How Hybrid Cars Work

Gas is up. So, I understand when consumers say that we need an alternative. Electric cars are all the rage, with vehicles in high demand. The only question is, how do they work? We embrace the idea, and today we’ll provide some insight on how hybrid engines work.

Hybrids use traditional gas engines and an alternative power plant. There are two types: electric hybrids and hydrogen hybrids. Electric hybrids use an electric motor as their alternative energy source. Hydrogen hybrids extract the element from water and add the hydrogen to the fuel-air mixture of the vehicle. So how do hybrids help the environment? It’s important to know that oil is a limited resource; also carbon dioxide is produced when it’s burned. In addition, the oil that is extracted from the Earth damages the environment from drilling. Although hybrids still use gas, they achieve higher gas mileage than a regular vehicle because of the secondary power source. The average estimate is a five-mpg improvement in fuel economy.

One way the improved fuel economy numbers are achieved is through stop/start technology that is fitted to the vehicle. A stop/start system allows the engine to be shut off when it is not needed, such as when the vehicle is stopped at a red light or the vehicle is coasting. The technology allows for the engine to be restarted quickly so that the driver does not experience any hesitation.

Hybrids are great for the environment. They produce less noise pollution and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Innovation and technology will continue to change and adapt to the times making hybrids a great alternative.

Music: the Best Part of a Drive Home

Music is bliss. It’s that overwhelming feeling of reassurance when you’re feeling down. It’s that overbearing tune stuck in the back of your mind, resulting in uncontrollable whistling. Music is what keeps us sane in a world of car horns, missed appointments, and bad breakups. It’s the key to our souls. Now, imagine you’re sitting in your car at a stop light, wait, listen for it…nothing. No music to take you away from your daily troubles, sometimes it’s understandable not listening to music. You might have had a long day and want to enjoy some quiet, but most of the time our music soothes us. In our blog today, we discuss the best options for music in your car.

iPod/Mp3 Player – If you have your favorite tunes locked in on your iPod/smartphone/Mp3 Player-a-majig and your car has an Auxiliary connection, (most cars after 2006 have them) then you’re in luck. You can purchase an auxiliary cable online (eBay has them as low as 1$) plug it into the car and the other end into the headphone jack of your device. Push play on your device and viola, HD music directly from your favorite jukebox.

Satellite Radio – satellite radio is commercial and static free, music is beamed directly from satellites in space. Two big companies, XM and Sirius, have paid subscriptions with countless radio stations to choose from. Music from all genres, sports, traffic, talk shows (Howard Stern) and weather are all included. Purchasing the tuner for your car starts around $75 bucks, with a monthly subscription of around $15. One drawback is that reception can be deterred in cities with skyscrapers, but purchasing an external antenna will fix the problem.

Car Audio w/Cassette Adapter – if you own an older car, don’t panic! You can still play your mp3’s on the road. By purchasing a cassette adapter, you can play your tunes via a headphone jack. First, plug your cassette adapter into your player’s headphone jack. Then, insert the dummy tape into your car’s cassette player. With $20 dollars you can use your modern mp3 player to play your tunes, rock on!!

Top Vehicle Innovations of the Century

Flying cars have always been something we would like to see in our lifetime, but…for now, we’ll have to settle for some really cool, helpful, innovations. Cars have gone a long way since the Ford Model-T and in today’s blog we discuss some of the most influential technologies to date.
1) Fold-flat rear seats – Honda’s foldaway seats in the late 1990’s took the concept of space saving to another level. Seats that tuck out of the way are much easier to deal with than those that have to be removed.

2) Electronic Stability Systems – introduced by luxury manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz in 1995, this computerized system applies the car’s brakes or cuts the throttle to keep the car going where you want it. This maintains car stability, working within the car’s limitations.

3) DVD Players – In 2002 Honda and Saturn introduced the DVD player, children in the backseat of minivans rejoiced. Innovation? Very much so. DVD players were shrunk and fitted into vehicles, providing a smooth comfortable ride, minus the bickering siblings in the background.

Do you have any innovations you would like to add to the list? There are countless other options available, add yours now!

