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A video by Plug-in Partners promoting the many benefits of Plugin Hybrids Electric Vehicles. If the current US vehicle fleet were replaced overnight with PHEVs, oil consumption would decrease by 70 to 90 percent, eliminating the need for oil imports and leaving the US self-sufficient in oil for many years to come. Even if the electrical power for those vehicles were drawn from coal-fired power plants, CO2 emissions would drop by more than half. If the power were produced by renewable energy sources, and the fuel in the tank were biodiesel or ethanol, the proposition gets exponentially better. And you can get 100+ MPG!
Video Rating: 4 / 5

The Fusion Hybrid can go over 700 miles between fillups, which for the average commuter translates into a stop at the pump once a month. The I-4 engine gets 34 mpg in highway driving. It features Drive electric only or electric and gas combined, flex-fuel capable, electronic display of track in the Hybrid powertrains four modes of operation and regenerative braking that captures 94 percent of energy lost to braking friction. High-tech gauge panel teaches you to drive smart, the exclusive dual LCD SmartGauge™ Cluster with EcoGuide is an innovative gauge cluster that provides real-time information to help you get the most efficiency from your Fusion Hybrid. SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide uses dual liquid crystal display (LCD) screens on either side of the center-mounted speedometer. A tutorial built into the display lets you choose one of four data screens for the level of information you want — Inform, Enlighten, Engage or Empower — and explains your options within each. Steering wheel-mounted controls make it all easy. All levels can indicate instant fuel economy; fuel economy history; odometer; engine coolant temperature; plus trip data including fuel economy, time-elapsed fuel economy and miles to empty . Watch the display grow leaves when you drive efficiently. Or watch them fade when you dont. More leaves = more mpg (up to 41 mpg city). This green motivator works during any of the four display modes. 2010 Fusion offers all the great features of the available voice …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Urban Electric Vehicles

As gas prices reach record levels and fossil fuels diminish over time, consumer demand for alternative energy technology will do nothing but increase. In fact, urban electric vehicles, while rather novel in the United States, are more common in Europe, where population densities in metropolitan areas necessitated a search for alternatives to driving full size cars long ago.

The urban electric vehicle is essentially a very small car, typically a two-door hatchback designed to hold two to four passengers (and not much else). Relying on electricity as their primary power source, these vehicles are ideal for urban dwellers who need to get from point A to point B in cities crowded with full size vehicles. They are probably especially attractive to those who live in cities with poorly developed or unreliable public transportation systems.

According to the US Department of Energy, urban electric vehicles are considered regular passenger vehicles. Most contain the normal safety features and amenities American consumers have to come to expect: airbags, safety belts, and heaters and air conditioners. Current urban electric vehicles can reach top speeds of somewhere near 60 mph, and can go nearly 12 hours before needing to be recharged. This represents a significant improvement over earlier models, and should increase the acceptability of the technology among the general public.

Both Nissan and Ford are testing urban electric vehicles and Daimler-Chrysler is in contract to bring the original urban electric vehicle, the Zap! Smart Car into the United States. Previously, Smart Cars had to be imported from other countries, especially Canada, and modified to meet U.S. safety standards. Urban electric vehicles offer a range of benefits to drivers. Urban electric vehicles produce no emissions, which means they have the potential to reduce the harmful environmental impact of other forms of personal transportation. People who live in smog-filled cities may find this benefit especially attractive.

Second, urban electric vehicles, like hybrids and other advanced energy powered cars, often qualify for state and national tax credits. Some argue these credits can make up for the additional cost related to purchasing electric or hybrid vehicles. Finally, the urban electric vehicle’s small size make it an ideal choice for commuters in crowded cities. The compact nature of the urban electric vehicle makes it easier to drive in heavy traffic, and requires much less parking space. As cities become more crowded and gas gets more expensive, urban electric vehicles may be positioned for a massive jump in popularity.

What Are The Benefits Of Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles?

Benefits of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

Are you considering converting your current hybrid into a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle but you’re wondering what the benefits are?

After all, being environmentally friendly is nice, but you should get some more benefits than just saving the planet, right?

Fortunately, there are a lot of benefits that will help you actually save money, not just the planet.

1) Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) can get 100 mpg.

That’s right, if you’re going to use your PHEV for trips like your daily commute and you’ll be driving it less than 50 miles per day, you can get your gas mileage up over 100mpg. For long road trips, it will be less, but since most people take short trips on a day to day basis, you’ll be consuming very little gasoline. Some days your gas engine may not even need to turn on at all – which means no gas consumption at all.

2) PHEVs Are Cleaner Than Gasoline Powered Cars

One thing skeptics like to say about plug-ins is that they’re simply transferring the pollution from cars to power plants. While it’s true that PHEVs are transferring the pollution, it’s not an equal tradeoff. Studies show that using electric power in a vehicle results in 67% less greenhouse gases than using gasoline in a car – even when considering that half the power in this country comes from coal. That’s because large powerplants are far more efficient and are far cleaner than a conventional internal combustion engine.

3) Get cleaner as they get older.

Only PHEVs and 100% electric vehicles actually get cleaner as they get older due to the fact that the electrical grid gets cleaner every decade. A typical gasoline powered car gets less efficient as time goes on and becomes dirtier as it gets older.

4) Cheaper To Run And Maintain

While PHEVs and electric vehicles (EVs) cost more money upfront, they are actually cheaper to run and maintain than a regular non hybrid car. For example, if gas is /gallon, the very best non hybrid cars will cost 8 cents per mile for gas and gas guzzlers will cost 20 cents or more per mile. A PHEV, on the other hand, will cost only 2-4 cents/mile during short trips. Or if you’d like another way to look at it, when running on the electric engine, you’re getting the equivalent of 75 cent/gallon gas.

5) PHEVs Reduce Dependency On Foreign Oil

Since the electric grid only depends on oil for 3% of its power, there’s very little dependence on foreign oil when it comes to generating electricity (about half comes from coal). It’s been estimated that if everyone drove PHEVs, we’d need 55% less oil and we could eliminate foreign oil completely.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Electric Vehicles

There are many disadvantages of hybrid electric vehicles. First of all, hybrid electric vehicles are not all-electric vehicles. They do require gasoline to drive.

Hybrid electric vehicles use regenerative braking to get their electricity. The gas energy is captured off of the brakes and stored as electricity. All electric vehicles are a much better alternative in terms of cutting down smog. There are several available today.

Hybrid electric vehicles are also inferior to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Many automotive companies are working on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in production now. Very soon Chevy will come out with a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

While hybrid electric vehicles are low smog emission vehicles, they do produce emissions. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles produce water as their emission, making them far superior to hybrid electric vehicles. Or better yet take public transportation in a city that uses hydrogen fuel cell buses.

Although hybrid electric vehicles are readily available, they are a large investment. There are sometimes ,000 difference in between a hybrid car and a subcompact although the mile per gallon difference could be only a few miles freeway miles. This is an investment that might not be immediately recaptured in gas savings.

Of course, hybrid vehicles are not ideal for freeway drivers. The reason is because hybrid electric vehicles use regenerative breaking. If most of the miles put on the car are on the freeway, there is less braking involved and less regeneration of electricity involved.

Another disadvantage of hybrid electric vehicles is some models are very difficult to obtain. They are heavily advertised and there is a heavy demand. But many automotive manufacturers are using a showroom car to lure customers into the showroom to see a hybrid that there is a long waiting list for. Customers needing a car now and not six months from now end up buying a gas guzzling SUV because the hybrid SUV is not yet readily available.

A large disadvantage of hybrid electric vehicles is they give auto manufacturers a chance to tell the state and federal governments that they are doing something to lower vehicle emissions. Then car manufacturers insist that the government has no reason to bully the manufacturers to make cars with reasonable miles per gallon rates of say 100 miles per gallon. Hybrid cars are a smoke screen for the car manufacturers to pretend they care about the environment.

Finally, hybrid electric vehicles are available only to the most elite car buyers creating a disparity between rich communities and poor communities. Poor cities have drivers creating lots of emissions in old eight cylinder cars while rich cities have rich citizens driving expensive
hybrid electric vehicles with low emissions. Probably the biggest disadvantage of hybrid electric vehicles is that they are cost prohibitive to the poor.

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