What is Hybrid car?

Hybrid cars the half-gasoline-powered, half-electric vehicles that were mocked by many when they first appeared on the road are becoming more and more mainstream. Honda is coming out with a hybrid version of its popular Civic model, and GM, Ford, and Chrysler are set to come out with their own hybrid vehicles in the next couple of years.

City drivers are beginning to take notice of the hybrid car its higher fuel efficiency and strong acceleration from 0 to 30 make it an appealing option to those just driving across town. Are hybrid cars on the road to replacing the conventional gas-guzzlers we drive today? Or are the hybrid's backers heading down a dead end street?

Future Technologies

The Road Ahead: Future Technologies
Which automotive technology will prevail in the future? The likely answer is a mix of technologies


Gas - continued improvements in fuel economy and reduced emissions are likely to keep the gas engine in the running for many years to come.
Diesel - Green Diesels - Ultra-clean burning diesels have been on European highways for years. The Lupo, produced by Volkswagon, gets 90 mpg. Diesel powered cars represent 25% of the European car market. (There has been very little press coverage on this technology in North America.) Improvements in 'green' diesel cars are expected: Volkswagon has announced that they expect to produce a four-passenger diesel powered car which can get 190 mpg. Scheduled for release in late 2004, the Jeep Liberty is the first clean-diesel in Daimler Chrysler's US lineup.
Biodiesel - a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Supply sources are now available across North America; a current list is available at www.biodiesel.org or by calling (800) 841-5849.
Electric - small, battery-powered, zero-emission vehicles are expected to become a popular alternative commuter vehicle, especially in congested urban areas.
Hybrid - may well become the dominant technology for all-purpose road cars, having an advantage over the electrics for driving longer distances.
Hydraulic Hybrid - Ford Motor Co. and the U.S. EPA are working together to develop a unique hybrid, high-efficiency vehicle that uses hydraulic fluid to store and provide energy to power the car. The technology could be used to dramatically improve the fuel economy of sport utility vehicles and light trucks. The hybrid system uses hydraulic pumps and hydraulic storage tanks to store energy in the place of electric motors and batteries used in electric hybrid vehicles. This hydraulic power system could have cost and power advantages over electric hybrid systems, the developers believe.
Fuel cell - promising long-term outlook, but some obstacles yet to overcome, such as cost, improved performance, reducing the size and weight of the fuel cell systems and setting up a hydrogen fuel supply infrastructure. The current refining process for hydrogen fuel is a dirty process, and will need improvement. DaimlerChrysler has invested US$1 billion in fuel cell research and has built ten fuel cell vehicles either as concept cars or test vehicles, each one powered by Ballard fuel cells. Honda's fuel-cell car, the FCX, is currently being road tested.
Hydrogen hybrids - combine the high fuel economy attributes of today's gasoline- electric hybrids with the near-zero emissions of internal combustion engines running on hydrogen. The result is an extremely clean-running vehicle, using the same environmentally positive fuel as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but at a lower cost. A recently developed solid storage medium for hydrogen vehicles is key to this promising technology. Still, there’s a lot of work ahead to make this vision workable – costs must come down, fuel cell durability must improve, and challenges that go beyond the vehicles themselves must be met. Creating hydrogen economically is one of them, as is developing a widespread refueling infrastructure.

2009 Acura NSX, Acura 2009 Future Cars

2009 Acura NSX, Acura 2009 Future Cars
Acura demonstrated world with there opening NSX that they could acquire a super car and use it on a daily basis driving. Long awaited the current NSX is there since 1991 with some minor updates. Acura NSX is expected to tap the roads by 2009. The 2009 Acura NSX is going to target Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo in a big way and is for sure a big dent into their market.. According to gossips Honda is already testing prototypes for the car in Japan. Front-engine layout, and mid-engine like one in the earlier model is worked on. The car is also probably to have V10 engine with 500 horsepower. Super Handing All-Wheel Drive is most likely to be used in 2009 Acura NSX as is right now in Acura RL. It will send power to front wheels whenever required. Otherwise front engine layout would run most of the power to the rear wheels.

