Surrey BC Is Ahead Of The Game By Installing Electric Car Charging Stations

Surrey electric car station

The Surrey museum, in Surrey BC, has an electric car charging station that charges your electric car in about 30 minutes.

Surrey is the first city in BC to have two fast charging stations, one at the surrey museum and one at Powertech - a subsidiary of BC Hydro. It amazes me that we can charge an electric car faster than some cell phones. Just think, where we would we be if "big oil" hadn't suppressed the electric car 20 years ago?

Surrey also requires gas stations to provide an alternative fuel service in all new gas stations being built. I'm not one for the government controlling everything in our lives, but when it comes to these huge industries (Oil) I think there needs to be some sort of regulation for our protection. If it were up to "big oil" we would be consuming even more then we do now.

There has been a lot of talk about sustainability lately; it's nice to see some action. I attended the Langley Economic Forum last month and Key Note Speaker Don Burden (Director of Innovation and Inspiration, Wable and Livable Communities Institute) gave a great speech on sustainability and community awareness. He talked about neighbourhoods that are built around walking and cycling, not bigger roads for cars. A Community where our kids can walk to school comfortably and safely, and play in the park instead of putting their face in front of a screen.

I like this idea, it's funny it kind of reminds me of my childhood. Although in my day (Okay I am officially "old") this wasn't an innovative idea, it was just "life". We walked to school, we played outside, we only watched one show on TV, we got dirty, and we used our imagination. When did "being a kid" get so complicated? More cars, more phones, more computers and more TV's aren't as great as the advertisements claim.

Sorry I got on a bit of a rant there.

It's hard to miss the news about the insane typhoon that devastated the Philippines last week. I watched in horror as families and homes were destroyed, and wonder if it could have been different. Our climate is changing before our very eyes; it's about time we change too.

Being hit with a 100 year storm every year is not a future I want for my grandchildren.

We need more participation in alternative fuel innovation. My flex fuel car isn't cutting it. Our oil addiction isn't cutting it.

I believe that Surrey is on the right track with all the improvements to Surrey Centre City and their move towards alternative fuel services. It's no wonder they are the #1 Real Estate Investment Community.

The Economics of LPG Conversion

LPG conversion is not just some trend that groups of environmentally-minded individuals have been championing for years. This method of letting vehicles run on liquefied petroleum gas instead of petrol or diesel has proven to be a hit among other types of consumers.

In fact, various governments all over the world have offered subsidies to consumers who volunteer to have their cars converted from petrol to LPG. This comes as a small but welcome relief to a good number of vehicle owners who may find the cost of converting quite steep. Moreover, the cost of conversion should be seen as an investment, as a good number of benefits are in store for vehicle owners who do.

Obviously, the impact of using LPG is felt in the environment, as vehicles using LPG instead of petrol give very minimal exhausts and pollutants to the air. With the urgency of actions to save Mother Earth, the increasing use of LPG should signal a shift in more consumers wanting to adhere to alternative sources of fuel. More importantly, though the cost of converting a vehicle to using LPG from petrol may be high, the costs are recovered in the long run. This is because the cost of LPG per liter is noticeably more affordable compared to petrol.

The response from the public has been positive, and more and more garages have been offering to do the service at overly reduced costs. This should set an alarm for consumers who are practical and want to save on having their vehicle converted to LPG. They have to exercise caution, as overly affordable LPG conversion services may actually turn out to be scams by garage owners who want to earn easy money on a fast-rising trend.

With the actual costs of conversion set aside, the factor that attracts a lot of vehicle owners to turn to LPG is the savings in fuel costs in the long run that a good number of owners of LPG-run vehicles have attested to. Are the savings really noticeable or are they just minimal, only to be compensated by the good feeling of patronizing an environmentally-safe product?

On petrol, a typical car will average about 12 litres for every 100 kilometres. On gas, the figure will increase to close to 15 litres. But then, even though a vehicle would require more LPG to run, the costs multiplied per litre would still sum up to savings for LPG users in the long run. Moreover, the conversion would make more sense for vehicles with bigger engines, as they consumer more fuel. If a vehicle's annual mileage is 10,000, the cost of 5.5 litres per 100 km on petrol (equal to 550 litres) would still be higher than the 700 litres of LPG consumed in a year.

Learn more here: www.uklpgconversion.co.uk

Thus, it makes perfect sense to subscribe to LPG conversion, not only for environmental purposes. New cars, since they still have years of mileage to consume, would benefit from having their engines have an LPG option. Owners of old cars that only have a few months in them may not enjoy the long-term benefits of this conversion.

Surrey BC Is Ahead Of The Game By Installing Electric Car Charging Stations

Surrey electric car station

The Surrey museum, in Surrey BC, has an electric car charging station that charges your electric car in about 30 minutes.

Surrey is the first city in BC to have two fast charging stations, one at the surrey museum and one at Powertech - a subsidiary of BC Hydro. It amazes me that we can charge an electric car faster than some cell phones. Just think, where we would we be if "big oil" hadn't suppressed the electric car 20 years ago?

Surrey also requires gas stations to provide an alternative fuel service in all new gas stations being built. I'm not one for the government controlling everything in our lives, but when it comes to these huge industries (Oil) I think there needs to be some sort of regulation for our protection. If it were up to "big oil" we would be consuming even more then we do now.

There has been a lot of talk about sustainability lately; it's nice to see some action. I attended the Langley Economic Forum last month and Key Note Speaker Don Burden (Director of Innovation and Inspiration, Wable and Livable Communities Institute) gave a great speech on sustainability and community awareness. He talked about neighbourhoods that are built around walking and cycling, not bigger roads for cars. A Community where our kids can walk to school comfortably and safely, and play in the park instead of putting their face in front of a screen.

I like this idea, it's funny it kind of reminds me of my childhood. Although in my day (Okay I am officially "old") this wasn't an innovative idea, it was just "life". We walked to school, we played outside, we only watched one show on TV, we got dirty, and we used our imagination. When did "being a kid" get so complicated? More cars, more phones, more computers and more TV's aren't as great as the advertisements claim.

Sorry I got on a bit of a rant there.

It's hard to miss the news about the insane typhoon that devastated the Philippines last week. I watched in horror as families and homes were destroyed, and wonder if it could have been different. Our climate is changing before our very eyes; it's about time we change too.

Being hit with a 100 year storm every year is not a future I want for my grandchildren.

We need more participation in alternative fuel innovation. My flex fuel car isn't cutting it. Our oil addiction isn't cutting it.

I believe that Surrey is on the right track with all the improvements to Surrey Centre City and their move towards alternative fuel services. It's no wonder they are the #1 Real Estate Investment Community.

What You Should Know About Used Hybrid Batteries

Before a person purchases a hybrid vehicle, they typically show interest in the environmental advantages, monetary savings, and short-term benefits that hybrids are known for. A common question that consumers ask when shopping around for hybrid vehicles is, "Does it cost more money to maintain a hybrid vehicle than a conventional gas-powered car and what do I have to do to maintain a hybrid vehicle?" The answer is simply that regular maintenance is the same for all vehicles and is just as important. Normal, routine maintenance and minor repairs are no higher and no more complex than that of a regular car. In fact, some auto experts say that the routine maintenance of a hybrid vehicle is sometimes less than that of a gasoline-fueled car.

