The Development History of the Hybrid Car

By Wendy Gorman

Are modern hybrid cars reinventing the wheel? Well not quite, but hybrid car developers may be going full circle. Hybrid cars are currently all the rage and this is for many reasons including economy, climate change, fuel shortages and many more forms of challenge to the motorist. The latest hybrid cars are seen as a modern response to these challenges. The truth however is that the automobile manufacturing industry has been here before. So while contemplating the purchase of a new super modern hybrid, why not pause a little and reflect on the history behind today's so called new designs?

It is not generally realized that designs for hybrid cars actually predate designs for gasoline driven cars. As early as 1665 a certain Ferdinand Verbeist is known to have been working on the concept of a self-moving wagon. This appears to have been a very basic design, based on a simple four-wheeled wagon of the day to which some form of power source was to be added. The motive power was to be steam! It is known that he was still working on his design in the late 1670's but unfortunately no record exists to show whether he actually got it to work.

It was nearly 100 years later when Nicholas Cugnot produced a somewhat more sophisticated steam carriage that actually worked. Capable of speeds up to some six miles per hour, this vehicle proved the concept, but suffered from both not being able to create enough steam to go any faster and also not being able to carry enough fuel to go any great distance. Nonetheless, surely Nicholas can claim to have produced the first working hybrid car.

Over the next 70 years a number of designers tried various ways to overcome the known drawbacks of what came to be known as the horseless carriage and in 1839 Robert Anderson announced the electric powered car. Robert, who designed and built his car in Scotland, seemed to have made the breakthrough everyone was looking for.

Although highly acclaimed at the time, there were as always some snags to be overcome in order to increase performance and to create what today we would call a more user-friendly product. This electric car was a highly applauded innovation of its time. The main drawback with this design was the difficulty in maintaining the charge in the car's automotive batteries. The solution to this development problem proved elusive to many pioneers of the fledgling automobile industry.

By the late 19th century, automobile engineers were experimenting with combined fuel sources less dependent on battery recharging technology. It was in 1898 that Porsche introduced the Lohner Electric Chaise. This was powered by a combination of electric and fuel combustion technology and on battery power alone could cover distances of up to 40 miles. The ultimate aim of realistic distances was getting closer.

Throughout the major part of the 20th century the ideas behind the hybrid car lay somewhat dormant, as availability of cheap gasoline and the advance of conventional technology for powering cars, trucks etc was fully exploited in a great transport revolution. The first decade of the 21st century however brought changes in outlook based on rising cost of oil and gasoline, together with a growing environmental awareness of such things as global warming. Development engineers combined both a gas and a battery powered engine to power what would become today's hybrid car. This was kick started by Honda who introduced the lightweight two-door Honda Insight to the American automobile marketplace. A vigorous and continuing series of developments by other manufacturers have created the range of hybrid models we know today. In the same way that complex development of the gasoline driven car does not stop people understanding the 'simple concept' of conventional cars, the apparently complex ideas underpinning the latest hybrid cars, should not stop the automobile purchaser from seeing the hybrid car as being just as simple to understand. The hybrid car started out as a simple, self powered, four wheeled wagon and it is still that today - About 350 years after it was first conceived!

Wendy Gorman is an accomplished author and niche website developer. She is committed to exploring the question "what is a hybrid car?" and also to explain how to buy a hybrid car. Visit her sites now to better understand the hybrid car marketplace and its future.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Gorman

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Water Into Fuel - Beat the Gas Companies at Their Own Game

By Austin Warty

Rather than allowing the gas companies to make you suffer, why not take matters into your own hands by turning water into fuel? Imagine doubling your gas mileage and slashing your gas costs in half. This is something that thousands of people are making a reality by building their own water into fuel kit.

This solution is not just for mechanics and car enthusiasts. Anyone that can follow a set of instructions can build their own water fuel system. After visiting your local hardware store to purchase the materials you need, you can have your water for gas kit ready to install. Hooking up your water fuel system from there takes moments, as it simply requires making a few connections to your car battery and the manifold under your hood.

This is nothing complex. If you know how to screw in a light bulb, you are capable of turning water into fuel in order to double your gas mileage. There are no permanent changes to your car, and uninstalling it is a snap.