The eCycle Hybrid

The eCycle Hybrid Motorcycle delivers 0-60 in just 6 seconds with a top speed of 80 mph. The target retail price for this hybrid motorcycle is just $5,500. The electric motor is used to power the motorcycle at lower speeds and once the eCycle hits cruising speed the gasoline engine takes over and the electric motor switches over to an electric generator and recharges the battery.
At 1500rpm or approximately 12mph, the vehicle control system directs the fuel injection to commence. The motorcycle then receives torque input from both the engine and the electric motor until the motorcycle hits higher speeds and the gasoline engine takes over completely.
At only 230 lbs, the eCycle Hybrid Motorcycle has been redesigned from the 2001 model, which featured a 219 cc diesel-electric hybrid power system. The newer eCycle also features lower, more relaxed seating position, making the platform ideal for entry-level riders and commuters and the rear suspension sports a Penske Racing Coil-Over Mono-Shock.
The eCycle Hybrid Motorcycle transmission is a 2-speed, constant mesh, 3-shaft design utilizing ball and needle bearing construction with custom rolled gears. Low gear features an over-running clutch for smooth shifting and safety.
Established in 1996 and located in Temple, PA, eCycle produces a line of advanced brushless motors and generators, which have a wide range of applications in commercial, industrial, and consumer markets worldwide, particularly for mobile applications. The CMG Silicon Series and MG Series of electric motor / generators can be adapted to other uses as well (such as for high-end hybrid outboard motors, mobile hydraulics, robotics or for large centrifugal pumps).
In addition, recreational vehicles, residential and small business back-up, including inconjunction with solar, wind and hydropower, will benefit from the eCycle auxiliary power units (APU). The APU can use renewable fuels such as bio diesel and ethanol. This is important since high efficiency mobile DC power solutions will help in compliance with anti-idling laws that are being mandated throughout Canada and the United States.
eCycle has positioned itself as a leading, small hybrid motor manufacturer with many practical uses that goes far beyond motorcycles. Then again, for enthusiasts and environmentalists, what's wrong with taking an eCycle Hybrid Motorcycle out for a spin or for a very long road trip at 180 mpg?

Toyota Passes Million Global Hybrid Sales

Toyota Passes Million Global Hybrid Sales
Written by Sandra Duffy
As expected, Toyota Motor Corporation announced the sale of its millionth hybrid. A big congratulation goes out to them! Of the one million hybrid sales worldwide, more than half have been sold in the United States 577311 units from 2000 through May 2007.

Hybrid car article

Hybrid car article

Many people have probably owned a hybrid vehicle at some point. For example, a mo-ped (a motorized pedal bike) is a type of hybrid because it combines the power of a gasoline engine with the pedal power of its rider. In fact, hybrid vehicles are all around us. Most of the locomotives we see pulling trains are diesel-electric hybrids . Cities like Seattle have diesel-electric buses these can draw electric power from overhead wires or run on diesel when they are away from the wires. Giant mining trucks are often diesel-electric hybrids. Submarines are also hybrid vehicles some are nuclear-electric and some are diesel electric . Any vehicle that combines two or more sources of power that can directly or indirectly provide propulsion power is a hybrid.

Most hybrid cars on the road right now are gasoline-electric hybrids, although French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen has two diesel electric hybrid cars in the works. Since gasoline hybrids are the kind you'll find at your local car dealership, we'll focus on those in this article.

This Scooter's No Pollution

This SCOOTER'S No PollutionR
Inventor: Aqwon
Just about everybody agrees that we would be better off using hydrogen instead of gas for fuel. For starters, hydrogen makes water vapor instead of carbon monoxide when it's burned. But building a safe, efficient hydrogen vehicle is another matter. Enter the Aqwon, the first hydrogen-powered scooter to meet Germany's stringent regulatory standards. The Aqwon can hit 30 m.p.h. with its two-stroke engine, but the biggest challenge was building a fuel tank that could safely store the hydrogen. In case of accident or fire, the Aqwon's tank simply freezes. If only the Hindenburg had had one of those.