There are many hybrid cars on the market model. In hybrid technology, cars have become very popular, almost all car manufacturers would like to ride a trend.

More here:
Hybrid car models: the “Green Alternative” | RevStyle.co.uk

Ironically, because of the expanding market for hybrid cars , and also because of more and more car manufacturers that are now integrating hybrid technology in their cars, one can get confused on which hybrid car to purchase. ...

Excerpt from:
Hybrid and Electric Cars News published on August 9, 2010 ...

Regardless, this should provide some nice buzz for the Lincoln brand, and Ford's hybrid technology overall. Be the first to comment - What do you think? Posted by dahcredyns - July 22, 2010 at 1:00 pm

Here is the original post:
Lincoln MKZ hybrid same cost as gas version - Hybrid Cars and Plug ...

All-new Honda Insight Starts Under $20,000. Becomes Most Affordable New Hybrid Available in the U.S.

The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on sale March 24 with a manufacturer's suggested retail price(1) (MSRP) of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist(TM) (IMA(TM)) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC(R) gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon(2). The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

"The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers."

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight's highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

Major features standard to the Insight LX include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; an anti-lock braking system; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); Eco Assist; automatic climate control; tilt and telescope steering column; manual driver's seat height adjustment; power windows; a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player and auxiliary audio input for external digital music players; and much more.

A more premium version of the Insight is also available. The Insight EX, with a MSRP(1) of $21,300, adds to the Insight LX features with Vehicle Stability Assist(TM) (VSA(R)); alloy wheels; cruise control; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface(3); a center console with armrest and storage compartment; heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and much more. Exclusively available on the Insight EX, the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(4) (6.5-inch screen) with voice recognition provides routing and guidance to individual addresses and more than 7 million points of interest within the continental United States. Models equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth(R) HandsFreeLink(R) for hands-free operation of compatible mobile telephones, along with related steering wheel-mounted controls for voice activation of the navigation and hands-free telephone systems.

A 4-cylinder engine with intelligent variable valve timing and a DC brushless electric motor forms the foundation of the IMA hybrid system. The electric motor, positioned in-line between the engine and the transmission, adds power during acceleration and in certain cruising situations, and recaptures energy from the vehicle's forward momentum during braking (regenerative braking).

The Insight's IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed cruising conditions. It can also provide cylinder deactivation during deceleration and an idle-stop feature when the vehicle is stationary. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range exceeding 400 miles. Models for sale in California and states that have adopted the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ZEV standards receive an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) emissions rating.

The Insight introduces Eco Assist to help drivers achieve improved real-world fuel economy. Eco Assist is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Pressing the ECON button can further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems: throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation (EX only). Eco Assist also provides feedback about driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colors from green to blue to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking (green = efficient). The driver's results are continuously tracked as fuel-economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in the Multi-Information Display (MID). Up to five leaves can be 'earned' as the driver demonstrates a fuel-efficient driving style. A real-time score is shown in the Eco Guide MID screen.

Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side-curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver's and front-passenger's active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering(TM) (ACE(TM)) body structure, which provides improved frontal-crash compatibility between vehicles of different size and ride height.

Honda is a leader in developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies, including the original Honda Insight, introduced as America's first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999. Honda is also a leader in the development of advanced alternatives to gasoline, including the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fuel-cell car, the world's most advanced production fuel-cell automobile.

2010 Honda Insight Pricing and EPA Data

EPA(2)
Model MSRP(1) City/Hwy/Combined
Insight LX $19,800 40/43/41
Insight EX $21,300 40/43/41
Insight EX with Navi $23,100 40/43/41

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the Insight and other Honda vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

(1) MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $670.00 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.

(2) Based on 2010 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel-economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

(3) The USB Audio Interface is used for direct connection to and control of some current digital audio players and other USB devices that contain MP3, WMA(R) or AAC music files. Some USB devices with security software and digital rights-protected files may not work. Please see your dealer for details on compatibility.

(4) Insight EX with navigation MSRP $23,100. The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(TM) is available on Insight EX models in the United States, except Alaska. See your Honda dealer for details.

