| g a new car is spending a considerable amount of | | | | energy needed to run them. In slow city traffic the |
| money for most people, and with the ever rising oil | | | | conventional engine is automatically shut of completely, |
| price it is becoming a more and more expensive affair | | | | producing no emissions whatsoever. When more |
| to own your own car too. With an oil price that works | | | | speed and power is needed, the conventional engine is |
| in a way so that a rain in north America raises the | | | | allowed to seamlessly kick in partially or fully. |
| price people in Finland pays for gasoline from Russia, it | | | | You could own a hybrid car tomorrow |
| is not strange that the market is eager to be offered | | | | Like much of the car market today, it is the Japanese |
| more economical cars. | | | | who have been fastest to develop attractive looking |
| To further complicate matters, we are today well | | | | hybrid vehicles, such as the hybrid powered Honda |
| aware that the large scale use of fossil fuel like oil is | | | | Accord and Toyota Prius. Contrary to what one might |
| very bad for the environment. Getting rid of all gasoline | | | | believe, these cars have also gotten a warm reception |
| powered engines would be great for the environment. | | | | on the market. |
| All of the above has resulted in a new breed of cars | | | | The idea of saving on gas is obviously appealing to a |
| being rapidly developed. These cars combine the best | | | | lot of people. |
| features of the electric cars with that of conventional, | | | | Most well established North American manufacturers |
| gasoline powered cars. These type of cars are called | | | | are also expected to jump on the bandwagon of this |
| hybrid cars, and you are likely to hear a lot about them | | | | lucrative market very soon. Many of them, including |
| in the very near future. | | | | Ford, Chevrolet and Mercury have in fact already |
| The electric car revisited | | | | launched hybrid powered version of some of their |
| The electric car first sounded like a great idea, since it | | | | models. |
| has no emissions while it runs. However, this is only | | | | Since this is now a phenomenon that all big |
| partially true as the total emissions depends on how | | | | manufacturers are getting into, you can expect to see |
| the electricity for the electric car is produced - if it | | | | many of these cars appearing more commonly at |
| comes from a coal plant for example, it isn't very clean | | | | local car dealers. As this is considered cutting edge |
| at all. | | | | technology, one can expect the initial prices to be |
| Furthermore, the storage of large amounts of | | | | rather high though. But then again, a hybrid car will |
| electricity is problematic at best and in practise turns | | | | mean considerable savings on buying gas. As the |
| electric cars to pure bread city cars. Storing large | | | | competition will no doubt be stiff, it will be interesting to |
| ammounts of electricity is unfortunately a rather | | | | see how the pricing of these cars develop during the |
| clumsy affair. | | | | next few years. |
| Hybrid cars combine an electric engine with a gasoline | | | | While the best thing for the environment would be to |
| powered one, which means the use of gasoline isn't | | | | cease using any kinds of fossil fuels, hybrid cars |
| gotten rid of completely but it can be greatly reduced. | | | | represent one of the best alternatives one can right |
| The dual engines also allow for smaller engines to be | | | | now - combining the cleanliness of the electric engine |
| used, and they take advantage of things like | | | | with the mileage of a conventional combustion engine. |
| regenerative breaking. | | | | Hybrid cars are certainly not to be considered |
| Naturally the hybrid cars are also extremely lightweight | | | | unorthodox or overly futuristic - they are here NOW. |
| and aerodynamically well designed, all to reduce the | | | | |