Just where did a hybrid car get it’s beginnings? Well, read on to find out. Hybrid cars are very popular to today’s car buyers, and there are many reasons why. But before you even think about choosing a hybrid car to buy, you might want to know a little bit about the history of the hybrid car first.

It is surprising, but hybrid vehicles were around even before gas-powered cars. In about the year 1665, a Jesuit priest by the name of Ferdinand Verbeist started making plans for a new type of vehicle. That vehicle or cart would be very simple, nothing complex. Simple was all he wanted.

So it was that Ferdinand designed a car that would have four wheels and would run on steam. It took roughly fifteen years of sweat and toil for Ferdinand to go through with his plan. He laboured to perfect his dream car. But no one knows for certain if he ever finished it because there is no physical evidence that his concept ever passed into reality.

Then in 1769, a man with the name of Nicholas Cugnot designed and developed a carriage that was powered by steam. This carriage really did go and it went at six miles per hour. This project was all well and good, but it was difficult to get the amount of steam needed to make the car to go any significant distance.

The real break through in hybrid vehicle design finally came in 1839 when Robert Anderson developed an electrically powered vehicle. It was the first of its breed and was built in Scotland.

This electric car was a highly applauded innovation of its time. However, the only problem was that it was very difficult to recharge the car’s battery. Some pioneers came after Anderson, but they too had a hard time getting the battery recharged easily.

Then there was another outstanding break-through, in the year 1898, Porsche came out with an electric and fuel combo combustion engine that was the first of its type. The car was named the Lohner Electric Chaise and it could go for up to 40 miles using just its batteries.

Within a short space of time, pioneers combined both gas and a battery powered engines to power what would become today’s hybrid vehicle. In 1999, Honda made a leap into the US market. It came out with the Honda Insight, which was a lightweight two-door hybrid. Since then, hybrid cars have been evolving and improving into what we see on the market these days. Hybrid cars are no longer just for the techies who think it’s cool to combine battery and fuel power to get them where they need to go. Hybrid cars started out simple, and they are still quite simple today.

Nowadays hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly more popular as people are getting to understand them better. In the 21st century, hybrids saw a big boom in sales after the Toyota Prius came on the streets. It was the first hybrid with four doors that was marketed for America.

Soon after, the Ford Escape hybrid became the very first SUV hybrid ever made. So there it is in a nutshell, the history of the hybrid car – today’s modern car.

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How often have you been listening to the news or been breezing through the local paper and you have heard of someone that was involved in an accident and died only because they were not wearing a seat belt. It seems like a stupid reason to perish, especially because it may have been prevented with a seat belt extender.

Just because you are overweight does not mean that you do not deserve to be safe when you are traveling. Maybe the seat belt is a little too tight or doesn?t quite get around you, but there is an alternative so that you too can enjoy your safety. Nothing should come before safety when you are traveling.

If bells and whistles are ringing in your head because you have put yourself at risk, you really need to look into getting a seat belt extender. If the sole reason that you have not been wearing a seat belt is because it is too tight and you are uncomfortable, this is the solution for you.

Seat belt extenders add about a foot or so of space to the normal seat belt. This often gives people the extra room that they need to be comfortable, but also keeps them safe in case there is an accident or other mishap. In most cases, they are very affordable. Regardless, the safety that they add is well worth the investment.

As you are shopping around, you are going to want to make sure you are going with a reliable supplier who gives you any and all information in regards to the specs of the seat belt extender. There are several things to look for and many things to consider when you make your purchase and you must have all the facts before you buy one.

You will also want something that will adhere to all of the local safety laws. While most areas will allow seat belt extenders, they may require a specific type of that they be installed in a certain manner. Check both the internet and your local police station for exact details of what you can and cannot use.

One thing that you may find outlined at these sources is if you can use a click-in or bolt-in seat belt extender. If there are no restrictions in your area as to what you can use, you can pick either of these. There are some minor differences that you may find one more convenient or more comfortable than the other so check them both out and see which one you like the best.

