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Motorcycles
How to Conserve More Fuel with Hybrid Cars?
Most hybrid cars are made for fuel efficiency but you can further squeeze extra miles out of a gallon of gasoline buy adapting the same good driving habits you do in your gasoline-engine vehicles.
1. Go easy on the brakes. Your hybrid car has the regenerative braking system that recaptures the energy lost from braking and stores it back to your batteries. If you brake slowly, you give your electric motor more time to store power thus, recovering more energy back to the batteries. If you brake hard and abrupt, the regenerative braking system will not be able to recapture much of this energy and your brakes will take most of the work.
2. Drive at slow speed. When you drive at a slow speed, you are running the electric motor. This saves a lot of gas. Also high speed driving requires your engine to produce extra power to drive the car forward and push it through the air. This consumes more gas just to overcome the aerodynamic drag. (Take note: the air is much denser on snowy, rainy, and slushy conditions. This makes the engine consumes more fuel to push the vehicle through the air.)
3. Avoid quick acceleration. The electric motor can only give your car a certain amount of power. When you require more speed and step on the gas pedal, the combustion engine kicks in to provide that extra speed you need, thus consuming more fuel. Quick acceleration in gasoline- or diesel-engine car wastes a lot of energy and so with hybrid vehicles. If you need to accelerate, do it gradually if possible.
4. Check your tire pressure. Tires are made to improve safety and the quality of the ride. It is not actually made for efficiency but you can actually use the tire to significantly improve your gas mileage. Use and maintain the maximum recommended tire pressure for your car on the sidewall and not the psi supplied by the manufacturer on the doorframe. Also use low-resistance tires for better mileage.
5. Avoid rush hour. Stop-and-go traffic consumes a lot of gas.
6. Use low octane gasoline. Not only it is cheaper, vehicles are actually designed to run well on low octane gas. Check your manual.
7. Glide. If you are comfortable with driving back and forth to neutral, you can get the best out of your speed. Coasting in neutral gives you a longer cruise and better use of energy.
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Motorcycles
Hybrid Vehicles: Which to Choose
There are many hybrid vehicles that are on the market today. People can ignore the incessant campaign for global warning but no one can ignore the soaring gas prices. Choosing a hybrid car is not just about being environmental friendly but it's also about saving gas. Unfortunately hybrid technology is fairly new and unique. Although hybrid vehicles have come a long way the technology is still rare. Automobile companies like Ford have agreed to share patents for Toyota to be able to make the Ford Escape Hybrid, the first hybridized SUV.
Fortunately nowadays people have more options. Motor companies are continually developing their technology to provide eco friendly and affordable cars. It is believed that hybrids will eventually dominate the automotive industry. This is essential not just for fuel efficiency but to be able to keep up with rising emission regulations.
Which hybrid to buy?
There are many hybrids vehicles marketed to day for both the average Joe and the rich executive with an environmental conscience. The Toyota Prius led the step for hybridization of vehicles with Toyota Motor Company's hybrid technology. Today, Toyota dominates the market in terms of sales.
Picking the right hybrid will greatly depend on your budget and your use. If you need a car strictly for city driving it's best to veer away from Sport Utility Vehicles and luxury sedans. You can opt for a four door sedan with good gas mileage. The Ford Focus is available at around $16,000. Variations of the Toyota Prius or Toyota Camry may also be a good start. If you can spare a few more bucks you can buy a Honda Civic Hybrid.
You don't really need big engines with lots of horsepower in the city. Most of the time you don't need to drive around with a V8 or a V6 engine in a suburban environment. If you need a car that can be taken off road and for long trips Sport Utility Vehicles are suitable. These cars may have the power but it comes with a heavy tag price.
The key is to buy what you need. If you are willing to spend money on a luxury car, wait for the Cadillac Escalade hybrid or go with the Lexus GS 450h. There are also other luxury SUV's available on the market today for luxury and practicality in one. Hybrid technology will continue to expand to other models and soon will be incorporated in future line ups by motor companies.
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