Hybrids! - the Transition vehicle

You might be wondering if a hybrid falls in the category of alternative fuel powered vehicles.

It's sort of like the fruit and vegetable identity crisis that tomatoes get.

No, they aren't exactly a new fuel, but yes, it is certainly an alternative to your gas guzzler of a car!

Hybrid vehicles are generally powered by two separate power sources such as an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. They are also known as hybrid electric vehicles (HEV's)

Hybrids from different manufacturers differ in the design of their power train. Your options as a consumer are:

• Parallel/Mild Parallel Hybrids - An electric motor and internal combustion engine can individually or together power the vehicle. The electric motor puts out extra power on acceleration and generates power for future use on deceleration. Thus, fuel savings are achieved through the use of a smaller internal combustion engine because of the electric motor's support. Electric power also runs the traditionally belt-driven applications such as a/c, power steering,and other auxiliary systems to reduce mechanical loss and fuel consumption.

The first mass production parallel hybrid is the Honda Insight starting at
(2010 model) $18,500 with 60 mpg!

• Powersplit Hybrid - Toyota, Lexus and Ford all have their designs based on a template of two electric motors and one internal combustion engine. One motor acts as a generator primarily while the other is either a motor or generator at times. When more power is needed, the electric motor can supplement the engine for additional power short-term.
  

The most popular powersplit hybrid:
The Toyota Prius with 2010 models starting at
$22,000 with 51/48 mpg.

• Series Hybrid - The single-speed internal combustion engine is the source of power. The engine (at its most efficient speed) powers a generator rather than applying power to the actual wheels. The engine serves to either charge the battery, charge a capacitor or directly power the electric motor. When more power is needed, power can be drawn from the batteries, capacitors, and generator. Unique in the series hybrid design is that it does not require a battery, but a capacitor to store energy instead.

Though none are in production yet, Chevrolet is the closest
to mass-producing their concept car, the Volt, in about 2-3 years.
Potential sticker price at $35,000 with 100++ mpg!

• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV's) - Generally it is a fuel-electric hybrid (either serial or parallel drivetrain) with increased energy storage capacity. It has the ability to be connected to a electricity supply to recharge it batteries rather than to do it with its internal combustion engine.
  

Though not in mass-production yet, the closest one is the Chevrolet Volt
as mentioned in the previous category alongside some other competitors:

• Fuel-cell, electric hybrid - Generally it is a electric vehicle that derives its power from a fuel cell. The fuel cell would use hydrogen as the fuel to power the battery when it is depleted.
  

Examples include the Ford Edge Hseries Drive
and the Honda FCX.
With fuel-cell technology still developing,
Honda plans to mass-produce by 2018
with EPA rated 170 mpg with zero-emissions!

So what's the downside?

While hybrid cars consume far less petroleum, there is still the problem of the hybrid car battery. Though they are far less toxic to the enviornment and ourselves than lead-based batteries, hybrid car batteries made of either nickel metal hydride or lithium ions are still known carcinogens with also many teratogenic effects to result in physical abnormalities.

Though the lead recycling industry is strong and mature, not every conventional lead-based battery is salvaged. Most end up in the landfill to end up poisioning soil, water and air.

But Don't Fret!

Hybrid vehicles have a definite place in the 21st century to wean the world and especially Americans off their furious consumption of petroleum.

More than the miles per gallon saved (which is immense), the commonplace appearence of a Toyota Prius at the streetlight or on the highway as stirred up a general acceptance and thriving awareness of our consequences as consumers of automobile technology and products.

To have the paradigm shift to say, "Maybe I don't need that V-8 tank," is an incredible achievement, especially for a nation of three hundred million citizens that consumes the bulk of the total available resources while the 1 billion people live on less than $1 dollar a day.

As the title of this posting suggets, the hybrid vehicle is a transition stage to go from 100% petroleum dependence to eventually virtually nil.

