We're not talking world wide, because that happened about a year ago, but Toyota has officially sold over 1 million hybrids in the United States.  This sales figure includes all hybrids under the Toyota and Lexus branding, quite a feat.  Gas prices last summer obviously helped drive the hybrid market, but there is something to say about having over 1 million hybrid cars on the road today from one manufacturer.

Toyota has been dominating the hybrid market with over 75% of the market share.  Furthermore they have been offering 6 differnet hybrid badged cars under Toyota and Lexus manufacturing, where other domestic manufacturers are simply trying to catch up.

Continually pushing the hybrid envelope, Toyota plans to offer a luxury edition Priusy hybrid in 2010.  No doubt, if anyone has any money left, greenies will be buying this luxury early adopted technology right off the manufacturing line.

The 2010 Ford Fusion is simply a beautiful car, more sophiticated than the Focus, but not elderly like the Taurus.  I'll admit, and my wife looks at me funny when I say it, I like Ford Fusion.  The Fusion's lines and black on black package just looks sexy as hell with a dash of chrome lining.

Perhaps the appeal of the Ford Fusion is caused by me aging, surely a 27 year old shouldn't be longing for such a sedan.  But alas, I'll give into my temptation, loving the way it handles, comfort, and the way it sleazely drives down the lane.  Of course, receiving a hefty government Tax credit for buying one doesn't hurt either.

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is now elegible for a Government Tax Credit of up to $3,400.  This credit only applies to the hybrid version of the Fusion and only the 2010 model.  So no luck trying to get the credit buying up the used 08 or 09 Fusion models, that is if you could find one.

A few months ago my wife and I went out looking specifically for a Ford Fusion and we couldn't find one.  There were plenty of new ones on the lot, but for a used one, with any kind of mileage, we were SOL.  Perhaps this is a testament to how happy owners are with their Fusions and an angle Ford should be focusing on with all the upcoming advertising expected to accompany this years Idol.

2010 Ford Fusion Video

Generally attractive and hybrid don't go in the same sentence, but Ford has done a wonderful job with their Escape Hybrid.  The Ford Escape Hybrid is a plug-in style hybrid, adorning an SUV body.  Imagine that a hybrid that seats more than 4 small kids and looks great driving down the road.

The bad news is that you won't find the Escape Hybrid actually on the road until possibly 2012.  Not to say Ford doesn't have a running model as we speak, some lucky journalists were able to test drive the Escape Hybrid up to 10 mph at the Detroit Auto Show.  But, it's real hard to road test a 120 mpg SUV without going over 10 mph, and drivin garound in a basement.

Yuma Police are getting a sneak peak at the Escape Hybrid and have purchased 2 new SUV's to put into patrol duty.  This cost Yuma Police an estimated $50,000 each, which includes all the police goodies like lights, safety equipment, etc.  Shouldn't take too long to earn back that money with gas savings from the 120 mpg Escape Hybrid.

"We have taken them out and put them through the paces," said Sgt. George Mitchell, lead driving instructor for YPD. "They are comparable to the Crown Victorias we are driving now, which is a pleasant surprise. The speed, handling and maneuverability is all there."

Escape Hybrid

According to Ford the plug-in Escape Hybrid becomes fully charged after about 6-8 hours and can be plugged into a 120v outlet.  This full-charge will deliver amazing gas mileage for about 30 miles, but then will revert back to typical hybrid fuel efficiency performance.

Video Of Ford Escape Hybrid In Action

This would possibly be the first hybrid vehicle that I would buy, for personal use.  I love the Escape Hybrid lines, utility, and promise of being able to pass more gas stations.

No longer is buying a new vehicle limited to buying either a gas or diesel engine, now buyers have the option to buy hybrid or regular cars.  The difference between hybrid and regular cars lies in the power train and varies by technology.  This article will discuss what it means to be a hybrid, the difference types of hybrids, and what maks a hybrid different than a traditional car.

What Does Hybrid Mean

The real definition of the word Hybrid means a mixed origin or composition, in the case of hybrid cars were are making reference to the composition of the engine.  A hybrid engine has two different components that make similar types of power, typically the different components are gasoline and electric.  The actual technology used withing hybrid motors can vary, but essentially a hybrid engine is a composition of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

Difference Between Hybrid Engine and Normal Engine

Because of the addition of an electric motor, to the internal combustion engine, for a primary power source, the engine is now considered a hybrid.  A traditional car will not have an electrical motor to assist the engine make power or supplement power during low load times.  Because of the assitance of an electrical motor, hybrid cars are more fuel efficient, and produce less emmissions.

