Transmission Flush

Archive for March, 2010

It might not be what you want to hear, but there are some negatives to owning a hybrid car, but then again some of them are fairly insignificant. Even so, you might want to know about what disadvantages there are to owning a hybrid car. But don’t get too worried. The disadvantages are not that bad.

Hybrid cars are more expensive.

Only a small percentage of consumers say they will buy a hybrid for their next car purchase. That’s probably because hybrid cars are comparatively expensive. Another reason is that many people are a little concerned about buying a car that depends so heavily on a battery pack like a hybrid does. Why are they so concerned? They are understandably nervous about what would happen if the battery pack failed. You can’t really blame them as hybrid car battery packs are usually very expensive, and would cost a lot to replace if not covered by a good warranty.

There’s some doubt about the value of hybrid cars

Some people think hybrid cars are good for the environment and that everyone should have one, but some people beg to differ. There is lots of research being done out there to see what people really think about hybrid cars, and its easy to be swayed by the latest opinions but you need to weigh up the pros and cons for yourself. Buying a hybrid car is just like buying a normal car. There are pros and cons to every type of car whether it is a hybrid or not. Don’t expect all hybrid cars to be perfect as there is no such thing as a perfect hybrid car yet because it is still fairly new technology.

Are hybrid cars just a trend?

Called the “wave of the future,” it may seem like hybrid cars are really cool cars to have right now. And it’s true. Although they are now on the cutting edge of automotive technology, hybrid cars may soon be outdone by something better. Car manufacturers are constantly working on creating more fuel-efficient cars, so who knows what’s around the corner?

Hybrid car manufacturers say their battery packs will last a lifetime, but will they?

Ever bought a warranty and then had something happen to your car that wasn’t covered? Even though a hybrid’s battery is supposed to last a lifetime, chances are, something unforeseen might happen that will negate this warranty. How much does a hybrid battery cost? A lot. Of course, there’s risk involved when you make any car purchase, but with the hybrid car, there are risks you never thought of. Just make sure that you are aware of this when thinking of buying a hybrid car.

The bottom line is this. Before buying a hybrid car, you should understand that you are buying into a new technology that is still passing through a teething stage. Therefore, who knows what surprises this new technology might throw at us? Nobody really knows if hybrid cars are the future of motoring but at least they are a start. After all, you don’t see many people driving a Model T Ford around nowadays but they did jumpstart the age of the motor car so who knows where hybrid cars will lead us?

Once thing is for sure though. The gas-powered combustion engine will one day go the way of the Dodo, especially with the rising cost of oil, and hybrid cars are a step towards that day.

In this article I will give you the history of the hybrid car. First, I talk about steam power. Second, I discuss electric power for hybrid vehicles. Third, I discuss the Porsche hybrid. Fourth, I discuss mass production. And lastly, I discuss hybrid cars and hybrid trucks in relation to gasoline powered cars.

It’s pretty interesting how people are becoming more aware of their environment nowadays. This can be seen on the increasing amount of environment friendly products in the market these days. Additionally, they’ve become aware of the various factors that contribute to the threatening pollution in the environment. Hence, companies started developing less toxic emitting products that also do well to the environment and one of the most prominent of this kind would be hybrid cars. As starter, here’s the history of the hybrid car.

It’s All About Steam

The concept of creating environment friendly or alternatively powered vehicles started with the idea of vehicles running with the use of steam. Between 1665 to1885 a couple of ideas regarding steam powered vehicles were noted. First off would be astronomer and Flemish Jesuit priest Ferdinand Verbiest, who had plans for a small four-wheeled unmanned steam car. Next would be Nicholas Cugnot who built a carriage powered by steam that was able to run for 6 miles/hour. Lastly would be Goldsworthy Gurney who was able to create a steam car that could run an 85 mile journey in just 10 hours.

Then Came Electricity

It was also quite early when people started conceptualizing and later on creating electricity powered cars. It was in 1839 when Scotsman Robert Anderson first created an electrically powered vehicle. Then, significant development was noted during the late 1800′s and early 1900′s. In fact, it was during this time when a lot of companies started making use of electricity to power their vehicles.

Electric Cabs

Additionally electrically powered cabs became prominent during the 1897, because this is when the London Electric Cab Company started their regular service by the use of cars which were made by Walter Bersey. It was called the Bersey Cab. This cab uses a 40-cell battery with a 3 HP electric motor. People were able to drive it 50 miles in between charges.