Many hybrids come with good, long-lasting warranties including their batteries. However, if something goes wrong with the car's hybrid system after the warranty has expired, you could then be shelling out quite a bit of money. Hybrid batteries are made to last the estimated lifetime of the vehicle (and some do) but as with anything, it doesn't happen in all cases. Battery could need to be repaired, conditioned, or even replaced in some instances. According to Eric Evarts, senior associate auto editor at Consumer Reports, "Most hybrids have been extremely reliable in our survey, and few have needed battery replacements. Even if you're one of the unlucky few, look at it this way: In the most popular hybrid design, from Toyota, there are virtually no wearable parts in the transmission. So if you have to spend $1,800 on a battery after 150,000 miles, you're still ahead of where you would have been in many less-reliable cars that are on their second or third transmission by then."

The true question relates to the higher up front cost of a hybrid and buyers still debate whether or not the higher gas mileage really does save money down the road. It depends on factors like how much you drive, how often you drive, how long you drive that particular vehicle, and the price of gas in your area. Many owners of hybrids who have seen reduced battery performance or warnings lights come on the vehicle's dashboard are looking into other alternatives rather than sending the used hybrid or its battery to the junkyard. As technology evolves and hybrids become a normal part of vehicle manufacturing, options have become more available and more affordable.

When your hybrid battery stops performing like new, one choice is to buy a new battery at a dealership which will come with a big price tag. Running you thousands of dollars can either give you sticker shock or be an investment you are willing to make. Either way, it is an option. However, there are some owners who were quoted several thousands of dollars for a brand new hybrid battery but learned that he was covered in full by the longer, 150,000-mile warranty that applies to owners in states that follow California emission laws. Another hybrid owner negotiated the price which dropped about $2000 when all was said and done. There may be a possibility to bargain in some circumstances. Again, another option.

Then comes the option of battery repair which should not be something an owner does on their own. More attention lately has been brought to the need for qualified individuals and auto repair shops to work on hybrid batteries due to the serious risk of shock or electrocution while working on hybrid vehicles. Hybrids use high voltage batteries and electric motors to get you the best fuel economy. The battery itself can pack quite the punch. For example, 144 volts on a Honda Insight or Civic, 201 volts on a second-generation (circa 2004) Toyota Prius which is said to be bumped up to 500 volts by the power inverter at the electric motors. Some experts claim that the risk of being electrocuted is exaggerated and that these vehicles are actually not any more dangerous to work on than conventional gas-powered cars. After all, gasoline is a highly flammable and explosive liquid, right? Well, some technicians are not trained to work with electric batteries like they are with gas-powered batteries and the unknown is what poses the most risk. You still need to be aware of the dangers of high voltage and to treat it with respect. Education is important and while battery repair is still an option, owners need to make sure that their auto repair shop can handle the complex hybrid systems and their potential dangers.

Hybrid battery conditioning is another option for hybrid owners who have batteries with reduced performance and who are looking at buying a used hybrid battery or breathing life back into their own used hybrid battery. Battery conditioning can be done as preventative maintenance or when needed. In a hybrid, it's not just one battery but an entire pack of battery modules. The battery pack in most hybrid cars provides at least some of the power needed to propel the vehicle forward and onward. There are also separate modules, and any problem in a battery pack is most likely due to one of those modules, not all of them. Therefore, a technician can locate which one of the modules is causing problems and replace that individual module, and recondition the battery by replacing only the faulty module making the battery perform poorly. After battery conditioning, the hybrid battery should show signs of improvements and better fuel economy, or can at least restore your hybrid battery of up to 95% of its original performance.

Hybrid drivers are unique and progressive in a way because they are highly motivated for different reasons (some which manufacturers are still trying to meet); oil dependency, possessing the latest technological trends, saving money in the long-term, the environment, etc... Whatever the reason, most drivers want to get the most out of their hybrid vehicle and their hybrid battery. We encourage you to consider your choice of auto technicians and your dealership. Be sure your service repair shop knows more than a thing or two about hybrids and their battery packs and can restore its performance and gas mileage when need be. Without a properly working battery pack, hybrid drivers won't be able to get the kind of fuel efficiency and low emissions that make hybrids a great choice in the first place.

The Economics of LPG Conversion

LPG conversion is not just some trend that groups of environmentally-minded individuals have been championing for years. This method of letting vehicles run on liquefied petroleum gas instead of petrol or diesel has proven to be a hit among other types of consumers.

In fact, various governments all over the world have offered subsidies to consumers who volunteer to have their cars converted from petrol to LPG. This comes as a small but welcome relief to a good number of vehicle owners who may find the cost of converting quite steep. Moreover, the cost of conversion should be seen as an investment, as a good number of benefits are in store for vehicle owners who do.

Obviously, the impact of using LPG is felt in the environment, as vehicles using LPG instead of petrol give very minimal exhausts and pollutants to the air. With the urgency of actions to save Mother Earth, the increasing use of LPG should signal a shift in more consumers wanting to adhere to alternative sources of fuel. More importantly, though the cost of converting a vehicle to using LPG from petrol may be high, the costs are recovered in the long run. This is because the cost of LPG per liter is noticeably more affordable compared to petrol.

The response from the public has been positive, and more and more garages have been offering to do the service at overly reduced costs. This should set an alarm for consumers who are practical and want to save on having their vehicle converted to LPG. They have to exercise caution, as overly affordable LPG conversion services may actually turn out to be scams by garage owners who want to earn easy money on a fast-rising trend.

With the actual costs of conversion set aside, the factor that attracts a lot of vehicle owners to turn to LPG is the savings in fuel costs in the long run that a good number of owners of LPG-run vehicles have attested to. Are the savings really noticeable or are they just minimal, only to be compensated by the good feeling of patronizing an environmentally-safe product?

On petrol, a typical car will average about 12 litres for every 100 kilometres. On gas, the figure will increase to close to 15 litres. But then, even though a vehicle would require more LPG to run, the costs multiplied per litre would still sum up to savings for LPG users in the long run. Moreover, the conversion would make more sense for vehicles with bigger engines, as they consumer more fuel. If a vehicle's annual mileage is 10,000, the cost of 5.5 litres per 100 km on petrol (equal to 550 litres) would still be higher than the 700 litres of LPG consumed in a year.

Chevrolet Volt 18 Month Review

I have officially eclipsed over 18 months of Chevrolet Volt ownership. This marks two important milestones for me. First, this is one of the longest spans of ownership for a car that wasn't perpetually broken down in the garage. Second, I have driven over 25,000 miles in that time frame. I chalk both of these milestones to the joy of buying very little gas and the thrill of driving the future.

Of course every new car has its pros and cons. Since this is my daily driver I have adapted to some of the little nuances that somebody new to the vehicle would surely pick up. Here is a brief review of my 2012 Chevrolet Volt.

STYLING:

The Volt will never win a beauty contest, but compared to the current electric offerings that aren't named Tesla, the Volt is a good-looking machine. The roofline is low and sleek thanks to a steeply sloped rear hatch which helps to offset the giant slabs of vertical metal posing as door. Seriously those doors look about one and a half times too tall due to their flatness. This verticalness also makes the 17" wheels look much too small for the rest of the vehicle. I think 18" or 19" wheels would look much better, but those would carry a weight penalty. The front of the Volt is appropriately aggressive and the LED daytime running lamps makes sure it fits in with today's most prolific styling trend. The rear of the Volt is a kammback design that sacrifices style for aerodynamic efficiency and is more Prius than Shelby Daytona.