Nothing should ever be more important to you than safety. If you are not comfortable with the way your safety belt fits you, look into getting a seat belt extender to make it a better fit and make your tips safer. This is $20 that you are spending that could save your life one day.

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Most of us have heard of the different Honda cars on the market today. You can add to this range of cars, the Honda hybrid cars. These hybrid cars include the Honda Accord Hybrid, the Honda Civic hybrid 4 door car and Honda Insight, which is a two seater. These are not the only hybrid cars in Honda’s stable, there are other ones but these are the most popular models.

You will find that Honda hybrid cars are available in various flavours of their popular conventional Honda vehicles. The Honda Civic hybrid is such a hybrid car that is very popular. This four door compact vehicle is one of those that you can choose either as new or as a second-hand car.

The hybrid Honda Civic has a 5 speed manual transmission drive. This particular Honda hybrid car is known as an assist hybrid car. Unlike other hybrid cars, the Honda Civic hybrid has won an award for the best international engine.

While you can obtain information about the various models of Honda hybrid cars from the Honda dealers’ websites on the Internet, you may want to visit the showrooms in person. This will provide you with a better understanding of whether a hybrid car will suit you. Having looked into these details, you can then see which Honda hybrid model is right for you.

Thus, you can make sure that you are getting a good deal And, speaking of money, you may want to check out the price of other cars that catch your eye in the hybrid Honda car line. For those who like the look of the hybrid car from Honda, you have a choice of previous year’s models or the new batch of Honda hybrid cars. Since there are lots of data you need to check, when it comes to purchasing cars, it is probably best if you have the questions you need answered dealt with by a qualified Honda dealer.

In this way, you can be assured that you have chosen a Honda hybrid which is not only affordable but is also capable of meeting your requirements. The hybrid cars that you are able to buy will provide you with lots of benefits both in the long term and the short term in keeping the costs of fuel down.

Because there are many different cars on the market, you can always be sure that you will find one that you like. The trusted Honda hybrid is the absolute choice for the choosy hybrid car owner.

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I ask what is going on here in the USA? I am not a financial genius and I could be wrong but this is the way I see it. First we bailed out the banks because they gave out too many bad loans. These people who are financial geniuses gave out loans to people who could not afford them, hoping things would get better and the people could pay their Bills. Basically what they did was gambling. Its like me going to Las Vegas betting over and over on red figuring it will come up eventually and when it never does and I lose all my Money. I then go and ask for all of it back plus more! The Banks who gave the Mortgages where given a bail out of around 600 Billion Dollars so they could stay in business. Now as I have read for around half of that the Government could have paid off all those bad loans and helped poor American Families keep their homes. If all the bad loans where paid then would not that take care of all the Banks problems? Instead they gave super rich bankers who mad bad choices lots of Money so they can continue to make the same decisions that failed before and live their incredible lives that most of us can only dream about.

Now we have the same thing going on with the Auto industry. I do not understand why we would bail them out. It seems to me that if you run a business and you fail, well then you fail. Aren’t these the same auto makers who over charge us for their cars? I can not believe none these manufactures can make a car that will last much longer and run on less gas or some other type of cheaper fuel. The Auto industry and the men who run it have been a major controlling factor in the world for many years. Aren’t these the same Auto Tycoons that we have heard stories about them keeping all the new smaller car companies from starting up or “buying up” any competitor who comes up with a better Motor Vehicle for over the last half century? The story of Tucker and his dream of making a better car for hard working Americans, Was that not a true Story?

If these Auto Companies where left to go out of Business many Americans who work at these Companies factories would lose their jobs. I do care and understand that it would be very hard on them. Right now is a tough time for all Americans. But I believe that before the dust could even settle from these companies collapse, We would have many small car manufactures starting up making much better cars at lower prices. These cars would last many years longer then the current ones we drive and I can only guess would run much further on a gallon of gas or some other cheaper fuel source. I would bet that fuel would be much better for the environment. Soon after with the huge super powerful big Three of the auto industry no longer in control and maybe crushing any small start up auto manufacturers, We would have hundreds of small car companies all across the Country and soon many more jobs for everyone along with much better automobiles to drive around in that burn cleaner fuels. Who knows maybe we could even get those dam flying cars we where all promised as Kids!