Different Types of Hybrid Motors

Not only is a hybrid motor different than a traditional motor, but there are also several different types of hybrid motors.  So many in fact, that I could not cover them all in one article.  For the sake of space, let's look at two different types of hybrid motors in cars.  The two main different hybrid vehicles when buying new cars will be 'Series Hybrids' and 'Plug-In Hybrids'.

A Series Hybrid uses the internal combustion motor to charge a generator, instead of directly powering the wheels.  The generator then produces power for actual power to the wheels for a car to move.

A Plug-In Hybrid uses a type of battery that stores electric power, derived from plugging into special outlet.  The battery then assists the internal combustion engine during low power loads, thus saving gas.  The Plug In Electric Hybrid can also be known as a PHEV and may not be considered as Green as a series hybrid, since the power must still come from traditional resources when charging the battery.

Mercedes BlueHybrid

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This has been a post into a series of articles on explaining entry level questions to automotive enthusiasts.

Other Difference Articles:

Difference In Higher Octane Gas

Difference Between Automatic and Manual Performance

Audi hopes to capitalize on the luxury SUV market in the US come 2010, by offering a new model Q5 Hybrid.  Currently Lexus is the leader in the market,  with the RX400H, but so much can happen by 2010, especially with the lean towards greener vehicles.  Discussions on what the hybrid engine will actually run on is creating some controversy.

In the European markets consumers are happy to purchase diesel hybrid vehicles, mainly because the price of gasoline is higher than diesel.  However, in the US the price between diesel and gasoline is extremely close, and an American consumer is more likely to pick a traditional gasoline hybrid engine.

Audi Q5 Hybrid

I've yet to see one flying car, but that doesn't mean advancements in the automotive industry can still have the flavor of science fiction.  For example, today Ford announced that they will be releasing 2 different models of Lincoln's that are capable of parking themselves.  The target audience for the Lincoln model cars will no doubt appreciate the ability of a self parking vehicle, saving scratches and the lives of small animals everywhere.

The self parking mechanism and technology being developed by Ford will focus on parrallel parking.  This leap in auto technology will be featured of the Lincoln model MKS Sedan and MKT crossover.  This new advancement will be demod at the North American International Auto Show, for a sneak peak of what 2009 will bring, check out the Ford booth.

In other auto show news, Ford plans on debuting their hybrid Ford Fusion, which is capable of producing 41 miles per gallon.  Yes, 41, which is exactly 8 more mpg than the nearest competitor Toyota Camry hybrid.  Domestic vehicles will be stepping up their focus on technology and economy for 09, showing the foreign group that they still have some tricks up their sleeves, at least Ford does.

Right now as I speak the US automakers are stumbling all over themselves to come up with a plan of action which will allow them to get $25 billion dollars in aid from Congress.  One of the requirements, before they fork over the cash, is for the automakers to produce an action plan in regards to how the money will be spent and insure they will not be in this same dire position down the road.  It's believed that their focus will shift toward cutting existing lines and producing more fuel efficient vehicles and that may mean bringing a hybrid diesel electric to the US market.

The technology is not new, rather it's been used for years in the train industry, dating back as far as the 1920's.  Today VW is leading the way with hybrid diesel electric engineering and using the technology in their VW Golf.  The hybrid VW is capable of getting up to 70 miles per gallon, but will not be distributed in the United States.  According to VW the technology would be too expensive to build and bring into the US, thus creating a potential market for domestic manufacturers.

Another hurdle US automanufacturers are faced with is the longevity of their current vehicles on the market.  More people are holding onto their existing cars for longer and even more are buying used, rather than new.  For example, it's easier to buy used diesel vehicles and let someone else take a bath in the depreciation after driving off the lot.

I believe serious thought needs to be put into engineering a quality hybrid diesel electric car for the domestic market.  The need for more fuel efficient cars isn't going anywhere and if the automakers hope to pull themselves out of their gas guzzling hole then something needs to change.  The current trend of cornering the large SUV and Truck market is obviously failing as a business model and 70 mpg is an appealing buy for anyone looking to purchase a new vehicle.

Golf Diesel Electric

Hybrids are getting a lot more attention as gas prices go up. Now you see more and more of the popular but ugly Toyota Prius on the roads. Hybrids are good cars because they get great fuel mileage but its limited to the city. Once you get out on the freeway you will see very little difference between a hybrid model car and its regular non hybrid model.