Source: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

 

The National Truck Equipment Association Unveils The Work Truck Show 2009 Schedule

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As North America's largest work truck event, The Work Truck Show(R) 2009 offers the best opportunity to see and experience the latest commercial trucks and equipment from leading manufacturers. In addition to exploring nearly 500,000 square feet of exhibit space, attendees also initiate business improvements through more than 40 training programs and discover what's new in "green" truck technology.

Registration for The Work Truck Show 2009 is now open at www.ntea.com. Dozens of new vocational trucks and commercial truck equipment will be introduced at the show, which is held in conjunction with the 45th Annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Convention March 46, 2009, at the McCormick Place West Building in Chicago, IL. The Convention and Educational Conference start March 3.

"Work trucks and equipment are critical tools used every day to build infrastructure, deliver goods, clear roads, repair utility lines and keep the world's economies running," says Jim Carney, NTEA executive director. "With a massive display of the newest trucks and equipment, supported by more than 40 industry-specific training sessions, The Work Truck Show is truly a one-stop resource for anyone who relies on their trucks to get the job done."

The event kicks off with a full day of in-depth educational Special Sessions on Tuesday, March 3. The Green Truck Summit, sponsored by International Truck, provides current information on hybrid and alternative fuel options for work trucks. "Upfitting Equipment on 2010 Emission-compliant Truck Chassis" brings together experts from Daimler Trucks North America, Dodge, Ford Commercial Truck, General Motors Fleet and Commercial Operations, Hino Trucks and International Truck to review changes made to their chassis to meet 2010 emission requirements and to answer questions about mounting truck equipment to these chassis. "From Tactical to Practical: A Playbook for Identifying Profitability and Survivability" supplies insights into the developments, threats and opportunities facing the work truck industry and its distribution channels, as well as tactics companies can use to position themselves to survive and thrive in these challenging times. The session is based on NTEA-commissioned research. Exclusively for fleet and shop managers, the Fleet Management Symposium focuses on fleet financial and operational practices to improve productivity and reduce costs.

Concurrent educational and technical training sessions run Tuesday, March 3, through Thursday, March 5. They cover a wide range of hot industry topics, including hybrid technology and alternative fuels, specification writing, business development, new technology and updates from leading chassis manufacturers. Additional classes are held in a training theater right on the show floor.

Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch, will present the keynote address at the President's Breakfast and NTEA Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 5, from 7:30am-9:15am. To register and purchase tickets, visit www.ntea.com.

During show hours on March 4 and 5, Work Truck Show attendees can test-drive more than a dozen street-legal new hybrid and alternative fuel commercial vehicles as part of the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive. Participation is free and sign up is available on-site. The latest hybrid and alternative fuel technology also will be displayed in the Green Truck Pavilion as part of the show floor.

Produced annually by the NTEA, The Work Truck Show showcases Class 1-8 vocational trucks and equipment. It brings together thousands of work truck professionals, including fleet managers, equipment buyers, maintenance personnel, manufacturers, distributors and dealers.

For complete event details, including a schedule of events, exhibitor list, floor plan, registration, housing, session descriptions, new product announcements and more, visit www.ntea.com or call 1-800-441-NTEA (6832).

About the NTEA

Established in 1964, the NTEA is the leading association supporting the $101 billion commercial truck and trailer industry. The Association currently represents more than 1,800 companies that manufacture, distribute, install, sell and repair commercial trucks, bodies, equipment, trailers and accessories. The Association maintains its administrative headquarters in suburban Detroit and a government relations office in Washington, DC.

Source: National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA)

CONTACT: Kristen Simpson, Simpson Communications, LLC, +1-216-991-4297,
kristen@simpsoncomm.com, for National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA)

Web Site: http://www.ntea.com/

Alex Severinsky 2008 Clark School Innovation Hall of Fame Inductee

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Most people would be surprised to learn that the inventor of the advanced hybrid technology used in the Toyota Prius and other vehicles is an American. After all, American car companies have been slow to adopt hybrid technologies.

In fact, he is an engineer and entrepreneur who emigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union and launched his inventions at the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland in College Park.

This month, the spotlight will finally shine on Alex J. Severinsky, who designed the Hyperdrive power-amplified internal combustion engine power train. He will be inducted into the Clark School's Innovation Hall of Fame on October 30.

Soon after Severinsky arrived in America as a refugee in 1978 -- in the middle of the national oil crisis of that era -- he recognized a major problem he believed he could help solve.