INTERIOR:

Black plastic everywhere! The doors are made of hard textured plastic and so is the dash. Lest I forget the center console is also made of the stuff and almost every other piece of trim. Speaking of center consoles, the middle of the Volt is dominated with a large center tunnel that conceals the large battery living underneath the car. The tunnel results in a console that extends to the rear seats and makes this vehicle strictly a four person affair. While the plastics are mostly hard they seem to be put together well.

DRIVETRAIN:

Finally the part of the Volt that makes it unique from almost every other car available on the market today. Without going into too much technical detail, the Volt is a combination of an electric and gas-powered vehicle. A large 10.4 kWh battery powers electric motors to propel the vehicle. When the battery runs low a gasoline engine engages to assist in moving the vehicle. This system works seamlessly and in most instances it hard to notice when the Volt has transitioned from fully electric to gas assisted modes.

RIDE:

The Volt is by far the quietest and smoothest vehicle I have ever driven. When I press the accelerator in electric mode, there is near silence as the vehicle quickly gains speed. The first time I drove a Volt the lack of engine noise while accelerating seemed almost un-natural. Yet at the same time it was a calm and peaceful realization that moving quickly didn't necessarily require moving loudly. While cruising at highway speeds there is some wind noise, but is on par with most entry-level luxury vehicles.

CONCLUSION:

The Chevrolet Volt and cars of its type are the future. Let's face it, fuel economy standards will continue to rise as will the regulation of emissions. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing if it spurs more innovative and exciting vehicles and drivetrains. I don't think economical and fun are mutually exclusive ideas. The Volt is far from a sports car, yet it is entertaining in its own ways. The near silent driving experience, smooth acceleration and highly efficient drivetrain help to pave the way for interesting and exciting vehicles.

Hybrid Vehicles Going Green and Saving Money

What's A Hybrid All About

With the growing concern of global warming and how it will affect the future of our environment, the interest of going green and owning a Hybrid vehicles is bigger now then ever. Hybrid vehicles are vehicles with a combination of a small combustion motor used for acceleration and an electric motor for the purpose of cruising and maintaining speed.

The ideal behind the Hybrid vehicles is to cut the usage down on combustion motors which produce greenhouse gas emissions, the leading causes of global warming. Greenhouse gases come from fossil fuel that not only cars use for a source of energy, but also homes and businesses, essentially entire cites, states and countries.

How Do Hybrid Vehicles Help the Environment

With the wide spread use of Hybrid vehicles and their growing popularity, emissions are expected to be reduced by 450 million metric tons by the year 2050. Amazingly enough that is like the equivalent of having 82.5 million less cars on the road.

What to Expect When Driving Hybrid Vehicles

Switching from the conventional combustion car to Hybrid vehicles can be a big step for people. If you have spent your whole life driving a conventional combustion car there is a slight learning curve, but that learning curve could be well worth a driver's decision.

When thinking about buying one, someone might worry about the process of keeping a car battery charged. This at one time may have been a hassle for consumers, but for the most part new technology has not only brought about smaller and more efficient batteries, they have also brought a technology know as Regenerative Braking.

This breaking process is simply: the kinetic energy that the car produces during breaking is converted into electricity and then stored into the battery for use.

Do Your Research First

If you are someone who is thinking about making the conversion to Hybrid vehicles, than you will have to ponder some facts about your driving habits before you make a decision. Between Honda, Ford, GM, KIA and the many other companies that manufacture Hybrids, each of the companies' vehicles have their own set of pros and cons. For instance, some companies' Hybrids do better with gas millage stats for doing a lot of highway driving to where other Hybrids will see much better gas millage in city driving situations. It's highly recommended to take some time and do some research before you even go to a dealership and talk to a salesman.

Saving Money

Going green and helping out the environment is always a great thing, but right away the biggest perk a new Hybrid owner will notice is the money that they will save in gas mileage. Most Hybrids vehicles will only use about half of the gas that a conventional combustion motor uses and with gas prices the way they are today, as a Hybrid owner you could stand to save thousands of dollars at the end of the year.

Gas prices are just one way you will save money. Hybrid combustion motors are designed to run less and when a combustion motor runs less you won't need to do as much general maintenance on them such as tune-ups and oil changes. You will also find that the government likes to thank you for this type of contribution to the environment by giving Hybrid owners a tax refund for their responsible decision.

Maintenance of Hybrid Vehicles

Like with any vehicle there is some maintenance that needs to be done. Probably the biggest issue Hybrid owners will have is the changing of the battery. Most all dealerships that sell Hybrids vehicles will not only be able to change the battery for you, but they will also recycle the old one safely. This is important even if you don't have your battery changed at the dealership. If you do it yourself, you should still take your battery to the dealership to have them recycle the old ones for they have toxic like lead and nickel in them which would be bad for the environment. And since you are going green, I don't see why you would want to ruin your good deed, of owning a Hybrid, with a bad one by getting rid of a toxic battery improperly.

Atlanta Turns Over A New Leaf

Conventional wisdom says that when something sounds too good to be true, that is probably because it is.

The caveat, however, is that the catch may come at someone else's expense. At least, that is what many Atlanta drivers seem to be banking on as they flock to lease Nissan's electric car offering, the Leaf. The current math for many drivers is that a Leaf is practically free. So the question becomes: Who is paying for those cars and, perhaps more interestingly, why?

Several of my friends in Atlanta currently lease Leafs, and talking to them made it clear why. The math works like this: For a basic model Leaf at the standard 24-month, 12,000-mile per year lease, you would pay around $290 per month, a payment which includes sales tax. You won't have to pay for gas, and maintenance costs for two years are low, since electric cars don't use internal combustion engines or motor oil. Some drivers might find this enough of an attraction alone, but Georgia drivers have a leg up. The state offers a $5,000 nonrefundable income tax credit and, unlike the federal electric tax credit that applies only to purchases, Georgia's credit is good for leases too.

With the lowered cost of fuel and maintenance, and depending on your insurance, you could get down to a rough cost of $1 per day for the Leaf.

With a car that is practically free to lease for many drivers, it isn't surprising that sales of electric vehicles have soared in Georgia. The Atlanta metro area has become the top market for Nissan's Leaf, with Nissan reporting that more than one-third of the car's national sales took place there in December.

In addition to the tax credit, many Nissan dealers extend a customer referral bonus to Leaf drivers who send more customers their way. And with no sunset date set for the state income tax credit, the trend will likely continue for a while. Georgia Power has sweetened the deal by offering a special rate for electric vehicle drivers.

Leasing also lets drivers avoid doubling down on a technology that remains a small sliver of the automotive industry; drivers aren't stuck with electric cars if power stations vanish or maintenance turns out to be very expensive down the road. Eric Evarts, a senior associate autos editor at Consumer Reports, said, "electric cars are the one thing where we would unequivocally recommend people lease." (1) Leasing spares you the risk of disappointment over the life of an electric car's battery or the car's repair costs.

Yet while it is obvious from the driver's point of view why this deal is appealing, it is less apparent why Georgia lawmakers are so eager to encourage state residents to invest in electric cars. Beyond the tax credit, Georgia has participated in a $230 million program, the EV Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and private partners. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last year on the push to install more charging stations in Atlanta. Last fall, the city unveiled two recharging stations in the state Capitol's parking garage.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle told officials and reporters that he was "more of a pickup truck kind of guy," but that he has enjoyed his Nissan Leaf. (2)

Georgia's motivation is likely not cut-and-dried, but a large part of it may very well be economic benefits. A 2013 study from Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Kansas suggested that economic development motivations, such as a job creation, mainly drove the promotion of electric cars. Additionally, programs like the EV Project pump federal dollars in to support photogenic initiatives like the charging stations at the Capitol, allowing local politicians to reap the benefits at the polls. Opponents, though, have been quick to point out that federal money could be used for other projects, and that it's little wonder specific automakers have supported a program to push their vehicles.

