Hybrid News

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. One owner, bought in Florida, driven daily!
This truck has never been in an accident, never been scratched!
Absolutely Brand new condition inside and out. Woman owned. Title in hand! 15,000 miles.

FINANCING AND PURCHASE IS AVAILABLE THRU THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM. Not necessary if you want to buy it outright….

This truck was ordered with every available option…
Navigation system
110 volt outlet
Sirius radio
250WATT Stereo (factory)
Sunroof
Cruise control
LEATHER HEATED SEATS
DUAL CLIMATE CONTROL
BACK UP SENSORS
ANTILOCK BRAKES
AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS
ALUMINUM WHEELS
RUNNING BOARDS
TINTED WINDOWS (even the front two, FL legal limit)
COMPASS
OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE READING
ROOF RACK
FOG LAMPS
CHROME PACKAGE
COLOR CODED MIRRORS AND DOOR HANDLES
$28000.00 or best REASONABLE offer!

Is the proposed gas tax holiday a bad idea or what !?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24388777/

I’m thinking of purchasing a used Highlander Hybrid. The 2008 is a bit out of my budget, but I can get a 2006 Highlander Hybrid Limited fully loaded for $29,000. Thoughts on the 2006? It has roughly 48,000 miles on it and the dealer is going to give me a bumper to bumper 7 year extended warranty. Any problems with the 2006 that I should be aware of? Thanks!

I haven’tfound a thread to this effect-but if I missed it sorry.
It seems that the FEH’s are virtually impossible to find in some/many/most area’s and production is not terrible customer friendly so what are the differences between them and the MMH? Are the MMH’s easier to find? Similiar is mileage? etcc… most posts are about the FEH but the two are lumped together into the same forum? Just thinking that I am not sure I want/can wait 4-6 months for a new FEH and paying another 2k above what I was thinking also hard to swallow-really need a car now? any help?
Krista

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1594/69/

Hybrid Kit Could Cut Your Gas Use by 60%

Do you want a hybrid Honda Fit? Or how about a hybrid Passat, or Yaris, or Cobalt or….Yeah. Too bad. While the number of hybrids available is certainly increasing, there are just a lot of cars we can’t get as hybrids, and we’re just going to have to deal with that.

Or are we! A UK company has revealed a retro-fit hybrid conversion kit that has the potential to cut exhaust emissions in existing cars by nearly 40%, and improve fuel economy by 60%. The system, developed by the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA), features a removable battery pack, arranged into three portable 30kW cassettes, which upgrade existing ‘conventional’ vehicles into hybrids.

The technology, currently being demonstrated on a Skoda Fabia, allows the car to run as a plug-in hybrid. In practice, it means the battery can be recharged via the gasoline engine, or by removing the battery pack and charging it through the mains. The rear wheels are driven by two 30 kW (50bhp) motors, while the petrol engine drives the front ones, effectively turning your car into a 4WD. Regenerative braking appears to be not included.

According to MIRA, the test model achieves an average of 64mpg (up from 39mpg), while top speed and acceleration remain similar to a standard Fabia. While this certainly isn’t as impressive as the Hymotion plug-in conversion kit for the Prius, it is cheaper (probably only $4,000) and can be installed in any front-wheel-drive car.

Speaking about the new project, Derek Charters, advanced power train manager at MIRA said, “You can obtain electricity from your domestic provider far cheaper and greener than from a car engine, so plug-in hybrids make sense.

“With this project, we’ve removed the main limitation of the plug-in hybrid by allowing the battery pack to come to the mains, rather than having to park right next to a socket, which is difficult if you live in a terraced house or flat.”

Unfortunately, MIRA hasn’t yet set a date for putting the technology into production. However, providing the new system is affordable and easy to install, there’s a compelling case for launching it in the market as soon as possible. Watch this space for more.

I will be turning in my ‘05 Jeep Grand Cherokee in October and am seriously considering the new ‘09 FEH. I prefer the looks, styling and ride of the Ford Edge; however, the tax credit and money I will be able to save on gas is very hard to ignore. Most of what I’ve read about the car has been very positive regarding reliability and what you get for your money, but I still have concerns about the technology and how it will hold up over time, not to mention how expensive it is to repair. I would like to try and get as much real world feedback as I can from people that actually have experience with the vehicle as opposed to getting everything from websites like kbb.com, edmunds.com, etc. I am interested in trying to find out about any pro’s or con’s that people would like to share. A couple of specific questions I have are as follows:

1. With the changes being made from the ‘08 to the ‘09, will the A/C be able to run on the electric engine alone, or will it still require the ICE.

2. For the ‘09, is the stone interior color still the only interior option available? If so, does anyone know of any good after market options to get a different leather interior?

3. Living in Michigan, I would prefer the AWD option; however, I have to be convinced that it’s going to be much better in the snow than the FWD in order to sacrifice $800 of the tax credit for the AWD. Anyone have any input on these two options?

Thanks in advance for your comments, feedback, suggestions etc.!:thumbs_up

The story does not feel complete to me, but here it is if you care to read it.
http://magazine.windingroad.com/wind…ers/?folio=115

Would YOU ever consider buying a battery electric car? The poll is regarding your next practical, everyday vehicle purchase … NOT a sportscar (Telsa) to toy around in. For example to replace your Corolla, Civic etc

General vehicle statistics:
a. Generally "normal" looking. IE: Not riding in a cigar tube
b. 2-4 passenger
c. 200 mile range
d. Top speed at least 80MPH
e. 0-60MPH 10 seconds (or less)
e. 4-6 Hours to charge

How much would you be willing to pay for this car?

I choose under $40,000. Although battery replacement is expensive, consider there is no petro to buy, no filters, no radiators, tuneups, Cat converters or other costly maintenance or service items for the life of the vehicle.

I live in Northern, VA and I drive a light blue 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid Manual which I bought last winter.

Given that the engine doesn’t shut off with the A/C on at red lights which is all we seem to have here, I was wondering if having the side and back windows tinted would save some A/C usage and allow the enigine to shut down more often.

Although the car comes with tinted windows, I was wondering if really dark Florida-style tinting make a difference.

Thanks for you thoughts

30 electric cars companies ready to take over the road

http://venturebeat.com/2008/01/10/27…over-the-road/

While some of these aren’t practical, some very much are: but don’t look for any from the big 3 auto makers.