But if this actually works, why haven't you heard about it in the past?


Actually, this technology has been around since World War II, but most people really haven't been affected by gas prices this bad since the 1973 oil crisis. Now everyone's clamoring to find alternatives to increase fuel efficiency and reduce their gas consumption. Secondly, in the past you would have to spend thousands of dollars to purchase a hydrogen generator to get these results. Modern technology now allows the do-it-yourself person to achieve the same effect with under $100 of supplies.

Now you can literally make a trip to the hardware store, follow your blueprint to build your water fuel system, and have your kit installed in a matter of a couple hours. That means in just a few hours from now your car can be running off the gas that is produced from water.

Not only will you save money by drastically reducing the amount of fuel your car burns, but there are many additional benefits for using a water fuel system. For one, the combustible HHO gas that is produced can boost engine performance while reducing fuel emissions. Your car can run smoother and quieter while nearly eliminating greenhouse gases that your automobile emits. In fact, you may be eligible to receive a $2,500 tax rebate for your conscious effort to use an alternative fuels.

That's just the beginning. Find out all the benefits and how to turn water into fuel. Imaging that just a few hours from now your car can be getting twice the gas mileage. Find out how by visiting http://www.water-engine.factfriend.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Austin_Warty

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Warranties on Hybrid Cars

By Thomas Jones

Warranties are perpetually a blessing and a pain when it comes to any major appliance, and cars these days are no different. Thankfully, with these new hybrid cars running around, the warranties on hybrids are typically better than gas-powered vehicles, and one reason is that you are paying so much more for them upfront, as well as the fact that manufacturers have enough faith in the actual value of hybrid cars, especially in the long run. To be blunt, the manufacturers don't honestly think that the car is going to need repairs during the warranty period, because the parts are meant to last. That doesn't always happen, though, and it's important to look at what exactly you're in for.

1. What's Actually Covered - Okay, so, let's figure out what's actually covered in your warranty. For most standard warranties on hybrids, the actual battery pack, as well as the hybrid's parts are under warranty for 100,000 miles or 8 years, and if you're lucky, as far as 150,000 miles or 10 years. That depends on the state where you buy the car and live in, but either way, this at least covers when parts go bad for no apparent reason, or something happens to fail in a bizarre way. Even manufacturer defects are covered. Many other hybrids also have an additional warranty which is standard, giving you much of the same warranty coverage like a conventional vehicle, which is about 3 years.


If you're lucky, you might have the power train warranty, which takes care of items like the engine, seat belts, airbags, and even the front-wheel and rear-wheel drives, and tends to last around 5 years. The major thing to look out for is that most warranties assume you'll at least travel 12,000 miles, and that is per year. If you don't actually take advantage of that, you'll lose money and will be wasting the money you spent on your warranty.

2. The Really Fine Print - Okay, so, here's the tricky and sucky part. Not everything is covered on your warranty, and so you need to be sure you actually take good car of a hybrid vehicle. Otherwise, when you suddenly forget to find a mechanic in the area, then that snowballed into forgetting to chance the oil for an entire year, well, you're probably out of luck.

3. Should I Keep Going - The last question is to figure out if you even really think it'll be worth picking up a hybrid and then getting the warranty in the first place. Thankfully, when you buy a hybrid, the extended warranty is a blessing, especially if that battery pack you're expecting to last forever happens to fail right at the 100,001 mark. The hard part is that the extended warranty may cover your battery problem, but look out at how expensive it could be up front. The dealer, the type of warranty, and even information about yourself may be incredibly important in trying to figure out which warranty to get.

Thankfully, many of the extended warranties are actually worth the money. Just make sure not to go with dealer-specific warranties, non-transferable warranties, non-refundable warranties and any program that says you need to pay them right upfront. Also, be sure that if you buy a warranty, it'll allow you to go to a licensed mechanic in your area, as the last thing you want is to find out that you don't have anywhere to repair it from.

A word to the wise, though: While a warranty is a great safety net, there is a lot of fine print on what doesn't get covered by the warranty so make sure to read it all.

taken from ezinearticles

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