Nissan and other automakers face pressure in about a dozen states to increase the proportion of their sales of zero-emission vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reported. Even if they keep dropping the price of cars like the Leaf, automakers can also increase their overall earnings through sales of traditional vehicles if they can get more electric cars on the road. This also helps explain programs like ePass - Fiat's offer to electric car drivers of 12 days of free access annually to a gasoline-powered car rental. The program is designed to offset the range limitations of electric cars. BMW offers a similar program.

Georgia's actions, as well as those of other states and the federal government, effectively warp consumer behavior compared to the way in which car buyers would presumably act in an unbiased economic environment. It is unclear, however, that the state can support such incentives indefinitely.

Things to Know on Hybrid Car Maintenance

Hybrid car engines work on two or more fuel sources. One is combustion based and another one is electric based. The combustion based one might involve gasoline or diesel. However, mostly these vehicles depend on electric power source to get the good mileage with low cost fuel. In case of electric cars, the maintenance is very little. However, in hybrid cars, the engine is a combination of electric and the regular fuels, so it requires more than what an electric engine does. Here are a few things you need to know on hybrid car maintenance.

Tire inflation and tread maintenance: Tires are important part of your car and it is easy to maintain them. Regardless of the type of car, the impact of tires will be almost same. The main aspects that are to be taken care of are checking for wear and tread.

Proper maintenance of tires will give more mileage in the hybrid cars than even normal cars. In addition, it will give a good driving feel.

Change the tread when it is below the warning line. Otherwise, the car can skid and it is dangerous to drive in icy, hilly and wet places.

Battery checking and maintenance: Batteries are very important for hybrid as well as electric cars. Check the batteries at least once a month. Clean if there is any corrosion on terminals. Check and tighten the connections, fill the water in the battery if it is low. Also, check for any damages or cracks on the battery and replace if you find anything.

Suspension: There is no need of any regular maintenance for suspension. It is one of the common maintenance points for your car. Rarely, the shocks or struts eventually need to be replaced.

Check with your brake apparels every twenty thousand miles. If you feel any change in the condition check with the professional or with your mechanic.

The brushes have to be replaced when your car has covered about eighty thousand miles. Check it when you are about to reach this mileage.

Hybrid vehicles also use radiators. Keep an eye on the coolant levels and refill if needed. The radiator rusts and accumulates debris, which prevents it from performing well. Therefore, it needs to be flushed or cleaned periodically.

Fluids prevent fast wear and tear of the car parts and enable to run smoothly by lubricating them. So check with fluids of your car.

Make sure to check fuel filters regularly. If needed, replace them. Doing so helps prevent blockages to the engine.

Most hybrid car manufacturers provide up to eight years warranty. Therefore, whenever problems occur, they are covered under the warranty. However, proper maintenance will lead to a longer life of your car.

How Volkswagen Is Achieving Its Environment Goals Through "Think Blue" Philosophy

Volkswagen is on a mission to be the largest automaker in the world while maintaining a commitment to being environmentally and socially conscientious. Since 1995, when the carmaker set down a series of principles it wanted to achieve, VW has worked diligently to reach those goals. In brief, VW as a company pledged to:

keep its impact on the environment as small as possible

offer high-quality cars that are environmentally compatible, efficient, safe and comfortable

research and develop ecologically efficient products, processes, and concepts for individual mobility

continuously improve their policies, cars, and production sites to be more environmentally friendly

follow its stated environmental policy

maintain a dialogue with customers, dealers, political authorities, and the public

train its employees in environmental practices

VW Think Blue Commitment To Ecology In Action

In a field that depends on significant amounts of energy to make a product that depends on a continuous supply of energy to run, VW is a recognized leader for its eco-friendly efforts.

Here are some examples of how the company continuously breathes life into its written policies:

In 2006, JD Powers listed the Volkswagen Golf, Jetta, and New Beetle on its list of environmentally friendly cars based on fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. Since that time, Volkswagen has committed itself to offering "BlueMotion" vehicles with high fuel economy and low emissions that are the most economical models in their class. VW vehicles that offer the Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) in diesel models, the Golf, Jetta, and Polo, represent BlueMotion in action. VW's TSI technology for gasoline engines aims to maximize power from a smaller displacement while limiting fuel consumption.

Once criticized in Europe for the levels of CO2 emissions its cars released, Volkswagen did an Ecological Restructuring in 2012 that commits the company to reducing the exhaust output and fuel consumption of its entire European new car fleet to 95 g/km by 2020. The company announced large planned investments to help it achieve these goals, along with their goal to improve environmental sustainability in each of its worldwide facilities by 25%.

Think Blue, Factory

With the announcement of its "Think Blue" slogan in 2012, VW committed itself to building cars 25% more environmentally compatible by 2018 in factories that follow green manufacturing practices. For employees, "Think Blue, Factory" is an opportunity to get involved as the company plans to honor workers who come up with ideas to cut energy use on the job.

VW's production facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee was honored by the EPA with a 2013 Green Power Leadership Award for its use of renewable energy in the plant. As EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy notes, "By investing in on-site green power, Volkswagen Chattanooga is generating cleaner electricity and reducing harmful carbon pollution, and providing a clear example of an organization thriving on innovation and sustainability."

Think Blue Future

The company is always testing the next best environmentally friendly thing. Currently, it is producing a small number of the VW XL1, a hybrid powered by an 800cc diesel engine, electric motor, and battery pack that will offer 313 miles per gallon. At nearly $150,000, the vehicle is not intended for mass production, but it does show how a commitment to green vehicles might play out. The company is also working on its CrossBlue 7-seat SUV to introduce sound ecology to the large car market.

How Do Ethanol Car Engines Work

As a result of the increasing price of gasoline, people are constantly searching for answers when it comes to saving money on fuel and increasing their gas mileage. Ethanol-powered vehicles are currently a popular and practical solution to the increasing fuel costs in today's society. To properly understand how ethanol car engines work, it is important to learn about ethanol fuel, its valuable properties, and where it comes from.

Ethanol Fuel

Ethanol fuel is a biofuel because it is mainly extracted from plants such as corn, potatoes, hemp, barley, grain, sugar cane, and more. Bioethanol is actually ethanol; the same kind of alcohol found in liquor, beer, and wine. It's most commonly used as a biofuel additive to motor fuel. In fact, the majority of vehicles on the road today operate on blends of ethanol and gasoline. In most cases, 25% of common fuel is ethanol, while the other 75% is gasoline. This is the likely blend a person will get at their local gas station when they fill up their tanks. In 1976, Brazil made it legally mandatory to blend the two fuels together. When blended, they are referred to as flex-fuels.

Ethanol Cars

Vehicles that retain an internal combustion engine that is specifically designed to operate on more than one kind of fuel are referred to as dual-fuel vehicles. Informally, these vehicles are referred to as flexible-fuel vehicles or FFV. This simply means these cars or trucks have the capability to operate on alternative fuels other than gasoline; or they run off of a combined fuel such as the modern-day blended gasoline mentioned before.

