Environmentales

Everyday, vehicles of all makes, brands and models roar on our streets, and each one is a potential air pollutant. Imagine that all the cars in US alone does not meet the passable emissions standards: in just a few short months, we would feel the effects of the toxic gasses that our engins churn out--smog, greenhouse effect, etc

This is the reason why our government is vigilant upon combating air pollution contributors, and has issued a number of clean-air laws. To keep up with these laws, vehicle owners needed to make adjust,ents and refinements to their vehicles. The government imposed a standard emissions rate, which all automobile owners have to meet. One surefire way to keep your emissions-test results at passing rate is to regulate and upgrade your car's catalytic converters.

Catalytic coverters, popularly known as catcons, coverts harmful elements from our vehicle's exhausts into less-toxic gasses. This will not only benefit the environment, but the well-being of your car and ensures your safety as well. A catcon gone bad results to poor fuel economy, a remarkable loss in power, and an acrid, sulfuric smell in your car.

HOW IT WORKS:

There are three main emissions that a catcon regulates:

• Carbon monoxide (CO) - a colorless and odorless poisonous gas
• Hydrocarbons or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - mostly produced by unburned fuels that evaporates 
• Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, together called NOx) - a contributor to smog and acid rain. It causes irritation to human mucus membranes as well.

Because of the advance in technology, most of the cars made nowadays are fitted with three-way catalytic converters. The term "Three-way" was coined because of the three regulated emissions that catalytic converters are designed to reduce: the carbon monoxide, VOCs and NOx molecules.

The converter utilizes two different types of catalysts: a reduction catalyst and an oxidation catalyst. These two types of catalysts cosist of a ceramic structure, covered with metallic catalyst--usually platinum, rhodium, and palladium.

The main concept is to make a structure that will expose a large area of the catalyst surface to the exhaust stream, and lessens the amount of catalyst required at the same time since catalysts are very expensive.

When your car's catalytic converter starts to go bad, don't hesistate to replace it with a properly working catcon. It will not only benefit the environment, but your pocket as well--by giving you maximum fuel economy. And with the continuous oil price hike, who wouldn't want that, right?

Hybrids are rapidly getting into fashion, what with the consistent oil price hike and the constantly vigilance of the government to lessen air pollution. And we all know that among all hybrids, there is one car that claerly stands above the rest--the Toyota Prius.

We all know that all those automobile reviews singing praises for the Toyota Prius have good reason, but those could not be the point of consideration alone when you need to decide "to buy or not to buy" a Prius.

Of all the hybrid cars available today, Toyota's Prius is the one car that has sold more than all the rest managed to sell combined. Eversince the 2004 model (the second generation of Prius) was launched, it swept awards from all over the world. The Toyota Prius is such a blazing hot seller that the dealers are literally scrambling to keep up with the demand. With satisfaction rates consistently at 98%, the Toyota Prius has remained unparalleled by competitors.

The Prius drives with an almost non-existent sound and revs up its 110 combined gas-electric horsepower with an amazing 0-to-60 rate of 10.2 seconds

A few benefits that Prius owners currently enjoy are:

• Remarkable increase in fuel economy. An EPA combined city/highway rating of 55 mpg.
• The astounding improvement with emissions – 89 percent lower than most other cars and easily exceeds the standards for a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV)

The Prius provides a comfortable ride for the passengers as well. It has plenty of leg room and a large storage space. The stability control system makes it one of the safest ways to travel. Plus, a rear-view camera system will help you squeezing in to a tight parking spot.

And now, the cons

Toyota's efforts to ramp up production still falls short because of the increasing number of Prius owner wannabes. A Prius buyer may have to wait for up to a couple of months to get his purchase.

One of the major setbacks of a Prius is the "Prius blind spot." The design of the hatchback limits the visibility of the driver through the rear window. There are a few who may be fine with that, but there are some who thinks this is a major point of concern. The best way to go is to take a test drive to see how it feels for you.