"I'd just come from bread lines and now I was in gas lines," says Severinsky. He decided to tackle the problem of gasoline consumption.

Severinsky has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Moscow's Institute for Precision Measurements in Radioelectronics and Physics. He set about analyzing the Periodic Table, searching for practical alternatives to internal combustion.

He concluded that a fully-electric vehicle would never be practical, but an electric/internal combustion hybrid could work. He took a job in power electronic engineering, where he could immerse himself in the field of high-voltage semiconductors that was crucial to his ideas for a hybrid.

Looking for support for his newly-founded company, Viteq, in 1986, Severinsky connected with the Technology Advancement Program, a venture incubator in the Clark School's Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) that helps regional entrepreneurs build their early-stage companies.

Through Viteq, he developed uninterruptible power supplies for computer systems; later the company was sold to a Texas-based firm. With the help of then Clark School Assistant Dean Herbert Rabin, Severinsky formed yet another company, Power-Assisted Internal Combustion Engine (PAICE), to create a hybrid power train.

Starting in 1992, Severinsky began filing numerous patents for the Hyperdrive power train system. He received additional help from Mtech in arranging a meeting with staff from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Lockheed Martin.

He made a physical prototype of his technology and, on October 14, 1999, demonstrated the PAICE system in Detroit. Severinsky proved that the system could effectively reduce the gas consumption of a Cadillac Coup de Ville by half in city driving while retaining its driving performance.

Engineers at U.S. and Japanese automakers were interested in Severinsky's invention, but top management resisted. A staff engineer at Toyota later developed the same idea as Severinsky for hybrids. When the Toyota Prius was introduced, Severinsky fought to protect his patent rights. After a protracted legal battle with Toyota, he won the civil case in 2005. (Additional litigation is in progress.)

Severinsky is satisfied with the turn of events.

"I bought my car from Toyota," he said, with a smile. "My wife loves it. It uses several of my inventions."

He credits Toyota for creating an unusual working environment in which in-house competition of ideas is fostered.

With his new company, Fuelcor, he has returned to an old interest that is even more relevant today: using electronics to improve oil production. The idea behind Fuelcor, launched in 2005, is to "make fuel instead of hunting for it" by synthetically manufacturing hydrocarbon compounds from their ultimate products of decomposition -- carbon dioxide and water. Fuelcor is already in the early stages of commercialization on two continents.

"This is the ultimate technology in transportation fuels," he says.

Alex Severinsky will be inducted into the Innovation Hall of Fame at a Clark School ceremony on October 30, 2008. The ceremony will be immediately followed by the Charles and Helen White Symposium on Engineering Innovation, "Intellectual Property: How Well Does the System Protect the Individual Innovator?"

About the Clark School Innovation Hall of Fame

To recognize great engineering feats associated with the Clark School, and to inspire young engineering students and the public, Stanford W. Berman, B.S. '50, developed and provided funding for the Clark School's Innovation Hall of Fame more than 20 years ago.

The hall, located in the north corridor of the Kim Engineering Building, features Clark School innovators and their technological advances spanning many disciplines and eras, including pulse Doppler radar, the universal product code, flexible coronary artery stents, the automatic parachute, satellite surveillance, the maser (precursor of the laser), and retractable airplane landing gear.

These technologies enhance everyday life for millions of people around the world. Each year, nominations are submitted to a selection committee that evaluates the inventors and technologies described and chooses one for induction. Nominees may be:

-- Clark School alumni
-- Clark School faculty whose innovations were developed primarily at the
Clark School
-- Alumni of other University of Maryland schools, and other associates
who have a meaningful relationship with the Clark School.

Innovations are selected on the basis of their positive impact on society and may be:

-- A working product, system or design.
-- A comprehensive body of technical work that has advanced the
understanding of the engineering profession.

The engineering work featured in the Innovation Hall of Fame serves to inspire Clark School students and the many visitors who pass through the hall each year.

For more information, see www.eng.umd.edu/ihof/new.html.

Source: A. James Clark School of Engineering

CONTACT: Missy Corley of A. James Clark School of Engineering,
+1-301-405-6501, +1-804-398-8652 (cell), mcorley@umd.edu

Web Site: http://www.eng.umd.edu/