Dual-fuel vehicles operate very similar to standard automobiles that use gasoline. Ethanol is injected into engines just the same as gasoline is injected into standard non-hybrid vehicles. Even though bioethanol delivers slightly less gas mileage, its eco-friendly benefits make it a viable option for drivers. For example, when ethyl fuel is burned, it produces less harmful emissions and air pollution than standard gasoline. This advantage alone makes it worthwhile. Also, ethanol generally costs less than standard fuel or gasoline; making hybrid vehicles a cheaper option in comparison to standard automobiles on the market today. The similarities between the two engines makes ethanol cars cheaper than most hybrid vehicles as well.

Bioethanol is a form of quasi-renewable energy that's predicted to change the world of motor vehicles as we know it. It is an excellent alternative to standard gasoline and can provide a wide range of amenities that benefit not only us, but the environment as well.

Driver-Less Cars Are They the Future

Even though we are now well into the computer age, people still find it hard to comprehend that autonomous driver-less cars that resemble 'Kit' in Knightrider or the Batmobile in Batman, with their futuristic ability to maneuver themselves, are a part of our new reality. Yet for almost a decade Google, the internet search giant, has been busy bringing this very concept onto American roads. Google driver-less cars have now completed 750,000 miles on the road without the occurrence of any major incident and the company announces with confidence, that driver-less car technology, at least as far as cars on the highway are concerned, is a reality. They are confident that their cars can handle just about any scenario that crops up on the highway. Driver-less car technology has become hot news, every major car company is involved in research in this area. Now Google are trying out their driver-less car technology in towns and cities, admittedly with a little less success than they have had on the highway.

The solution that occurs to most people when driver-less cars are mentioned is that it must be some kind of v2n solution where vehicles are directly communicating with the net through fixed nodal points all over the city, that can track every car, and keep the traffic going by diverting and directing traffic so that everything runs smoothly. This kind of system would be a natural precursor to a driver-less car system. Yet Google has taken the diametrically opposite path by relying almost completely on sensors within the car that interact and respond to the outside world, these sensors together with intensive mapping applications and GPS (although at present GPS is only good to 10 metres or so) are used in a combined operation to guide the vehicle. This is probably because a network connected driver-less car solution would involve numerous repeaters and boosters and would be prohibitively costly in terms of power consumption, infrastructure and bandwidth usage. Google should know! Yet the technology that Google uses does not come cheap either, coming in at something like $100,000 give or take a few thousand dollars, this does not make it a choice for the man on the street. Apart from this, the emphasis placed on input from sensors to maneuver the vehicle, also makes the technology hugely complicated. The prospects for seeing driver-less cars on city and town streets in the near future do not look too bright right now although they will probably soon be a common sight on the highway.

Now an Indian company, Trigon, claims to have invented a new driver-less car technology that will cost a fraction of the Google driver-less Car System and will work almost flawlessly in virtually any conditions. Any successful driver-less car technology will require split second timing and excellent co-ordination and response times in order to be able to self maneuver under normal traffic conditions. Rather than trying to solve the problem through loading up with a huge number of sensors as in the Google, Mercedes and Toyota driver-less car systems. The driver-less car solution designed by Trigon uses LIDAR mapping through diffuse laser screening of the surroundings, and a minimum number of small cameras. Detailed information gained about the route in this manner is stored in the cars computers. This means that a car would first have to be driven over a given route before it is able to drive that route on its own. It should be mentioned here that the efficiency and accuracy of 3D LIDAR mapping has kept pace with computers as they have improved in performance. It is therefore now possible to achieve 3D mapping in what amounts to real time. However, the company soon came to the conclusion that using only cameras and LIDAR output would be time consuming, inaccurate and lack consistency; some other solution would have to be found. This is where Trigon has made a breakthrough. The reasoning behind the new Trigon driver-less technology is simple; all cars have brake lights, all cars have indicators, insurance, number plates and so on. Why not accept the fact that driver-less car technology is here, why deny the existence of the technology?

Basically what this means is that since the technology does exist and has been proven to exist, why not adjust infrastructure to accept this fact. What Trigon is suggesting is that all vehicles such as cars, buses, bikes etc., irrespective of whether they are equipped with driver-less car technology or not, be compulsorily equipped with the latest RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Tag) tags that are capable of relaying real time information. These tags will function vehicle to vehicle and not in vehicle to network mode and therefore will not impact on communications or take up unreasonable amounts of bandwidth. In fact precisely these kinds of RFID tags are being used to transport nuclear materials. These advanced RFID tags can monitor temperature, pressure, humidity and the state of the sealing on nuclear packaging and can be read from a hundred metres away without line of sight. The RFID tags that Trigon will be using give the dimensions, weight, orientation and speed of the vehicle, no other information will be given thus preserving privacy. The RFID tags can be read from 100 metres away (more if needed) without line of sight and run off the car battery supply using negligible amounts (a few millwatts) of current. What this means is that any car equipped with Trigon driver-less car technology would have a 3D picture of the traffic immediately around it in real time, giving the dimensions, speed, weight and line of approach of these vehicles. These RFID tags would cost less than $20 to install and if they are installed in all cars would make driver-less technology a cake walk. It would be easier and less complicated than the systems used by the Post Office to sort through letters based on zip codes or even the baggage handling machinery at airports. This is because instead of sensors collecting information and analyzing it, all relevant information to maneuver the vehicle would come to the vehicle itself, it is then a simple question of using software based on old fashioned Newtonian laws of motion to maneuver in the correct direction at the appropriate speed. The technology allows for up to 2000 RFID tags to be read simultaneously, which is overkill because cars on the road will interact at the very most with eight other vehicles in their immediate vicinity at any given time. Further, because of the limited amount of information being conveyed, the problem of clogging up bandwidth does not arise it is a non sequitur. What this means in effect is that using this system a jump start in getting driver-less car technology on the roads is possible. Cars can opt to install the technology or not, but whichever cars do opt for the system will have a system that works.

This is not a new precedent, for instance when motor cars were still a novelty, it was found that the available roads were too difficult for them to maneuver on, this resulted in people campaigning for the 'Good Roads Movement' with the result that the U.S. Government started allocating funds to build motor-able roads, the rest is history. Cell phones had a similar experience, it was the putting up of numerous towers and repeaters that made cell phones and anywhere in the world communication, a success. Today cell phones are as ubiquitous as clothing.

The advantages of implementing such a driver-less car system are numerous, starting off with safety, economy, savings in time and practically maintenance free driving. This is because the cars use Newtonian laws of motion, where it is necessary to know the loaded weight of the car at any given stage in order to calculate the appropriate speed at which to travel, thus the system has a fair idea of what the 'normal' response of the car should be, any deviation from this standard performance would be noted, analysed,reported and hopefully rectified. Another huge advantage of the system is the tremendous savings made in fuel due to the efficient stopping starting and running of the cars. Traffic jams would be a thing of the past and as a result large amounts of fuel would be saved. The preferred platform of the driver-less car system are hybrids like the Toyota Prius or even all electric cars like the Tesla.

It is time for the U.S.A to once again lead the world and set the pace in path breaking technologies, driver-less car technology might be one such technology that can be gainfully implemented.

