Hybrid Cars

Description:

As a concerned inhabitant of earth, it s your duty to maintain the same and the best way you can contribute to keeping thee same pollution free is by going in for cars that spew less amounts of CO2 and that run on alternate fuels. Thanks to science and technology, there are many such cars being manufactures nowadays that can run on alternative fuels like biofuels and electricity. Such care is termed as hybrid cars. Most major car manufacturers are concentrating on manufacturing hybrids and the Honda Civic Hybrid is one of them. With the arrival of the 2^nd generation Prius in 2003, the Honda Civic Hybrid was pushed to the second spot.

While there is no denying the fact that the Honda Civic Hybrid is not powerful like the Prius. It is also not as comfortable as the Prius and does not provide the same amount of real estate the Prius does plus its fuel efficiency also lags behind the Prius. Despite all these facts this offering from Honda should be given more respect than what is accorded to it. Despite all these shortcomings, it is amazing to see more and more people go in for the Honda Civic Hybrid. The main reason for this is its friendly price tag and its un-hybrid looks. You can expect to save a few thousand dollars over a Prius if you are going in for the Honda Civic Hybrid.

As far as fuel economy is concerned, the offering from Honda lies in the top slot along with the Prius, being the only other hybrid vehicle that has an average offering of 40 miles per gallon. Then there are the looks of the Civic Hybrid. Most owners agree that this car sports cool looks and does not appear as a electronic device. Check out the reviews about the Honda Civic Hybrid and you’ll find terms like “head-turning” and “gorgeous” used to describe this car. Honda has spared no efforts to provide a sporty look to this car and in this process they have deployed all their engineering expertise. Check under the hood and lift the cover and you will be amazed to see what makes this gorgeous car tick.

This car is the 4^th generation of integrated engine and motor hybrid design by Honda. This vehicle boasts of a 1.3 liter iVTEC 4-cylinder engine along with a 20 horsepower electric motor. Together, they deliver an awesome 110 horsepower. The Civic helps you to maximize on gas savings by turning off all its cylinders when they are not required. The number of spark plugs in a car determines the fuel combustion of the same and keeping this in mind, Honda has thoughtfully provided 8 spark plugs for this car. This ensures that partially combusted fuel is not emitted through the tailpipe. Honda has added additional battery packs in this vehicle and has carried on with the regenerative braking from their previous generation of hybrid cars to ensure that the Honda Civic Hybrid ends up a winner.

Description:

If you purchase a Toyota Camry, you can be rest assured that nobody will be calling you reckless. Apart from being predictable, this car is relatively attractive, comfortable, safe and dependable. Going by the overwhelming sales reports, one can safely say that the Americans love this car and are pleased with the affordability and reliability that this car provides them with. Just check out the sales graphs of cars of America in the past 9 years or so and you will find that the Camry is at the top as far as passenger vehicles are concerned. The Toyota Camry Hybrid offer you an EPA rating of 33 mpg (miles per gallon) and with its large fuel tank it ensures that you can drive 700 miles on a full tank, before you need to visit the gas station again.

Just spending a few dollars more to purchase this car shows off your practicability. When the Toyota Prius was initially released, it hybrid system was considered an adventurous and bold move towards unknown technology. However the same system on the Camry seems practical in an age where gas prices might shoot up any day due to political or meteorological circumstances. These inflating gas prices might well burn a deep hole in your pocket that has already been hit hard by recession. If you are fuel conscious and are bothered about its prices, there are two different options of the Camry you can choose from. You can either go in for the 4 cylinder model that ensures a combined city/ highway rating of 25 miles per gallon or the V6’s rating of 23 miles per gallon.

You can also opt in for the hybrid’s 33 miles per gallon. The initial half portion of the Camry Hybrid drivetrain consists of a 147 hp model that can be found on the general 2.4 liter 4 cylinder gas engine. The 2^nd half consists of a 105 kilowatt electric motor along with a 244 volts battery pack capable of delivering 45 hours at its peak. This battery pack is comprised of 34 nickel metal hydride (NiMH) modules and each of them consists of six 1.2V cells. When one runs it through a continuous variable transmission system the end result is 192 HP. The standard version of Camry delivers just 158 horsepower.

If one wants to compare both, they will observe that the Camry Hybrid takes 8.9 seconds to move from static position to a speed of 60 miles per hour, whereas the Toyota Prius takes just 7.9 seconds. You gain an advantage of one second. If you are fussy about safety features, the Toyota Camry Hybrid will not let you down. It boasts of VDIM (vehicle dynamic integrated management) as a part of the standard system that comprises traction control, antilock brakes, steering boost and stability control. It also features the WIL (whiplash injury lessening) seat design that can be found on the Prius. You might be interested to know that the first batch of Camry Hybrids were manufactured I Japan.

• Electric Cars