American Hybrid Cars
The term American made is becoming harder to distinguish nowadays, but most people when they use it are referring to the major American based car companies: Ford, GM, and Chrysler. One of the companies had simply refused to engage in the hybrid market, because it wasn’t cost feasible, and the other two were late to the game, but all of them are quickly taking steps to catch up to the Japanese competition. When hybrid cars were first introduced, many considered them to be gimmicky and unrealistic, similar to how the first electric cars were received, and this thinking might have kept American hybrid cars from getting serious consideration.
Ford’s original stance when it came to the hybrid vehicle was to aim at one thing Americans truly love: the SUV. One of their first models was a hybrid SUV; the company is still adding more hybrids to their production line. Although, their approach to selling their hybrids was much more conservative than the Japanese, they are starting to turn a profit, which will allow them to continue to expand their hybrid offerings and keep them competitive with foreign car companies.
General Motors chose to originally ignore the hybrid craze, because they didn’t feel it was a worthwhile investment at the time, but have since done a complete turnaround, because of the success of foreign hybrid cars. The first GM attempts were met with negative reactions due to such a mild introduction of hybrid technology. They vehicles only used an electric engine to help the gasoline engine and while they offered a small improvement to gas mileage, the increase in cost was not worth the benefit; they have since switched to developing competitive hybrid engines and have introduced them all across their production line. The biggest benefits come in the SUV and Truck department.
Chrysler never gave hybrids the consideration they were due and after spending a lot of money to develop a hybrid engine, they found there wasn’t enough interest to continue and had for the most part stayed out of the hybrid market, until recently. They have come forth with plans on developing hybrid vehicles, but nothing is concrete as plans continue to be canceled and re-opened.
Choosing to buy American made hybrid cars is a good way to combine the benefits of going green and the pride of the USA. While Toyota is currently dominating the hybrid market and will continue to do so for a few years, American companies are working hard to catch up and produce products that are better options to foreign choices. Whether you go with higher fuel efficiency or more power, you need to evaluate your requirements and go with the car that best suits your lifestyle.
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Used Hybrid Cars: Honda Insight
If you are considering purchasing a used hybrid car, you really cant go wrong with the Honda Insight. It runs on both a petrol and an electric motor, so you know that you’re doing something good for the environment. And if you look at used hybrid cars, you know you’re doing something good for your wallet as well!
The Honda Insights power system is truly revolutionary. It uses Honda’s integrated motor assist hybrid technology, which involves, as mentioned above, a standard Honda petrol powered engine and
and electric engine as well. The electric engine provides extra power when needed, but doesn’t burn precious fuel. The electric engine runs on a series of connected batteries which are recharged via energy recapture, such as regenerative braking. This means that when you apply the brakes, the energy from the brakes friction is captured and converted to electrical energy, which is then used to keep you moving when you take the brakes off.
The interior is roomy and comfortable. Many would even describe it as luxurious! And when you’re seated in the plush drivers seat, you find that the Honda Insight is an absolute pleasure to drive.
Now, you might be thinking “Well, that all sounds marvelous, but surely such an amazing car costs a fortune?” Not so! The sale price of a new Honda Insight hybrid is comparatively very reasonable, compared with cars that boast similar features. But a new car loses a huge chunk of its value as soon as you drive it out of the showroom so buying a second hand Honda Insight is smart to do. The advantages of buying your Honda Insight second hand are numerous: you don’t lose that value immediately after your purchase, you save a whole lot of money, and your car is still covered by a warranty- either the manufacturers or the second hand car dealerships guarantee. So you really can’t lose!
So if you want to save money, save the environment, and save yourself a lot of time, trouble and effort, don’t bother checking hundreds of makes and models. Don’t bother spending your hard earned cash on a car that will only ever cost you money. Buy yourself a Honda Insight hybrid from a trusted second hand car dealership- it will be the best decision you’ve ever made!
Tags: Honda, Honda Insight, honda insight hybrid, Hybrid, hybrid car, Hybrid Cars, hybrid technology, petrol, second hand car, Used Hybrid CarsRelated posts
Eco Friendly Cars
Eco friendly cars, despite the primary concerns of demographics and pricing issues, have seemed to form a niche in the American auto industry. Cars such as the first generation Honda Insight (2000-2006) and the first generation Toyota Prius (1997-2001) were the pioneers of the hybrid movement, with millions of people finally viewing such cars with interest and appreciation. Demographics were an initial concern but that has changed in recent years.
Fuel economy became a concern for SUVs after a time period of where bulky and heavy people movers were bought without a thought of what it would cost the Earth in the future. After the ending of the heavy SUV trend, a new issue of how to save money emerged. Partially due to the economic recession, car companies of all kinds have either partnered up to work on future models (Chrysler/Fiat/Mercedes-Benz) or have deleted some of their own brands in the hopes of rebuilding itself (GM). Ford’s EcoBoost technology promises to deliver the power of a V8 with the fuel efficiency of a V6. Cars equipped with the engine option have been limited to the Ford Flex but the technology will be introduced in the Explorer, Fusion and F-150.
Another company that has taken the reigns of the eco-friendly movement is Volkswagen, a company already known for its diesel powered automobiles. The company has taken steps to improve its efficiency by designing smaller engines (used with sister companies Audi and Porsche) and using lighter structural designs to decrease weight and increase efficiency. Results of the changes have been seen in the newly redesigned Porsche Cayenne and Audi A4.
Both cars have been redesigned using a lighter structure, the Porsche using different engines to improve the first generations downfall. Audi has increased the fuel efficiency of the A4 by using a more rigid design and by using a more aerodynamic body. Increases in coefficient drag (Cd) result in the vehicle using less power to “glide” through the air, allowing the driver to use keep a constant speed (or less) to improve their car’s mileage.
Although the car industry has been hit in the last decade, the downturn has only inspired new ideas. With the introduction of EV’s (electric vehicles) such as the Chevy Volt and Mini Cooper E, drivers will have even more options to choose from. In the next decade, increases in North America’s EPA fuel economy standards and the introduction of the European Union’s Euro 5 standards, it will be interesting to see how customers and companies respond to the ever changing conditions of the automobile industry.
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