How to Recondition Batteries So They Can Be Re-Used

First a word of caution. Batteries are filled with different type of chemicals. So, before you embark on reconditioning them learn to handle them with care. Modern batteries are much more environment friendly than they were a few decades ago, still they contain several dangerous and corrosive elements. If you hurt yourself or spill the mix on your skin, seek medical help immediately. Wear protective goggles, eyewear and clothing when handling this stuff.

Our homes are littered with devices and gadgets that run on batteries. Take a look inside your mobile phone or laptop or tablet or camera. They all have a battery pack that needs to be charged periodically to keep the devices running. Over time the batteries get weaker and run out. People mistakenly think that their chargers are to blame and buy replacement chargers. The problem is most likely with the old batteries. Due to repeated use their capacity to recharge goes down and eventually they are hardly able to hold charge. This makes it very inconvenient as mobile phones and tablets needs frequent charging to work.

Batteries make life so much more easy. You don't have to bother with annoying cables or messy wiring. Once charged phones and cameras can run for hours without need for recharge. With batteries in place power tools no longer need to be manipulated around long power cables. Batteries make many devices portable. There is no need for you to be hooked to a wire or nearest power outlet. You have the freedom to use gadgets anywhere you want.

Over time the battery life goes down. Reconditioning rundown batteries can make them work longer. They develop a memory effect. Reconditioning helps remove this effect. To do this you need to know the charge capacity of the battery. Once this is accurately determined it is easy to know to what extent improvement are needed. Without having accurate measurement of charge capacity you won't have an idea how much improvement to make.

When you make an effort to recondition batteries and reuse them you are making positive contribution to the environment because batteries happen to one of the most polluting things on earth as they contain so many toxic and dangerous chemicals in them. Also, you will save money by reconditioning old batteries. Take for instance car and scooter batteries, batteries used in solar power generating units and for power backup. All these batteries cost a tidy sum. If batteries are reconditioned and reused you don't have to pay for new replacements.

Green Energy Water Powered Cars

For more than a century we have relied on oil to fuel our cars. The world's oil supply is getting close to drying up. Because oil is a non-renewable resource, once it is gone there will be no more for hundreds of thousands of years. Our resources will not run dry today, or tomorrow, or even next year. However, the day will come when we run out of fuel for our vehicles. Then what? Why are we waiting for this day to come without looking into green energy sources to power our cars?

Did you know that water can be used to power cars? It's true. The German BMW auto makers have already produced the world's first hydrogen powered car. However, they only produced 100 of them. Can you imagine if they build more and these cars were on the road?

This initial model car is called the BMW Hydrogen 7, and uses the body of the 760i model. When you pop the hood on this car you will immediately notice it is different than a gas powered car. Under this hood are a gas and a hydrogen system.

The hydrogen power allows the car to travel 4.7 miles on a gallon of water. In the future these figures will more than double. For now, we still need duel engine cars because we refuse to completely give up our gas powered vehicles.

The greatest challenge in using water as a green energy source is in the engine. Hydrogen combustion engines are still in their infancy. The technology for such engines is less than 10 years old and still growing. Who knows where the future will take us.

In order to prevent evaporation, large 30-gallon, bi-layered and highly insulated tanks have to be installed in the vehicle. There is a danger of the water evaporating into compressed gas without these safety devices. Another safety mechanism is in the valves that open if the pressure in the tank exceeds 5 bars.

Due to the success of the BMW H7, the German company has come out with a new car that they call the H2R. Although water powered, we cannot take our garden hose and fill it up: these vehicles actually use liquid nitrogen as their fuel. Tests on this new car show that it can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles an hour in under 6 seconds. With a top cruising speed of 185.5 mph, this vehicle can achieve 285 hp. This is a remarkable vehicle that shows promise for the future.

The advantage to water over gas or diesel is demonstrated in the lack of harmful gases released into our atmosphere from water powered cars. Water also weighs less than hydrocarbon fuels and burns faster than regular gasoline.

Hopefully, water powered cars will be available to the public within the next 10 to 20 years. When more automakers decide they want to build green energy vehicles then we will see a dramatic change in what we drive today. Until then, we drive what is out there.

Right now, our best green energy option is electric powered cars. Since 1999 more and more people are opting to drive these cleaner running vehicles. Not a bad idea when the cost of gas reaches an all-time high per barrel.

Biodiesel Fuel Part of Our Future

With our depleting oil resources becoming more of a reality due to our heavy consumption of fuel in our vehicles and the growing number of vehicles in the world, we are searching for other methods of refuelling our cars. There are different energy sources that are being researched such as the use of electricity to replace fuel in our cars and biodiesel which is made of used sunflower oil.

What does the future hold for us? We use our fuel resources so often that the planet cannot keep up with our increasing demand. Electricity is good fuel resource but it is also one that is depleting so much that we have to find other methods of generating electricity. Electricity generating methods include that of hydro energy and solar power. Both are great natural resources that are constantly available. Biodiesel is the other fuel resource that is already being used in certain vehicles as an alternative to diesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel is produced after much used sunflower oil is collected from various restaurants, cafés and households. The sunflower oil is then put through a process of conversion in order to make it suitable as a fuel source for our diesel vehicles. Such vehicles don't have to convert their engines to use biodiesel. They simply replace the standard diesel with the new biodiesel when refilling their fuel tanks and drive on as usual. This makes it much easier for the vehicle owner to convert to biodiesel as their daily activities are not affected and there are no additional costs of converting the vehicle. All you have to do is find a supplier nearby that you could purchase bulk biodiesel from and you can continue on your merry way. You can find a supplier by searching online for one that is within your area. The cost of this type of fuel is also much lower than the standard diesel because it is usually produced within your country so there are no extra import costs associated with the fuel. Thus the suppliers can keep the costs low and very competitive versus conventional diesel.

There is a future for biodiesel fuel and it will become part of our lives as we replace it with the new fuel. This is already happening today as there are biodiesel fuel suppliers that convert the sunflower oil and have a ready-to-use product on the market. There are certain companies that are already running their fleet of trucks on biodiesel. So the answer is yes, biodiesel is a part of our future. It is part of our present.

Top Tips for Fuel Efficient Driving

Today, people need more fuel efficient vehicles. The automobile industry is booming, petrol prices are steadily hiking, and global warming is taking a turn for the worst- as a consumer with multiple choices and responsibilities to keep in mind while driving, here are our top tips for fuel efficient driving.

· The way you drive can make the biggest difference to how much fuel you save or waste. Remember, its a car, not a battering ram, so don't hit the brakes on your vehicle with force. Stopping and starting time and again eat away at your fuel in an enormous capacity. Aim for smooth and steady drives.

· If your vehicle uses a manual gearbox, try to shift into the highest gear as early as possible for maximal fuel efficiency. Driving in a lower gear than necessary consumes fuel more quickly, as a rule. Power options tend to ease the car into lower gears, so evade them as far as possible.

· Your money's turning into thin air! Avoid fuel evaporation by screwing the gas cap onto your car very securely after filling the tank and by parking in the shade to prevent overheating- this also reduces the necessity for air conditioning. If winters are frosty where you live, you can use a block heater when temperatures fall below -20 degrees Celsius, to keep your engine oil and coolant heated.

· Don't let your car idle. Yes, the traffic light will go green at any moment, but a significant portion of fuel will burn away while you wait for it. Turn off your ignition if you're waiting outside someone's home, or in front of the supermarket.

· Avoid speeding at all costs- not only might you have a nasty run in with the law, but upwards of 75-90 miles/h, your car may use up to 25% more fuel than if you stick to the speed limit or stay below 65 miles/h.