The First Porsche Hybrid

It was during 1898 when Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was able to build his very first car, which was called Lohner Electric Chaise. This car was also 1st front-wheel-drive. Then, the second car that he made was a hybrid. Here, he used an internal combustion engine so that the car’s generator would spin. In effect, it produced power to be used by electric motors, which could be found on the wheel hubs. Just using batteries, the car was able to travel about 40 miles.

Going Large Scale

In the past, manufacturers weren’t really able to create as much cars as they wanted. This is because they weren’t equipped with the right tools and machines to do so. However, as technology developed, car companies were able to make big batches of production.

In fact, by 1900, American car companies were able to create made 936 gasoline, 1,575 electric 1,681 steam car. People were also becoming more open with the use of electric cars. This can be seen on a poll which was conducted during the 1st National Automobile Show, where patrons actually favored electric cars for their 1st choice, while steam cars placed second on a very close fight.

During the first couple of years in the 20th century, thousands of hybrid and electric cars were actually created. However, when Henry Ford’s car line arrived along with the start of self-starting gas engines, this signalled the rapid decline of hybrid cars during 1920.

Fuelled Cars Taking The Limelight

When fuelled cars were introduced, this became a very significant period of time for hybrid cars. Simply because people started opting for gasoline fuelled cars than those that were hybrids. Additionally, car manufacturing companies, like Ford also created lines of gas fuelled automobiles that were quite cheap to buy. Since these cars were cheap, people started buying the cheap gas cars than those more expensive hybrid cars.

Hence, gas fuelled cars took the limelight for quite some time. In fact, up to now, gas fuelled vehicles are still on the spot light.

However, hybrid cars were still somewhere in the backdrop. Sadly, only those that were creating cars for themselves or those that stayed in rural areas and had the means to create their own cars still hold on to this kind of vehicle.

Nevertheless, people have become aware of the benefits of hybrids nowadays. Hence, they are coming back into the picture. Ironically, most people think that such cars were only invented recently. However the colourful history of the hybrid car simply shows that it started quite early and was only overshadowed by gas fuelled cars due to convenience and money matters.

With the global financial crisis and the unstable gas prices, many people are now turning to fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. The hybrid vehicles have less gas emissions, which will go a long way in reducing the effect of the emissions on the environment. The hybrid cars are fuel-efficient and those using them will be able to save on gas expenses. Another reason why hybrid cars are preferred is that they are much faster than the average cars. Buying of hybrid cars will depend on the reason why the person wants to have one.

It has been said that hybrid cars offer an excellent way of investing. People have been told that buying hybrid cars will enable them save on the expenses, which they would have otherwise used to buy fuel. However, since hybrid cars are expensive, the benefits will not be felt at once and may take a period of years, before one can feel the tangible benefits of the hybrid car. However, with advancements in technology the costs of the hybrid cars will likely fall. Those who cannot wait for that long should not buy the current high costs hybrid cars.

Furthermore, the cars that will be produced with the improved technology are likely to be more efficient than the current ones. Apart from concerns about high gas prices, those who buy hybrid cars do so because of the need to preserve the environment. The amount of gas emissions released to the atmosphere by users of non-hybrid cars is on the rise. However, if one is not driven by the need to preserve the environment and is not worried about the emissions their cars give out, then they are not the right candidates to buy hybrid cars.

Most of the hybrid cars are available in small sizes. This has been a factor that has made many tall people, who would have preferred using hybrid cars not to buy them. The comfort and the amount of space available in non-hybrid SUVs have prevented many people from using the hybrid cars. For instance, users of Prius have raised safety issues concerning the car model. This model has a curvy interior, which reduces the users’ headroom and can cause extensive injuries if an accident occurs.

Even if the one decides to buy the hybrid car because of its potential to save on costs, it will be difficult to know the actual amount of money that will be saved. This issue arises since most hybrid cars do not have alternate non-hybrid cars. For example, the Prius can only be found as a hybrid car and thus it cannot be compared with any non-hybrid Prius car. Another reason why you should not buy hybrid is that, not all hybrids are the same. The ones that are fuel-efficient are normally expensive, while those that are not that expensive do not give the level of fuel efficiency desired. Those who are not technology minded or environmentally conscious should not worry about the trend of buying hybrid cars.