Thankfully, one doesn't have to be a martyr to be a hybrid. You shall be financially rewarded in your fuel savings. But most importantly, it is certainly progress!

Remember that as a consumer, your dollars vote the loudest!

For more information and find our available tax credits for your future hybrid vehicle, visit:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm

(Uncle Sam will put $$$$ in your pocket to upgrade green!)

~ ~ ~ ~

-Biofuels! What are they and what they mean for you, today!
-BioDiesel/Diesel! - A rediscovery of the power of internal combustion engines without spark plugs
-Ethanol - your gas tank right now has probably 10% of this in there
-Natural Gas - your neighborhood garbage truck runs on this!
-Propane - that's right, propane and propane accessories
-Hydrogen - delving into the infancy of fuel-cell technology
-The Tesla Car - 100% electric, 100% instant peak hp and torque! Is this really a sports car?!
-Diesel conversions - Want to really save money and power your ride for far less or free?

Also, please feel free to drop questions or suggestions for future topics where you have a definite interest in and feel that sharing the research would be most valuable.

What are alternative fuels anyway?

What are alternative fuels anyway?

Alternative fuels are just generally non-fossil fuel related sources. They are also called renewable fuels as they can be replenished whereas natural gas, propane, petroleum and other fossil/nuclear sources cannot.

Renewable fuels have become popular for their sustainability, low carbon contributions, and in some cases, lower amounts of greenhouse gases. They also are not tied to the geo-political fluctuations of Middle Eastern oil.

While no alternative fuel is ready to replace petroleum overnight, there are many attempts at solutions to the current fuel problem. For example:

• Biofuel - using carbohydrates instead of hydrocarbons as a source of energy such as using the sugar in sugar cane and corn can create ethyl alcohol or ethanol
• Hydrogen fuel - hydrogen gas is used for energy where it can be biologically derived or made in chemical production

[More details to come!]

[Case Study]
Green-Tuned Porsche Sets Record 210 mph!

The June 2008 issue of Excellence magazine has an article on a Alternative Fuel 9ff Cayman. It has 781-HP motor and is claimed to be the fastest alternative fuel street car. It achieved a speed of 210 mph. During the speed test it lost one of its underbody panels, so it probably could have gone for more that 210 mph according to the article.

Why alternative fuels?

Why consider alternative fuels?



Traditionally, conventional fuel sources have been primarily fossil fuels such as petroleum, cocla, propane, natural gas, and nuclear sources like uranium.

Fossil fuels themselves contain a high percentage of carbon and hydrocarbons which releases billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year to increase the amount of greenhouse gases which contributes to global warming.

They are also non-renewable with very finite stockpiles spread unevenly throughout the world which heavy geopolitical and economic nuances in its distribution and consumption. According to Hubbert's peak oil theory, there is rapid depletion of the worldwide petroleum reserves from about 1,277,702,000,000 barrels (half of the original untouched reserves) to about 50 years of remaining supply at the current depletion rate of 25,000,000,000 barrels per year.

Petroleum is needed as fuel for home heating, jet fuel, gasoline and diesel for automobiles, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, plastics/resins, man-made fibers, synthetic rubber, and explosives.
Big negatives to the use of petroleum include high oil prices, imbalance of trade, instability in the oil exporting regions of the world, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, windfall profits for American farmers and industries, potential economic depression, a scarcity of oil-related products as soon as 2021 due to oil volatility and substantial evidence to the prevalence of global warming that may trigger unprecedented climate change.

Topic Introduction

This blog is dedicated to sharing ideas and innovations in alternative fuels for automobiles. While gasoline has been the prime source of fuel for the majority of internal-combustion engines, there are grim consequences in its use.

One of my friends actually converted a diesel pick-up truck to run off used vegetable oil acquired from a fast-road restaurant. He just recently converted to running off bio-diesel. Thus in the process of writing this blog, the big mission is to share the available technology of alternative views for everyday use and to gather information so I can make the shift to an alternative fuel.