With the all the changes that are going on in the industry there is nothing more drastic than the change from gas dependent vehicles to alternative fuel cars. This is the future and 1st chance you get look into how much money you can save at the pump. My 1st experience was driving a Toyota Prius. Years ago I had to drive from Chicago to Cleveland and then to Detroit. Normally I would have to fill up 2-3 times. I was able to make this 3 city trip on one tank of gas. At the time I was so amazed that I told everyone I could go out and buy a Toyota Prius. I soon found out that it was long waiting list, in some cases a year wait. Fast forward to the present day, there are several options that are available.
- Flex Fuel Vehicles- these vehicles are set to run on a mix of gasoline or a blend of 85% ethanol (E85). Flex Fuel vehicles can run on E85 or regular gas because outside of a few changes the engines are identical to that of gasoline only model vehicles. Flex fuel vehicles are better for the environment but the only drawback with flex fuel vehicles is that when E85 is used there is less mpg.
- Hybrid Vehicles- This is the most popular of the alternative fuel vehicles. The benefit of Hybrids is a combination of a gasoline engine and electric motor. One thing that is noticed right away when you drive a Hybrid is that when you come to a complete stop the engine shuts down until the accelerator is pressed and at that point the engine starts again without any hesitation. This prevents wasted gas during a traffic stop. The Hybrid technology is now available in Suv’s along with standard cars. When you make your next purchase take a look at a Hybrid 1st and see if the cost (hybrids are usually a little more expensive) is worth the savings at the pump. I think it is but you see for yourself.
- Diesel Vehicles- Some people associate diesel with big trucks. But new technology has made diesel vehicles more available in auto dealerships across the country. Diesels are more powerful than standard gasoline engines and are more fuel efficient than similar sized gasoline engines. Two big drawbacks with diesel had always been how loud they sound and the ability to start them in the winter. New technology has improved on both of these things. Sometimes there are Federal tax incentives for diesel vehicles. All manufactures don’t have diesel models but find one that does and take it for a test drive and evaluate for yourself, you will be impressed.
- Electric Cars-Electric cars have always been so far in the future that most people could not imagine having a car that you could literally plug and recharge. The technology of electric cars is based on a rechargeable battery pack. The electric cars emit no fumes from your tailpipe which in turn makes it very environmentally friendly. The biggest upside to electric cars is no dependency on gas. Some of the things to consider with the electric car are the recharging time for the battery. In some cases it could be 4-6 hours to fully recharge. Also the battery packs can be expensive to replace. The big question is where will you charge these batteries up when you are on the road. At press time there is still a lot of speculation one thought is, from charging stations around the country similar to gas stations. In some cases people have even said the there may be the ability to do at home. One way or another I feel this will not be a big problem and it will be solved.
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