What’s up with Hybrid Vehicles?
If the price of gasoline has got you scared, and you’re thinking about maybe trading in your car for a moped, you’ve got half the solution right. It might be time to trade in your car, but forget the moped — get a hybrid car instead. The dictionary defines the word hybrid as: Offspring resulting from breeding between parents of two different species, and that’s a good definition for our purposes. That’s because a hybrid car has a power plant that’s a cross between a gasoline powered engine and an electric motor. What’s the big deal about hybrid cars? The automobile industry claims that a hybrid car can give you as much as 20 to 30 miles per gallon more performance than a standard gasoline engine. That means that you buy less gasoline, and buying less gasoline leaves more money in your pocket. You’ll need that extra money, however, because hybrid cars are still relatively expensive compared to traditional gasoline-powered cars. As more hybrid cars are sold, manufacturing prices will drop, and that drop will be seen in the selling price. How does a hybrid car save gasoline? In a typical automobile, the engine is connected to the transmission via a mechanical link called the drive train. When the engine’s sparkplugs fire, they ignite gasoline vapor which pushes a piston up and down. This piston movement gets transferred to the transmission via the drive train. The transmission turns the wheels and the car goes down the road. Well, the hybrid car is almost exactly the same except that in addition to the engine being connected to the transmission, an electric motor is also connected to the transmission. Actually, there are two different versions of hybrid cars. The one that was just described is called a parallel hybrid, because there are two different energy sources connected in parallel to the transmission. The other type of hybrid car is called a series hybrid because the gasoline engine works in series with the electric motor to power the car. This is accomplished by having the gasoline engine either charge the car’s batteries, or power the electric motor. The gasoline engine doesn’t actually turn the car’s wheels at all. The parallel hybrid operates off of the electric motor when the car is being driven below a certain speed, and the gasoline engine kicks in when that speed is exceeded, or when sensors in the car indicate that the driver has accelerated suddenly as if to pass or to avoid an emergency situation. Of course, the gasoline engine is always running even when the electric motor is powering the car, so some gasoline is always being used. The series hybrid is always running off of the electric motor, which restricts the top speed of the car, and the gasoline engine only kicks in when the batteries need to be charged. Like all automotive claims, your mileage may vary. Even so, if you’re looking to spend less money at the gas station, and avoid much of the effect of rising gas prices, you might want to park a hybrid car in your garage. Diane Nassy is the founder of <a href="http://www.save-on-gas-prices.com">http://www.save-on-gas-prices.com</a> . Visit her website for great tips on ways to save on rising gas prices. Email : <a href="mailto:httpdeeljeabiz@gmail.com">deeljeabiz@gmail.com</a>
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Crude Oil: Black Gold or Black Menace?
With all the publicity nowadays surrounding the price of Crude Oil, I resolved to write an enlightening article on the backdrop of the so-called “Black Gold.” I’ll briefly go over history, environmental effects, pricing and the future of the thick black sludge that is coveted by every major economy in the world. Hopefully you can reach a better point of view on the subject. The history of Crude Oil is too immense to discuss in this brief editorial so I will limit it to a general overview. The first oil wells were drilled in China in the 4th century. They where as much as 243 meters deep and were drilled utilizing drill bits attached to bamboo poles. The contemporary history of crude began in 1846, with the breakthrough of the process of refining kerosene from coal by Atlantic Canada’s Abraham Pineo Gesner. The first rock oil mine was built in Bobrka, Poland the following year. These breakthroughs rapidly spread around the world, and Meerzoeff built the first Russian refinery in the mature oil fields at Baku in 1861. James Miller Williams in Oil Springs, Ontario, Canada in 1858, excavated the first commercial oil well drilled in North America. The American petroleum industry commenced with Edwin Drake’s discovery of oil in 1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania. The industry matured slowly in the 1800s, driven by the demand for kerosene and oil lamps. It became a major national business in the early part of the 20th century. With the introduction of the internal combustion engine came a need that has largely sustained the industry to this day. While we all need to get to work in some way or another, rarely does anyone consider the environmental effects of the fuel that powers our mode of transportation. Yes we know that the emissions from are cars, buses and trains have a green house effect on our delicate environment; but what about the rest of our ecology? Oil extraction is costly and occasionally environmentally detrimental, although Dr. John Hunt from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution revealed in a 1981 paper that over 70% of the