This is a hard time for this country. I think it is evident in the choices the American people have made as of recent, that we now know we can no longer have the same people in power making the same mistakes. These companies and the people that have been controlling this Country have lead us down this road. It looks to me that now that we have reached the end of the road and there is a cliff. Those that have been leading us are now asking us all to trust them and jump off that cliff and fill in the gap so they can walk over us and allow them to continue leading the way !

The idea of this country has always been if you can build a better Mouse trap you can become a Millionaire.What it looks like to me is these people did not allow any one else to build a better Mouse trap. Then they sold the only traps available making them so they would last only a short time, While charging a real high price for them. It has got to the point where the people can not afford to buy new Mouse traps when the old ones brake and have decided they will either try to fix the old ones or just live with the mice. They need their money for other things more important then new Mouse Traps. Now like in the case of the auto Companies they are asking the Government to give them the Money the people can no longer afford to spend on their products.

Now is not the Money they are asking to be given the hard earned Money the Government has taken from the same people in Taxes who can no longer afford to buy these products! These Companies are getting the hard earned Money of the American People who can no longer afford to buy these over priced Vehicles, That last a much shorter time then the ones made 50 years ago. Now our Government who has been over taxing us for years is thinking about giving away 15 Billion dollars of our money.

What charities and programs are we going to have to cut so these Auto tycoons who have houses all over the world, Their own private Jets and pretty much anything they have ever wanted continue to get richer? Will this money come from our Schools? What about the Hungry Children of the USA? What about all those people who are out of work and those that are going to lose their homes the banks are foreclosing on? I bet 15 Billion dollars could really help them out.

America is the land of dreams. It is the Country where a man can be poor one day and rich the next if he has a good idea. There is nothing that says if you have a great Idea and then you make a Mistake and lose everything the Government will bail you out! We are not helping the poor Auto factory workers here, They most likely will loose his jobs any way. We are only helping the Rich Auto Tycoons to be able to pay for all their many luxuries! Do I think our Government will bail them out? Well to that all I have to say is take a look at who funded many of today’s politicians campaign and then you will have your answer?

Again I am not a financial Genius and I may have this all wrong I am only Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com

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If you are thinking about buying a new vehicle here are 5 of the most compelling reasons to buy a used car rather than a new car.

1. Used Cars Cost Less

Since the point of a car is to get your from here to there, there is no reason to pay more for something that fundamentally will do the same thing. If you are on a budget look at what you need not what you want and you will realize that a new car is a mostly a status symbol.

2. Used Cars Hold Their Value Better

A car, used or new, will depreciate the older it is and the more it is used. However the minute you drive a new car of the lot it loses a significant portion of its value. This means if you go to sell your new car you will have already lost thousands of dollars. On the other hand, if you buy used, when you go to sell your car you will be able to get most of what you paid for it back.

3. Used Cars Are Greener

It takes a lot of resources and energy to produce a new vehicle. Buying used does not cause any additional harm to the environment. Remember that next time someone smugly tells you they are looking at the new Prius.

4. Lower Insurance Premiums for Used Car Owners

Since used cars are generally far less expensive than new cars their monthly insurance premiums are far less as well. Saving on insurance costs each month can really add up. Over the course of the year if you saved $50 dollars a month on insurance you would save $600 dollars.

5. Availability Of OEM Parts

After about 5 years most of the contracts car-makers have with part manufacturers what prevent them from selling the same parts they make for the car companies without the company label at deep discounts. That means that if you have a used car older than 5 years chances are if you need to replace a part it will be available form an OEM manufacturer for significant less than if you got it from a dealer.