· Your tires are big contributors to the way your car treats fuel. Tires inflated to the correct pressure level and low-resistance tires (eco-friendly tires are built to reduce rolling resistance) provide a quantifiable advantage in fuel efficiency. For every increment of underinflation equal to 5% of the ideal pressure in a car's tires, there is a 1% reduction in the vehicle's fuel efficiency.

· Try to avoid channelling power and thus fuel to components you aren't using, or don't necessarily require. For example, a mini fridge, television console, boombox, or even the air conditioning.

· Get your car in the workshop for servicing at the recommended times. If your air filters are unclean, if your engine oil has been unchanged for over 5000 miles, or if your engine is poorly tuned, your fuel economy could be in trouble.

· Make sure you haven't rendered your car un-aerodynamic with any unwieldy accessories on the outside. These create drag that slows your car down and causes depletion in fuel efficiency. Drag is also created by leaving windows open when driving at high speeds and weighing your car down by filling up the trunk with unnecessary junk. Toss it

· The most obvious way to economize on fuel would be to drive less. Learn to navigate in a way, that saves time and distance travelled, and try to anticipate traffic jams and road blockages- for example, in the cases of heavy rains or festivals.

The Link Between Used Sunflower Oil and Biodiesel

Biodiesel is still a relatively new concept to most people. Although research on this subject has been going on for quite a number of years, not much has been promoted to the general public as to how it is made and how it works. Generally, it is accepted that biodiesel is a natural form of fuel, but what is it that makes it a natural fuel source?

There is a direct link between oil made from sunflower seeds and biodiesel. Bottled sunflower oil is used daily in the food industry and in most households. What many people don't realise is that restaurants and cafes use many litres of sunflower oil daily and due to legal restrictions in health and safety, they have to dispose of all used oil in a responsible manner. The oil cannot just be dunked down the drain as this will cause the drain to get clogged. And it is not advised to dispose of it over plants as this could poison the plants and the soil which can make it a harmful environment for people and pets. Restaurants and cafes must make use of a reputable used oil collector who will collect all the used oil from their premises and dispose of it in a proper and ethical manner. In terms of disposal methods, this was mostly the case in the past where oil collectors had to find natural, healthy and safe ways to dispose of the used oil. Nowadays, the collectors will collect the oil and deliver it to fuel companies that are able to convert the used sunflower oil into biodiesel.

Biodiesel manufacturers use complex purifying and conversion processes that takes ordinary used oil and converts it into a natural form of fuel. This type of natural fuel can be used in trucks and cars, or any vehicle that runs on diesel fuel. You can simply substitute your current diesel fuel with biodiesel. With biodiesel being manufactured locally, it costs a lot less for consumers to purchase it so they will save much on their monthly fuel bill.

In conclusion, this is the link between used sunflower oil and biodiesel. Biodiesel is made from used sunflower oil. Using a strict conversion process, the oil is converted into a natural form of fuel that can power any diesel engine. In addition, you are also ensuring that oil is responsibly disposed of and recycled. Therefore, you are saving money on your fuel bill but also saving the planet by making use of recycled materials.

Our core focus at Golden Fry is to provide specially customized cooking products and services to Restaurants, Take-Aways, Food Manufacturers, Caterers, Wholesalers, Supermarkets and Spaza Shops. We are an approved used oil collector that supplies Biodiesel to businesses.

I Think Electric Cars Are Amazing, But Are They Really Practical

I totally love the idea of electric cars but still not sure the practicality of buying one just yet. The main reason for me to consider purchasing an electric car would be the ridiculous fuel costs involved presently in operating a combustion engine automobile. Besides the fact I cringe every time at the pump seeing how much the government is helping themselves per litre in taxes. We would also not want anyone to think I am not a good global citizen, obviously electric cars are much better for the environment.

The one thing I take pride in is being practical looking at both sides before committing myself going full steam. The car company that for me that seems to be taking the lead in this new electric engine innovation is Tesla, it looks like a comfortable stylish vehicle, from what I hear can go on a single charge in the range of 423 kilometers, and the technology is quite advanced. All great traits most of us look for in automobile, but the price sticker is somewhere in the range of $80,000 dollars, factoring in a car like some Volkswagens with clean diesel that can go over a 1000 kilometres on a single tank and costs thousands less, makes me wonder from an expense perspective if a car like Tesla would justify the difference between gas costs and purchase pricing over a five- year plan?

I heard on the news there are a few cities that Tesla has charge stations in which takes an hour to accomplish, and much longer plugging it in somewhere else. The reality is when I travel the less stops the better for me, so I'm taking even a long trip without a supercharge Tesla station. It would be without a doubt many hours longer to arrive at my final destination. Not being an engineer I do have an idea how to maybe solve the long stop situation for electric cars. In a combustion engine the alternator charges the battery, how about having two sets of batteries maybe smaller but with a setup like an alternator that charges the other at the same time. Just an idea have no clue on how to accomplish this always go electric system. That would be a terrific feature probably enticing many more buyers.

My next consideration would be how expensive regular maintenance would be, and after a period of time the costs of any major problems that could arise? This being new technology if I happen to have a breakdown in a small city through my travels would the average mechanic be able to repair the car? Even though we all know most cars are worst investment we make regarding return, what would I expect to receive in resale, and at this point how many dealers would want it as trade in?

I still believe that this is the car of the future, but being in the early stages of development the cost for the average person is much too high, there are not enough places to recharge as of yet, and we do not know all the possible problems that can occur, perhaps for me waiting awhile would be my best bet. However for someone who can afford to pay the sticker price, maybe has other cars for longer trips this could very well be the perfect automobile for them.

How a Turbo Wastegate Works

The Basics of How a Turbo Wastegate Works

If you want to understand which boost controller might be right for you, a basic understanding of the turbo system is in order. The turbo is essentially a supercharger, driven by exhaust gas. The function of any supercharger is to force more air into the system than the engine could draw in from its own pumping action. The atmosphere itself, won't create power. Instead, it enables more fuel to get burned. So, although many of us center on "the boost", boost alone will not be enough. The truth is, in the example of the gasoline engine, boost alone causes a lean condition and destruction for the engine. Much more about that in a future article.

We've mentioned your turbo is actually an exhaust driven supercharger. The supercharger is simply a sort of air compressor, that is driven by belt, exhaust, motor unit, etc. There are several sorts of compressors employed in supercharger systems, although with turbos, you will be essentially working with a compressor wheel. This wheel uses an inducer and exducer combination, to bring in air at atmospheric pressure and cram it into the engine. There's considerably more to that, but this is a "basics" article, so that's all we must have for the moment.

Linked to the compressor wheel (literally, connected by the shaft), is the exhaust turbine. That's where the "turbo" nickname derives from. Hot exhaust from the engine is directed over the turbine, making it spin. This in turn, makes the whole compressor side cram more air into your engine, creating "boost" pressure. This lets the engine to:

1) Burn more fuel

2) Make more power

3) Make more exhaust to drive the turbine

If left unchecked, the cycle repeats 1,2,3 1,2,3 1,2,3 until BOOM! Your engine self-destructs. Not the most effective arrangement, so we want a solution to keep your power from climbing, unchecked. Enter the wastegate. The wastegate is actually a valve (literally, a "gate") that permits a lot of the exhaust gas (waste) to bypass the turbine. Now we can add a fourth step:

4) The wastegate opens, allowing the turbine to slow, and the boost pressure (and by extension, the power) to fall. The cycle then repeats.Linked to the wastegate itself, is a wastegate actuator. This is just a spring loaded diaphragm that holds the wastegate closed, until some boost pressure is reached. As soon as the boost pressure is sufficient overcome the spring pressure, the wastegate is opened and the boost pressure falls. The cycle will repeat, if there's sufficient exhaust pressure and boost (I.e., when you keep your foot in it).

