2011 Nissan Leaf

We’d all like to reduce or eliminate our reliance on gasoline for a variety of reasons. In spite of great strides in emissions reductions, gasoline engines are still a major factor in air pollution. America’s appetite for oil from distant countries plays a large role in our economic and foreign relations policies. Switching to a form of energy that could be created in the United States could only improve the situation. These are laudable goals, and it’s good to see Americans thinking of long-term goals that will be good for the country as a whole. Many people are even willing to pay a little more than necessary to help achieve these goals, but there is a limit. Alternative forms of energy won’t really gather long-lasting momentum until they become cost effective for the majority of consumers.

We’ve seen the number of hybrids on the road increase, partially due to government incentives and spikes in gasoline prices. But the price of hybrids remains stubbornly higher than the price of comparable gasoline-only cars. For example the new 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid starts at $23,800, while the regular Honda Civic sedan starts at $15,655. The majority of consumers are only going to spend the extra $8,000 if they think they can recoup that cost. Is the better gas mileage going to help you save $8,000 over the life of your car?

The regular Civic gets about 29 mpg, which is pretty good. Compare that to 42 mpg for the Civic Hybrid. Using an average of 15,000 miles per year and a price of $3 per gallon, we see that the owner of a regular Honda Civic would pay about $1,551 in a year, compared to $1071 for the owner of the hybrid. That’s a savings of only $480 a year. It would take more than 16 years to break even. Most people don’t keep their cars nearly that long.

The culprit is the price of the batteries. Like most other car manufacturers, Honda uses a nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery in its hybrids. Price is not the only drawback to these batteries. They tend to lose capacity over time if they are not fully depleted before being recharged. As their capacity decreases, so does your gas mileage.

There’s a newer type of battery called the lithium-ion battery. It’s being used to power all-electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt. They have a longer range and they hold a charge better than NiMH batteries. Unfortunately they also cost more. A price tag of about $10,000 makes it expensive to go green. The other cost that no one seems to mention in regards to all-electric vehicles is the cost of the electricity itself. Unlike hybrids, where the engine recharges the battery when you drive, batteries on all-electric cars are recharged by plugging in to an electrical outlet in your garage. The power company is going to charge you for the electricity.

Rechargeable car batteries are relatively new. As consumer interest in cleaner cars with low operational costs increases, so will research and development of these batteries. Until they get significantly less expensive, hybrid and electric vehicles will not be economically viable choices.

There are several reasons that electric cars have not already replaced the gas engine, and they’re challenging to overcome, especially in the short run. The first is range. How far away from home can you get, and will there be a place to recharge along the way? How much does the car cost to buy and operate? Does it have guts?

The new Nissan Leaf can drive up to 100 miles on a full charge. That’s a lot further than most people drive in a day. Drivers would plug it in at home to charge overnight. It only takes 4 to 8 hours to fully charge the battery. You can even program the car to charge late at night when demand for electricity is low. For those occasions when you need to go further than 100 miles in a day, Nissan is working with various cities to install quick charge stations that can charge the battery 80% in about half an hour. You could find these quick charge stations with the Leaf’s navigation system and charge your battery while you stop for a meal.

Before you invest in one, check for quick charge stations in places you might travel. Over time they’ll become more available. If coverage is weak in the places you drive, you might not want your new Leaf to be your only car. Still, in a two car family, an electric car would be an ideal day-to-day commuter car.

Because of the expense of an electric battery, electric cars haven’t historically been able to compete with gas engine cars on price. The Nissan Leaf hasn’t yet announced its retail price, but some experts anticipate a price of around $25,000, including the $7,500 tax rebate. That puts it within reach of the average family. The battery lasts about 5 years, so you’d have to figure in the price of a battery every five years against the gas savings.

What about power? We’ve all driven electric golf carts. Is that how an electric car feels?  Not this one. The Nissan Leaf accelerates like a V-6 gas powered car. Nissan’s U.S. tour will show these electric cars in Los Angeles in November. Mass production will start in the U.S. in 2012. The new 2011 Nissan Leaf will be available on a limited basis in selected U.S. cities in 2010. You should be able to buy one at many Southern California locations, since this is one of the areas where Nissan is working to offer quick charge stations. Soon you’ll be able to test drive a Nissan Leaf in Redlands, San Diego, or Los Angeles. Only time will tell if electric cars will become the norm, but the Leaf seems to have a good chance at breaking through that barrier.

Mercury’s 2010 Milan Hybrid is one smart vehicle. It has been labeled the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in America, getting more than 700 miles to a tank during city driving. As with most Hybrids, the engine is powered by a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor which draws power from a battery pack and never needs to be plugged in.