If you do mostly city driving a hybrid is a great choice as it gains electricity back with regenerative breaking. This means when you stop it uses generators to gain back energy as you stop. When you are not stopping and going like on the freeway you can see why Hybrids do not do well on freeways.On a freeway you might not like a Hybrid being they usually have like a 1.3 liter gas motor that will be powering you. They use a small motor so it does not burn much gas and at freeways speeds you wont have much passing power.

There is another way to get good fuel mileage and you wont have to worry about any of these set backs the hybrids have. What I am talking about is a diesel vehicle. Diesel engines are more efficient than gas engines but you don't usually see them in cars but in big trucks. In Europe diesel engines are very popular but in America they are not. As fuel prices go up they are starting to make more sense in the USA too.

One diesel car the Jetta Beetle can get 50 miles per gallon without any hybrid technology! The same goes for the other 2 models Jetta makes that runs on diesel. All 3 models get great fuel mileage and have none of the set backs a hybrid has. These are not the stinky diesels of the past but clean diesels of the future. One guy even did some minor modifications to a diesel beetle and he is getting a steady 70+ miles per gallon! He added a different spoiler and a free flow catalytic converter among other things and that was all it took.

A Jetta is also a good bit cheaper than a Hybrid and you never have to replace batteries. Honda may bring over a diesel in the near future, the Honda Civic Diesel! If you want good fuel mileage without hybrid set backs take a look into a diesel car. They might just save you a lot of money!

Diesel Jetta

The average lifespan of a battery in a new electric car might surprise you, it did me.  I suspected the usable life of a battery pack in todays electric cars would not be significant enough to necessitate the larger sticker price and it turns out I was wrong.  Furthermore, taking into consideration the cost of regular maintenance on a typical combustion engine, even when you do have to replace an electric car battery you may still be way ahead.

Testing Usable Life Span

There have been specific cases of electric cars like the Toyota Rav 4 EV reaching 100,00 miles on it's original battery with no significant loss of battery life.  The battery in question is the Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery, which is composed of cells, otherwise known commonly as the rechargable batteries you buy in the store.  In electric cars however instead of say a AAA or D battery, the NiMH battery in your electric car utilizes cells on a much larger scale.

Testing on the NiMH Electric Car battery life was done by the Southern California Edison, Electric Vehicle Technical Center(pdf).  They state that the likely hood of your typical electric car cell battery life to be anywhere in the 130,000 to 150,000 mile range.  Considering you don't have to perform regular maintenance like oil and air filter changes, over the life of the vehicle the cost of replacing the battery would be far under gas engine maintenance costs.

Cost Of Replacing Electric Car Batteries

The cost of replacing the battery in a Toyota Rav 4 EV, in the example above, may be the exception to the maintenance cost comparison rule.  Recent figures put the RAV 4 EV NiMH battery replacement cost at $14,000.  This would be for a custom pack that would provide 2000 usable cycles, compared to 1000, which translates into about 8 years of normal driving.  The NiMH for this particular vehicle seems high, but smaller vehicles like the new Toyota Prius have battery replacement costs of uner $3,000.

In closing, before jumping on the bandwagon and becoming an early adopter, check out what the replacement cost for the battery will be.  However, as years pass and electric cars become more popular, the price of these NiMH replacements will be dropping dramatically just like any technology that becomes old hat.

NiMH Battery

RennTech, a popular Mercedes tuning company, is in the process of putting the finishing touches on a hybrid rally car to be displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.   The worlds most potent green machine will function with the same hybrid technology found in Chevrolet and Saturn hybrid vehicles.  However, RennTech is utilizing electric motors in the GLK to help PUSH the light weight rally car out of turns.

Obviously there are a number of other changes to the rally car that are typical with rally race cars.  For example you will find the obligatory fascia modifications and humongous spoiler to aid in high speed stability.

“With the Rally Racer, we have really increased the car’s performance,” continues Feyhl. “Together with the more aggressive, sporting look, we have created a powerful and exciting package.”

RennTech is hoping to prove that high performance nad efficiency can coexist.  Furthermore then note that advancements in the automotive industry were done by enthusiasts that pushed the envelope and demanded higher performance at a lower cost.  The RennTech GLK hybrid rally car will definitely be a site to see at the Auto Show.  Viva La Revolucion!