Environmentales

For some motorists, driving a hybrid car is a whole lot different from the usual vehicles. It is expressed as an extraordinary experience when you are behind the wheel of a green car. There are countless stories accounted by hybrid car owners about their greatest experiences in owning and driving a hybrid car. I guess it’s more interesting than a Dodge brake caliper or any cool car in the market!

Insurance.com shares a story on how hybrid cars capture the fancy of some drivers. Check this out.

Debbie Perea, a marketing representative shares her thoughts about having a hybrid car. The story says that Debbie is very proud and enthusiastic in having a Honda Civic. Apparently, this model is popular. But the best thing about her car is that it’s a hybrid Civic that is powered by both gas and electricity.

"I love it! It's a great little car, and it definitely saves me money on my daily commute to and from work. I drive 20 miles each way, five days a week, and I spend $20 a week on gas. I drop about $50 every time I fill the tank on my Sequoia (Toyota SUV)," says Perea about her 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid.

"But it gets up to the speed of freeway traffic pretty quickly. I don't mind giving up a little bit on a car's pep when I'm saving as much as I am at the gas pump. Gas prices have been going up and up, and there's no end in sight. So, I think that I'm coming out ahead by driving a hybrid. I don't see that many hybrids around when I'm driving, but I'm sure there will be a lot more out there on the roadways very soon," explained Perea.

Perea's boss, Bruce Norman, said, "Obviously we insure at least a few hybrids, including my secretary's, but so far there are relatively few of her type of car out there on the road today. I know Debbie sure likes her car. The numbers out there could increase in time. We'll know more in a few years in terms of how they gain in popularity and their insurance claims experience, but it's a little early at this point to give any hard and fast underwriting or claims opinions." Norman is the senior vice president of marketing at Mercury's corporate headquarters in Brea, Calif.

Only the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrids have enough data for IIHS to rank them in terms of losses, and both came out in 2004. "Right now, we would have to say they're a little better than other vehicles of similar size and type. People are willing to pay extra for the hybrid, so they might be a different breed of driver than those who are buying a gas-driven Civic that is less expensive," says Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in Arlington, Va.

Have you checked out the hottest and the freshest automotive site on the web? Well, if you don’t have any idea, it’s CarDevotion.com! Actually, I just heard about it last week when I was referred by a friend when I asked for some assistance in purchasing Acura brake boosters. And now, the site has added up features that every car enthusiast will definitely love! According to TheAutoChannel.com, CarDevotion.com has launched the new “Green Cars” section and an Editor’s blog to further bring a lot of references about green cars and automobile insights!

The launch of the newest "Green Cars' section concentrating on eco-friendly vehicles and an expanded variety of latest "From the Driver's Seat" blog of behind-the-scenes remarks and outrageous opinions will carry out vital information to online consumers with efficiency! Veteran writer Peter Frey will be editing CarDevotion.com as well as publishing exceptional editorial and news subjects. One-stop new-car shopping will be available as well!

"CarDevotion.com's mission is to catch the wave of today's high-speed automotive evolution and take the readers along for the ride. Green Cars are the future and we're giving them in-depth coverage. And hopefully the readers will find my blog both entertaining and illuminating," says Frey, the former Associate Editor of Motor Trend Magazine.

CarDevotion.com variety of sections will also include "Streets of Tomorrow" which will tackle on the esoteric new transportation technologies under development across the world. The "Industry Events," a calendar of upcoming car shows, automaker-sponsored concert tours, driving adventures, traveling technology exhibits and new-vehicle ride-and-drive events is included in the sections as well!

CarDevotion.com’s editorial mix will consist of an assorted take on the improvements in the auto industry, as well as a library of exclusive automotive content including reviews of over 3,000 of new vehicles and records dating more than a decade back on a column called "Automotive News".

"We're in a unique position to watch the ebb and flow of trends on the Internet, and CarDevotion.com is our response to those trends. It blends information, news, entertainment and community into a unique site that is fun, informative and an effective platform for automakers and other companies in the auto industry," says the company's CEO and co-founder, Scott Yamano.

Here’s more you should know about www.cardevotio.com:

CarDevotion.com's parent company, Dedicated Marketing Solutions, is a major player in the online ad industry with thousands of branded websites, as well as exclusive web properties such as CarDevotion.com, and PharmDaily.com, in its ever-growing network. Clients ranging from AT&T and Monster to Kaiser Permanente and Qantas Airlines take advantage of the network's dedication to effective reach and proven, cost-effective results.

The history of hybrid vehicles is deeper than we thought it is… There are some significant things that we never thought were included on the colorful history of green cars. We are fed with a lot of hybrid innovations nowadays - maybe it’s time to recall the roots of these magnificent vehicles that changed the face of the automotive industry and changed the system of transportation that surely benefits the environment!

I myself wasn’t aware of the hybrid car’s history, so I decided to spend some time in front of my laptop instead of tiring myself with fixing the old Subaru fuel filter that I have. Anyway, one of the most reliable sources for hybrid cars is HybridCars.com. On their site, they featured the timeline of hybrid cars from the day it all started. Check this out and dig in with these great bits of information about hybrid car’s history back in the 1600s to 1900 brought to us by www.hybridcars.com:

History of Hybrid Vehicles

1665 – 1825
In the middle part of 1665 and 1680, plans were designed for a miniature four-wheel unmanned steam “car” for Chinese Emperor Khang His by Flemish Jesuit priest and astronomer Ferdinand Verbiest. In 1769, Frenchman Nicholas Cugnot built a steam-powered motor carriage capable of six miles per hour.

1839
Robert Anderson of Aberdeen, Scotland built the first electric vehicle.

1870
Sir David Salomon developed a car with a light electric motor and very heavy storage batteries. Driving speed and range were poor.

1886
Historical records indicate that an electric-powered taxicab, using a battery with 28 cells and a small electric motor, was introduced in England.

1888
Immisch & Company built a four-passenger carriage, powered by a one-horsepower motor and 24-cell battery, for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

1890 – 1910
The period of significant improvements in battery technology that specifies the development of the modern lead-acid battery by H. Tudor and nickel-iron battery by Edison and Junger.

1897
The London Electric Cab Company started regular service using cars designed by Walter Bersey. The Bersey Cab, which used a 40-cell battery and 3 horsepower electric motor!

1897
The Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, built around 500 electric cars over a two-year period.

1898
The German Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, at age 23, built his first car, the Lohner Electric Chaise. It was the world's first front-wheel-drive. Porsche's second car was a hybrid!

1898
The Electric Carriage and Wagon Company, of New York City, had a fleet of twelve sturdy and stylish electric cabs.

1899
The Pope Manufacturing Company merged with two smaller electric car companies to form the Electric Vehicle Company, the first large-scale operation in the American automobile industry.

1900
American car companies made 1,681 steams, 1,575 electric and 936 gasoline cars. In a survey done at the first National Automobile Show in New York City, patrons privileged electric as their first pick, followed intimately by steam.