Doggie Safety Tips (Car Edition)

A wagging tail is a smile in dog form. Man’s best friend has been keeping us company since the beginning of companionship. In the age of the modern consumer it gets more and more difficult to keep your pet safe. In our recent blog post we discuss some great tips for keeping your ‘Lassie’ safe during a car ride. Below, we’ve provided a quick list of options:

1) Restrain your dog – We know dogs want to have their freedom, however it’s so much safer to keep them restrained while in the car. If your pet is unrestrained it can cause distractions and injury. Imagine making a sudden stop. Even at low speeds this can be very dangerous for your pet. For small and medium sized dogs a crate, or a harness works wonders in the back seat. Now, if you’re Great Mastiff is riding with you today (some grow up to 7 ft. in length) we suggest you have a big enough rear area to contain them. The Front seats can be used to block them in.
2) Don’t put your dog on your lap – Having your dog on your lap is like driving while using a Tablet computer. Huge distraction!! Your reaction time is substantially slowed and if the window is open, an extremely curious dog could run out into traffic.
3) Create a ‘pet friendly’ car – some items for a dog car utopia would be: a cushioned pet bed, extendable cargo area, rear ventilation (A/C or fan), rubber floor mats, and a spill-resistant water bowl. There are several vehicles ideal for dog lovers out there. A lot of car manufacturers are chasing dog lovers with new technology and innovations.
4) Don’t let your dog ride with their head out of the window – I know it’s tempting, but they can be easily injured by debris flying in their eyes.
5) Keep proper ID – just in case your dog gets lost while traveling, you want to make sure you have emergency contact info and up to date ID tags.
6) Prepare a doggie bag – make sure it contains clean up supplies, towel, feeding watering bowl, food, and toys to keep them well behaved
A pet is a family member, lets keep ours safe by practicing great car etiquette, while making the trip fun and exciting for our canine companions.

Best Car Ads of 2010

A TV advertising analytics provider, Ace Metrix, just announced its top TV ads of 2010. In one category, automotive, the list was dominated by luxury brands. The scoring is completed by a national sample of 500 consumers. They take into account viewer engagement, persuasion, and consideration for purchase. The scores increased 17% for 2010 vs. 2009. The creative quality has really been stellar, as car companies become more and more creative with their ads. As the economy improves and economic situations prosper, we’ll continue to see an increase. Here are the top ten videos:

1. Nissan: Wouldn't It?
2. Infiniti: Infiniti M Blind Spot
3. Mercedes-Benz: Triumphant
4. Acura: Man Keeps From Hitting Santa & Sleigh
5. Acura: The Ace Body Structure
6. Nissan: Nissan we make them better Category: Automotive
7. Mercedes-Benz: What Is Performance
8. Mercedes-Benz: Trust Car In World You Can't Predict
9. Lexus: Most Advanced Driving Simulator
10. Lexus: Lexus Responded To Challenge
You can see all the videos right here: http://www.acemetrix.com/events/event/auto-2010

HELP!! Get the Most Out of Your Gas Tank

So, you’re driving steadily and carefully around town on a quarter tank of gas. Your palms are sweaty (because A/C is known to drain gas) and your eyes are glued to the road. Your pupils dilate as you scan the area, studying the prices of gas stations to find a reasonable destination. A maraud of signs flood the road way with numbers that cause you to twitch in fear. Of course, you’re driving the speed limit, or even a couple MPH below it, just so you can milk every last drop of the oil slowly evaporating in your gas tank. As the price of gas slowly rises, we provide several options to help you get your money’s worth, at least most of the time, in this week’s blog.
One obvious way to improve gas mileage is by purchasing a fuel-efficient vehicle. There are countless vehicles to choose from: the Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Chevy Sonic, Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra to name a few. In the era of the smartphone, it’s easy to find an app that utilizes your local GPS to find the best surrounding gas prices. Try using Gasbuddy, a free app that checks local gas prices through a network of community users that keep in touch with real-time updates. Another great alternative is to keep up with vehicle maintenance.
Also, Do not IDLE! Idling is a waste (unless you’re at a red light, we do advise you to obey traffic laws…hehe) Park your vehicle and go into a restaurant rather than idling in the drive-thru. It usually saves time, and definitely saves gas. Do you have any tips for us? Feel free to comment! We could all use the help!