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Using cheap auto insurance coverage can make fiscal sense in times when the economy takes a bit of a nose dive, such as these days. In most cases, expending a bit of effort to find a quality, but cheap, insurance policy, written by a decent agency, can be worth the time taken to do so. In fact, at least a couple hundred per year could be saved by reconfiguring insurance policies. Remember a few things, though.

To begin with, always conduct some basic research on any companies willing to underwrite an insurance policy. They should be allowed to do business in the state in which the policy is going to be underwritten, for one. It can sometimes be the case that a company will offer a policy when it isn’t supposed to do so in that state. Mostly, it’s because agents fail to catch that issue when writing the policy.

Also, always check up on any consumer ratings the agency and the insurance provider has received in the past. Most local better business bureaus or chambers of commerce can help with this item. Face it: There are more than a few less-than-savory agencies and insurance companies out there who will be glad to take money, give out a policy, and then disappear when the time comes to service it.

The Internet can deliver up more than a few quality insurance locator sites that can help in the search for a good, cheap policy. It’s only a matter of entering the parameters – kind of car, miles driven annually, age of the driver, etc. – and then evaluating the results returned before making a decision.

It’s always a funny thing when insurance shoppers profess shock at how wide the difference is when it comes to policy rates from one company to the next. If consumers understood how risk is evaluated and then underwritten by a company, they wouldn’t be so surprised, however. Risk is looked at through the lens of each company’s own rating systems, as a matter of fact.

After a decent policy at a low price is found, make sure to get any policy quote in writing before putting out money to pay for it. It should also be the case that a clearly-understood set of terms is provided in the insurance binder. Also, all the various states have different mandatory minimum coverage requirements. A shopper should be comfortable with the levels of coverage provided before going with any policy. And see if there’s a waiting period before coverage kicks in.

Using cheap auto insurance coverage isn’t a difficult thing to conceptualize doing. It can be a bit hard to execute in practice, but there are a number of useful evaluation and locating tools on the Internet. When times are bit fiscally uncertain, finding cheap coverage could make sense as long as the policy delivers on the promises it makes.

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Chevrolet is about to start the largest fuel cell technology test drive ever. According to the Chevrolet Website this major car company and parent General Motors has been reviewing applications for the 100 consumers in three major commuting markets that will be their real life test drivers for this extensive test. Some 100 lucky consumers will begin driving vehicles rated as using Zero Gas and having Zero Emissions for up to 50,000 miles.

This is the test we have been dreaming of – vehicles that use no gas and produce no noxious emissions! And these vehicles will be on the roads of the U.S. in New York, California, and Washington, D.C. The chosen consumers will drive this vehicle on their daily commutes and errands throughout these large metropolitan areas. The results from these test drives will provide answers for researchers refining fuel cell technology in future GM and Chevrolet vehicles.

The vehicle developed for this historic test is the Chevrolet Equinox equipped with Fuel Cell Technology. The EPA certified Hydrogen Powered Equinox Fuel Cell as a “Zero Emission Vehicle” (ZEV). This means it emits only water – no smoke coming out of this tailpipe! In fact, instead of a tailpipe, it has 4 water vapor outlets on it’s backside.

Fueling up is quick for these vehicles, taking about 5 minutes at the yet to be designated fueling locations. 3 fuel tanks storing up to 9 pounds of hydrogen at 10,000 PSI, will provide up to 200 miles of driving for these next-generation vehicles.

The Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell combines hydrogen and water to produce electricity, which powers the electric drive system for the Equinox. This is a fully functional “real world” vehicle. According to Chevrolet’s website, “Equinox Fuel Cell has been crash-tested and is designed to meet all applicable 2007 U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. And you will enjoy the benefits of driver and front passenger air bags(2), the StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System, four-wheel antilock disc brakes with Traction Control, and OnStar.” In other words, it’s as safe to use as any vehicle on the road today, although it is a little heavier than it’s sister 6 cylinder gas powered Equinox.