reserves in the world are associated with visible macroseepages, and numerous oil fields are found due to natural leaks. Offshore exploration and extraction of oil agitates the encompassing marine environment. Exploration could call for dredging, which stirs up the sea bottom, stamping out the ocean plants that nautical creatures need to survive. Not to mention the typical Crude Oil and refined fuel spills from tanker ship accidents. All of these factors have tainted frail ecosystems all over the world. Petroleum products are priced like most commodities: supply and demand. While this may sound simple, the actual start to finish process can be a lot more complex subject. References to oil prices are generally related to the spot price of either WTI/Light Crude as traded on New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Priced by the barrel, Crude Oil is rapidly becoming the most costly commodity on the market (second only to Gold). Oil pricing is extremely reliant on both its grade and location. The vast majority of oil will not be traded on an exchange but on an over-the-counter basis, typically with reference to a standard crude oil grade that is quoted via a pricing agency such as Argus Media Ltd or Platts. It is often claimed that OPEC arranges the oil price and the real monetary value of a barrel of oil is in the area of $2, which is equivalent to the cost of extraction of a barrel in the Middle East. These appraisals of costs disregard the cost of finding and developing oil reserves. You can’t talk about the future of oil without talking about the “Hubbert Peak” oil theory. This hypothesis depicts the long-term rate of production of conventional oil and other fuels. It assumes that oil reserves are not replenishable. It also predicts that future world oil production must unavoidably reach a crest and then decline as these reserves are exhausted. Like every other theory of any importance it is highly controversial. “When will the Oil actually start to run out?” is the big question. No matter how you look at it, our society needs to concentrate more efforts on either alternative fuels or more fuel-efficient modes of transportation. While I’m sure that the oil won’t peter out in my life time I would like to think we can leave this world a better place for future generations. In closing, I hope this article has given you a better understanding of the topic and made you a more informed consumer. So the next time your grumbling at the price of gas, at least you’ll understand what you re complaining about. If you would like to read more on the topic of Crude Oil, you can vistit http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/ or read one of the books listed at the end of this article. Books about the petroleum industry: James Howard Kunstler (2005). The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century. Atlantic Monthly Press. C.J. Campbell (2004). The Coming Oil Crisis. Peter Odell (2004). Why Carbon Fuels Will Dominate the 21st Century’s Global Energy Economy. Multi Science. Amory B. Lovins (2004). Winning the Oil Endgame. Rocky Mountain Institute. Vaclav Smil (2003). Energy at the Crossroads : Global Perspectives and Uncertainties. The MIT Press.Stephen Nelson is a professional commodity trader that specializes in the energy market. http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/
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How To Get An Extra $1500 For Your Trade In
How To Get An Extra $1500 For Your Trade In If your’re trading in a car to a dealer follow these steps and get an extra $500 to $1500 for it! Get the wholesale price for the car your’re trading in. This allows you to have a starting figure and know what the dealer thinks your vehicle is worth. Now you’ll know what you can expect to get from your car, but the dealer won?t make it easy. Remember, they’re trying to make a profit, and giving you as little as possible for your trade-in is another way they can make money. They’ll try to bargain down the price they’ll give you for your car by saying: There are huge rebates on the new ones which affects the secondary market. “That’s a nice car, but we have 6 just like it already on the lot.? Oh, that’s an old body style, they’re impossible to sell anymore. Wow, this one’s been through the wringer there sure are a lot of dings and scratches.” Hmmm…it has a lot of miles on it, well have to take it to the auction. Of course, some of these statements might be true, but the dealer is also likely to exaggerate so they can under-value your car. How can you fight back? Here are a few tips: Have your vehicle professionally detailed. Bring all your service records to show the car was properly maintained. Make sure everything works: air, radio, etc. Put a few new car brochures (from other manufacturers) are in your car, plainly visible, so the salesperson knows your’re shopping. If you you follow these simple steps you will guarantee to get more for your trade-in! [ Submitted with ArticleSubmitter Pro - http://www.articlesubmitterpro.com] Gus Skarlis is a former car dealer and founder of Before You Buy A Car. His Book "10 Things You Must Do Before You Even Think About Buying A Vehicle" has helped thousands of consumers save money and time when purchasing a vehicle. This FREE resource takes you step by step through the car buying process. The site is located at: http://www.BeforeYouBuyACar.com
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