A regenerative braking system captures energy generated from braking and transfers it to the battery for storage and later use. The 2010 Mercury Milan is equipped with Smartgauge™ with EcoGuide technology, allowing the driver to monitor performance-related information such as fuel economy history, battery-charge status, electric mode indicator, engine output power and battery output power. Milan drivers can monitor their driving efficiency by selecting a dashboard graphic display with “energy “ leaves and vines which grow as their driving efficiency increases.

All and all the Milan Hybrid is a great choice for saving money on fuel expenses but further savings may occur at tax time. The IRS has approved a tax credit between $850 and $1,700 for those who purchase a Mercury Milan before March 31, 2010 making the Milan Hybrid one sweet and smart deal.

2009 Holden Cruze by GM

The car has stylish 2009 chassis and body structure that are equipped with sophisticated technical chassis system, standard to deliver tight, confidence handling, maximum responsiveness, enhanced accident avoidance capability, and wonderful control. Such features provide maximum handling to drivers and a level of comfort while driving. More than 65% of Cruze’s unique body structure is made of high strength steel that provides maximum protection if there is collision. The other features in the construction of the body include tailor welded blanks and materials bond at critical points for maximum yield strength and full-length frame rail that makes the car a safety cage.

Besides that the car has a comfortable and silent environment. The exceptionally quiet cabin provides a soothing ambiance with acoustic thermal fiber roof liner, triple layer cycling, and composite backed carpets. According to Managing Director of Holden Mark Russ, this is a world class small car that delivers excellent performance, style, safety and value for the money. He said, “We’re excited by the potential for Cruze in a key marketplace for Australian buyers. There are no excuses needed for this car. It has five-star safety, handles beautifully, looks great and provides high quality and low fuel usage.”

Exterior styling of the car too is superb and the long wheelbase of the Cruze makes it a perfect family sedan that delivers performance of upscale mid size sedan in small price bracket.

The Holden Cruze is equipped with two engines 1.8 liter petrol and 2.0 liter diesel Turbo engines that match the choice of five speed manual or six speed automatic transmission with Active Select. The 1.8 Liter ECOTEC petrol engine produces about 104 KW of power and 176Mn of torque that is available between 2200 to 6200rpm quality drive even at low engine speeds. The 2.0 liter common rail turbo charged engine is available as CD trim and it adds another model of energy diversity in Ecoline. It is capable of producing 110 KW and 320 Nm of Torque that is available with 1750 to 3500 rpm.

It boasts of one of the most comfortable interiors that are available in small car in the market. Fit and Finish is emphasized with contoured sport seats that has dual cockpit design and house advanced integrated center panel having graphic information display. The car has generous rear passenger leg room and offers head and shoulder room for space with five adult seats.

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Man had started studying the alternative fuel for as early as the 19th century. So what is biofuel? The term “biofuel” applies to any form of matter produced from organic (once-living) matter. It is produced or derived from renewable sources like corn, soy, etc…

Now, what are the benefits of using biofuels, you say? This is actually the best way of reducing the smoke emitted from the greenhouse gas build-up that causes the greenhouse effect. This is also considered or can be looked upon as an alternative to fossil fuels that are now limited in resources. The uses of biofuel has grown or exapnded throughout. The primary or most common biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel.

Here, we will focus on biodiesel. What it is, is an all-natural and renewable alternative fuel for diesel engines made from vegetable oils, mostly soy and corn. It contains no petroleum and is actually nontoxic and biodegradable. One particular example under biodiesel that we are going to discuss on is the Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO). How a Waste Vegetable Oil can be used as an alternative fuel is another achievement attained by man’s quest for advancement. As technology evolves, so does man’s needs and the rapid growth in the population drove us to find other ways to maximize our resources; thus man discovered ways in making WVO as biofuel.

How does engines that are designed to burn diesel fuel work using biofuels? It is done by lowering the viscosity of the vegetable oil to allow it for proper atomization. Its conversion is a long process, and takes several weeks to convert it to where it can be used as a biodiesel for car engines; but there is a better way to minimize conversion time, by using WVO centrifuge. The WVO centrifuge is not new, but if adjusted right with precision, it actually performs better than any WVO filters.

So where can we find these waste vegetable oils? Hard to believe, but it can be found right in your own kitchen! Large suppliers of Waste Vegetable Oils are restaurant outfits. They convert this Waste Vegetable Oil this into a biofuel by simply adding methanol and lye and presto! Instant biofuel!

So, why go for alternative fuel? To save on costs and keep the environment, clean for our next generation.  Did you know almost any diesel powered car can be converted to run on biodiesel.  See a nice selection of Used Volkswagen Diesel Cars.