This basic device is enough for the turbo unit to work. The boost pressure will be set to what the wastegate actuator spring supports. Nonetheless, we desire more boost. So, we've got to discover a method to make the boost pressure adjustable. Say hello to the boost controller. Most factory OEM turbo systems add an electronic boost control system to the equation. These systems are generally not user-adjustable, nonetheless they work exactly the same as aftermarket systems. In my next article, I'll explain how the best electronic and manual boost controllers (MBC) work.

How to Become a Multi Millionaire

I'll bet most of you reading this article wish that you had bought Microsoft or Apple stock when they were fledgling companies. A lot of those that did, became very wealthy. The question now is -- what is today's fledgling company that will become the next Microsoft or Apple? Consider this -- when looking back at how Microsoft and Apple were formed they had one thing in common -- they were formed by visionaries (Bill Gates and Steve Jobs).

As you know, I believe that the next revolutionary company will play a major role in the hydrogen fuel revolution, and what I'm looking for is visionaries that can and will make it happen. If you want to become a multi millionaire, pick the right company and invest in it. In the following discussion I'll try to give you some guidance.

If you had bought TESLA stock last year at 17 dollars per share, it would now be worth about 270 dollars per share (almost a 16 fold increase). On the other hand if you had bought PLUG (a hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen generation company) stock last year for 15 cents per share it would now be worth 5.20 dollars per share (almost a 35 fold increase).

Although the plug in electric cars, being built by TESLA, appear to be betting against the hydrogen fueled cars, it's too early to make this assumption. From my vantage point, the Tesla company must have a visionary leader. When compared to the Nissan Leaf plug in car, they've managed to extend the vehicle's range from about 70 miles to about 265 miles, and reduced the fast recharging time from about two hours to about 25 minutes for an over the road half charge. However, the Tesla car is still quite expensive -- $986 per month lease price for the least expensive Model S. Oh -- I almost forgot, since the lithium ion battery is very expensive and might only last half of the car's life, the purchase price includes a 125 thousand mile battery guarantee.

OK -- so why am I saying that it's too early to assume that Tesla Motors is betting against hydrogen. Well logic would say that when hydrogen fuel cell prices come down as a result of mass production -- which they will -- they can be used in the Tesla car as a range extender and for over the road fast (2-3 minute) refueling. Moreover, with mass production, the lithium ion battery will also be significantly reduced in price. My guess is that Tesla will end up using the longer life nickel metal hydride batteries in conjunction with hydrogen fuel cells.

In line with what I'm saying about visionaries, the leader in charge of PLUG has made lemonade out of what appears to be lemons. He has made the currently very expensive hydrogen fuel cell into an economic reality. With companies like Wal-Mart and Fed Ex converting their power lift trucks from lead acid batteries, the hydrogen fuel cell has found a home. With tens of thousands of battery conversions currently underway, the mass production volume is also underway.

Although I've already mentioned the Honda FXC in previous articles, the leader in this effort will probably be Toyota. In 2015, Toyota will introduce their version at a sales price of less than $70,000 -- comparable to the Tesla cars. To bring costs down, Toyota has improved the efficiency and cost of their fuel cells, and because fuels cells are most efficient when operating at a constant output, they can charge batteries when power demand is reduced. Much of Toyota's technology will build upon their very successful Prius hybrid -- which uses low cost and long life nickel metal hydride batteries. With the Prius currently selling for about $25,000, and getting about 40 miles per gallon of premium gasoline fuel, their hydrogen fuel cell car will get 60 miles -- or more -- per equivalent gasoline gallon of hydrogen. Since the Prius's internal combustion engine will be replaced by fuel cells, it's just a matter of time before their car's selling price matches the Prius. Here again it's mass production of the fuel cell and the high pressure hydrogen fuel tank that will make it happen.

My thinking is that Toyota's and Honda's FCl cars will quickly gain prominence in Japan, because Japan is totally dependent upon imported oil. With government support, FC volumes will most likely increase significantly. In fact, I believe that Japan will accelerate the hydrogen FC vehicle revolution. In fact it appears that Toyota is providing a significant amount of funding for a Japanese hydrogen highway. Although Japan will still need to import liquefied natural gas, the ultimate plan will be to make hydrogen from water using the sulfur/iodine thermo-chemical process and a fusion nuclear and/or parabolic solar heat source.

One other thing that you should know before you begin investing --- and hopefully making a lot of money. The all electric plug in car is not as efficient as some people claim. Generally speaking -- batteries are 90 percent efficient, fuel cells are 60 percent efficient, and the internal combustion engines are about 30 percent efficient. When batteries are charged by electricity from a natural gas fueled power plant, the power plant efficiency is at best 50 percent. Therefore, the 90 percent efficient battery is really only about 40 to 45 percent efficient when it's fuel source is natural gas. Conversely, the natural gas to hydrogen to fuel cell efficiency is significantly better.

Best Mileage SUV

Advancements in technology has allowed auto makers to design SUVs that utilize less fuel than their predecessors. Better gas mileage has brought hope to many people as they will be able to afford and drive an SUV especially in today's economic crisis.

Below are reviews of two of the best mileage SUV models available, the 2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the 2014 Lexus RX 450h.

2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Among SUVs with the best gas mileage, the Toyota Highlander has a 3.5 liter V6 engine and a hybrid synergy drive system with electronic motor which is capable of delivering 280 horsepower. It is one of the best SUVs on gas with a mileage rating of 27/28 city/highway. It has a hybrid power meter which helps to show the user when the system is fully charged. It has two modes namely eco mode where the best hybrid vehicles modify throttle response to help with fuel efficiency and ev mode for the electric motor when driving at low speeds.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has several safety features such as enhanced vehicle stability control, anti-lock braking, traction control, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, tire pressure monitor system and smart stop technology.

2014 Lexus Rx 450h

The 2014 Lexus RX 450h is among the best gas mileage SUV vehicles available and has a 3.5 liter V6 gas/electric engine which is capable of producing 295 horsepower. As a hybrid SUV, it is very fuel efficient and has an mpg rating of 32/28 city/highway. It has a fuel tank capacity of 17.2 gallons. It has several gadgets to ensure convenience and comfort for the occupants similar to other hybrid vehicles. Some of the gadgets include keyless start, vehicle anti theft system, remote engine start, power door locks, heated mirrors, cruise control and fog lamps.

This luxury hybrid SUV has several safety features namely front, rear and side airbags, brake assist, electronic stability control, child safety control, integrated turn signal mirrors, traction control and daytime running lights.

Other best mileage SUV models include the 2014 Mazda CX-5, 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid, 2014 Nissan Juke and 2014 Nissan Rogue.

Those seeking a luxury SUV with the best gas mileage can find it in the 2014 Mercedes 250GLK BluTEC 4Matic or the 2014 BMW X3 iDrive28d. Both of these compact luxury SUV models utilize fuel efficient diesel engines in order to post some of the best mileage ratings of any SUV