General Motors is proud of this test, which is being billed as the “WORLD’S LARGEST FUEL CELL VEHICLE FLEET” in a recent news release at GM Media online. “GM is demonstrating its commitment to hydrogen fuel cells as the answer for taking the automobile out of the environmental debate and reducing our dependence on petroleum,” said Larry Burns in the news release. Burns is GM Vice President, Research & Development and Strategic Planning. “The Equinox Fuel Cell is powered by GM’s most advanced fuel cell propulsion system to date, and demonstrates an important milestone on our pathway to automotive-competitive fuel cell propulsion technology development,” he added.

More information can be found on Chevrolet’s website, where they have pictures and specs on this new vechicle. This test has been promoted for over a year by Chevrolet, with the first Hydrogen powered Equinox of the project already being delivered to the Army for a “non-tactical” functional test according to an article in September of 2006 on USAToday.com.

This is a major commitment by GM and Chevrolet. They are certainly stepping up to the table in the effort to bring this technology into the main stream. According to a news release at the 1006 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ed Peper, Chevrolet General Manager, said, “the fuel cell technology is seamlessly integrated into a uniquely styled crossover vehicle that is distinctively Chevrolet. The Equinox Fuel Cell joins Chevrolet’s family of advanced gas-saving and alternative fuel vehicles.”

Look for these test vehicles to start tooling down the roads of these metropolitan areas in September, 2007. Hopefully, they will pave the way for volume production of this already promising technology. In an article on the website ETA.co.uk an estimate of when this technology might be available for wider implementation(commercially viable) included the year 2010.

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Traveling by car might not be as fast as taking a plane, but its still the most common method of getting from Point A to Point B, even when long distances are involved. Its not always very comfortable or enjoyable to ride in a vehicle for long periods of time, no matter what your agenda is. Whether you are on a business trip or heading for a favorite vacation spot, here are some tips to make the trip a little easier.

Be prepared. While everyone hopes to have a safe trip, that isnt always the case. Youll want to have a membership with AAA and make sure that your car insurance covers everything that might occur on your trip, including another driver if you plan on switching off. This wont prevent problems with the vehicle, but it will certainly make things less stressful if you know everything is covered. Under the same category, be sure you have a car emergency kit on hand, as well as a spare tire.

Take breaks. Theres a good reason that rest stops exist. Take the time to stop and stretch your legs at least once every few hours. This will prevent cramping later on and will get the blood flowing, which helps you stay awake on those long, boring stretches.

Invest in a nicer seat. If you travel frequently in your car, youll really appreciate a nice cushy seat. There are many options on the market, from the common wooden bead seat covers to padded ones that your bones will thank you for after several hours of driving. While the driver usually needs the best seat since its not really possible to shift around while driving, your passengers will probably appreciate comfortable covers, as well.

Bring entertainment. Just because you are driving doesnt mean you cant enjoy stretching your mind at the same time. Music gets boring after a while, so consider bringing along some audio books or a cd of an interview or seminar youve been meaning to listen to. Some people even learn new languages while on long road trips. And if you have kids, a DVD is a must to keep bickering to a minimum.

Plan your stops. Theres nothing worse than hitting the point of exhaustion only to realize that there are no hotels for miles. By planning ahead and deciding where to stop for the night on each leg of your journey, youll have a much more pleasant trip and can schedule stops at points before you get too exhausted to continue driving.

Make sure you have enough time. Rushing to get to your destination will only result in stress, frustration and speeding tickets, so its really not recommended. If at all possible, plan to take your time getting there. 5-6 hours a day is usually plenty of time to spend in a vehicle, so if you plan for short days, youll be well-rested when you arrive.

Make a list before you leave. This is very useful in preventing such tragedies as auto insurance papers left sitting in a drawer at home or forgetting your presentation cd for a business meeting. Having a list will enable you to go down it quickly and double check that you have everything you need and you wont need to turn back shortly after pulling out of the driveway.

Traveling in a car can be rather tedious, particularly if you are going to be driving for several days. These tips will help make it less problematic and help you to really enjoy your trip, no matter where you are headed.

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