. story continued
Google








Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Are flex-fuel vehicles viable?

May 8, 2006

Albany -- Cars that can run on a mixture of gasoline and ethanol have been around for more than 20 years, but until recently there's been little interest in them. With gas prices soaring, many people want to know, what's all the hype about?

Let's start with the good news: You can select from a wide range of vehicles that are E85 compatible, like a Ford F-150 truck, that don't cost anymore than the standard fuel vehicle.

Ford General Sales Manager Brian Willian says, "It's usually just listed in your engine configuration. It's a no charge option just like you see here." story continued
Google








Hybrid, motorcycle sales spike with high gas prices

McALLEN — Rising gas prices are spurring more area motorists to ditch their cars for more fuel efficient hybrids and motorcycles.

"It’s on the minds of everyone that comes in here," said John Tunberg, general manager of McAllen Motorsport, a motorcycle dealership. "It’s always the first thing they say."

He said he has seen a spike in sales as gas prices have increased in recent weeks. story continued
Google








Saturday, May 06, 2006

Democrats push to end tax breaks for oil companies

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Democrats on Saturday pressed the U.S. Congress to slash tax breaks for profit-flush oil companies amid record high gasoline prices and quickly pass legislation aimed at protecting consumers from price-gouging.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat up for re-election this fall, said the tax breaks for oil companies should be changed to offer incentives for vehicles that can run on ethanol and for more energy efficient goods. story continued
Google








Countries want cut of high oil profits

As the rising price of oil drives up oil company profits, countries where the oil is drilled, such as Bolivia, are demanding more of a cut, a report says.
Bolivia, where the president authorized a national takeover of oil and gas fields and pushed up taxes, is only the most recent example.
Similar moves have taken place in Russia and Venezuela, while Britain has increased its taxes and state companies in Nigeria and Kazakhstan get better treatment than private companies, The New York Times reports. story continued
Google








Plug-in hybrid cars, hydrogen fuel cells

Finally, plug-in hybrid technology is getting the attention it deserves. As a former GM employee on the EV1 electric vehicle program, we proved that the best way to get people to use less oil is to give them the opportunity to use none — without compromise in performance, safety and convenience. The public embraced that concept more easily than the automakers, and we were collectively gutted when GM abandoned its EV programs.It has been difficult to get the large automakers to embrace plug-in hybrids because of an intangible conflict: To produce and market a car that is clean and quiet, you inherently imply that your core products — larger cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles — are none of those things. story continued
Google








Friday, May 05, 2006

Turnpike to allow hybrid cars in car pool lanes

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ Drivers in the New Jersey Turnpike car pool lanes who see someone driving alone, should think twice before calling the police to report a violator. That car may simply be one of the new, fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which administers the turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, voted Thursday to allow hybrid vehicles to use the high occupancy vehicles lanes on the turnpike.story continued
Google








Top Ten Popular Hybrid Cars

Toronto, Canada (OPENPRESS) May 5, 2006 -- Today, kanetix (www.kanetix.ca), Canada's insurance marketplace, released their Top 10 list of most popular hybrid cars as indicated by the auto insurance quotes Canadians are seeking through kanetix.ca:

1. Honda Civic Hybrid 4DR
2. Toyota Prius 5DR
3. Ford Escape Hybrid 4DR 4WD
4. Honda Accord Hybrid 4DR
5. Toyota Prius 4DR
6. Honda Insight 2DR
7. Ford Escape Hybrid 4DR 2WD
8. Lexus RX400h 4DR AWD
9. Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4DR 4WD
10. Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4DR 4WDstory continued
Google








Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Special Report: Hybrid Cars

TOPSHAM, Maine -- Gas prices are continuing to rise with no relief in sight, prompting many people to get rid of their gas-guzzlers and go hybrid.

Paul St. Pierre said his hybrid is quiet, comfortable, and he couldn't be happier with it.

He told News 8, "It's one of the best-rated environment-friendly cars on the market. I love it. It's a fabulous machine."

John Hinck is with the Natural Resources Council of Maine. He said our dependency on foreign oil is hurting our country and our environment. But he said technology such as hybrid cars can help.story continued
Google








Monday, May 01, 2006

Oil Dependency

Have you ever wondered what would happen if there was another oil shortage.Imagine going to the gas station and being turned away .Imagine paying ten maybe 15 dollars a gallon. Maybe Iran tells the United States no more oil and causes another war, maybe WORLD WAR 3. Its scary but you never know. Thats why we as a nation need to be oil dependent. We need to start producing more vehicles with alternative fuels. We need to start thinking more energy efficient. I know it will be years before every car you see coming down the street will be run without foreign oil but till that day comes we have hybrid cars.The toyota prius the best of the hybrids. It gives you 60 miles per gallon in the city and 51 on the highway, and at a price of under 22,000 its a lot of car for a great price.And if your looking for a suv hybrid , the ford escape is a perfect choice. Hopefully in the coming years before we can break away from the strangelhold we call oil , the vehicles we drive will all be hybrids.I guess until then i will do my part, and hope others will follow.
Google