The Most Interesting Hybrid Cars of 2010

Although hybrid cars have slowly been gaining in popularity around the world, a very small percentage of consumers have actually switched to them. This is largely because they have remained much more expensive than traditional cars. It is unlikely that this will change in 2010, but prices on hybrid vehicles have been steadily coming down. 2010 offers more cars than ever before. Here are a few of the newest options.

 1. Chevrolet Volt

The Chevy Volt has been hotly anticipated ever since it was announced, and it is expected to finally be released in 2010. This car operates on Chevy's Voltec technology. The first 40 miles of a car trip are powered by the onboard lithium-ion battery. After that, a gas engine will power the vehicle for 300 more miles. Even better, it can be charged via a standard household power outlet. The price is expected to be around $32,500.

2. Fisker Karma

The Fisker Karma is a sleek sports car made by Fisker Automotive. Like the Volt, the first 50 miles are powered by an electric battery. Fisker claims that you only need to refuel this car once per year as long as you drive less than 50 miles per day. You can even opt for an option to have solar panels installed on the roof of the car, which can provide about 5 more miles per week of free driving. Although it is an electric hybrid, this car packs some serious power. Its top speed is 125 mph, and it can jump from 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds. The price is pretty steep, at $87,900.

3. Hyundai Sonata

The Sonata is a popular line which Hyundai has been producing since 1985. Starting in March 2010, they will begin selling a hybrid version. This new car will be powered by a lithium polymer battery and will be based on their Blue-Will (another hybrid car from Hyundai) concept. Pricing has yet to be released, but traditionally Sonatas have been priced under $20,000.

4. Honda CR-Z

This new model from Honda features a hybrid gas and electric system. Although a six-speed manual transmission is standard, an automatic transmission is also available. Sales for these vehicles began in select countries in February 2010, and they are expected to become available in the United States in mid-2010. The current price in England is 16,999 British Pounds, which translates to about $25,250.

5. Toyota Auris

The Auris is a new hybrid car from Toyota. Similar in style and design to the Corolla, the Auris HSD Full Hybrid is slated for release in the second half of 2010.

6. Persu Hybrid

The Persu Hybrid is a very interesting vehicle which is being developed by Persu Mobility. You may have heard of this car when it was being developed under its previous name, the VentureOne. This vehicle looks like a car until you scrutinize it more carefully. Then you'll notice that it only has three wheels. As such, it is officially classified as a 3-wheel motorcycle. This plug-in hybrid vehicle is capable of making 45 degree turns, and it is scheduled for an exclusive California release in late 2010.

7. Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

The Prius has thus far been the most widely known and celebrated hybrid car of all time. Beginning in 2010, they are introducing their first plug-in model. This car will be able to travel 14.5 miles on battery power before the gas engine kicks in. The great news is that it only takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery. The not so great news is that is won't be offered worldwide until 2011, and it is expected to cost $48,000.

Hybrid Cars Go Stylish

Hybrid cars are taking the world by storm - figuratively, literally. And here are just two of the latest hybrid cars that avid car fans and buyers are sure to love.

If you want an eco-friendly hybrid car that not only drives like a dream but is a weight off your conscious too, then you must see the PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG. This nifty little hybrid car will run on bio gas making it essential in today's fight against global warming.

You may be forgiven for thinking that hybrid cars are going to end up looking, well, ugly. This is simply not the case where the PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG is concerned. Looking at the car's rounded edges and the sleek design you may as well be looking at one of the top sports cars in the world. With a soft top to boot, you can make sure your next luxury car is a hybrid one.

The PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG has been developed by BRA GmbH. This company has been at the very forefront of the development of hybrid cars for well over ten years now. They are based in Germany and they have developed not only environmentally-friendly hybrid cars but cars that have excellent style and design, as well.

The car itself isn't due to be released until March 2008, but you can be sure it will open to a fanfare of utter amazement! The car is only likely to cost around 48,000 Euros making it not only environmentally-friendly but also friendly on your pockets, as well.

The Cadillac Provoq concept

America has realized that the gas-guzzling, environment-harming vehicles are not going to save the world any time soon. The eco-drive and style brought by hybrid cars have finally found their way to America and they have managed to do it in amazing degree... Not that we expected anything less of course.

As the flag bearer of hybrid cars, the Cadillac Provoq concept car has two main points. On the one side, it clearly shows the style, class and beauty that is renowned with Cadillac cars. It also has in its favour the hybrid car technology that is actually making the car a sure heart-stopper.

The Cadillac Provoq concept car is made to appeal to the luxury car owners; it oozes class and style and is sure to stand up in its own right against other luxury cars. If it is luxury next to hybrid car technology that you are looking for then you need not look any further.

The Cadillac Provoq concept hybrid car has wheels that are powered by the car's 94bhp motor, which of course is electric. The car's rear wheels have the 54bhp motor each. These features enhance the Provoq's mileage for every small amount of gas it consumes - saving the planet and your pocket from hundreds of dollars spent on fuel. This is something that Cadillac Provoq owners would be very much proud of.

The PGO Cevennes Turbo-CNG and the Cadillac Provoq concept will fit right into any city or town and with their sporty look and sleek design they are simply head turners.

Best Hybrid Cars of 2009 and 2010

The best hybrid cars of 2009 are even better in 2010. The qualities that make a car the best depend on what your specific area of concern is, mostly centering on fuel economy and performance on the road.

If you focus on simply getting the best fuel economy, the Toyota Prius is absolutely the best hybrid car for you. At 48 mpg, it has the best fuel economy of any car available in the United States. Some drivers report that, with very careful driving, a light foot, use of cruise control whenever possible, minimal use of the AC and heat, and in optimal weather conditions, they can get up to 70 miles per gallon. The amazing fuel efficiency is offset by its sluggish pick-up, but even so, it's a great commuter car if you can tolerate staying in the 55-65 mph range and it gets pretty good mileage in-town too, in the 40s even with stop-start city driving.

If you're more focused on performance than fuel efficiency, the Toyota Hybrid Camry feels more like a conventional car, and still manages to get a respectable 34 miles per gallon. It's expensive at $26,150 compared to $19,395 for the basic conventional Camry which advertises 22-33 mpg. The interior is nice and roomy, and driving it is similar to driving the conventional Camry.

If you wouldn't mind splitting the difference between power and fuel economy, the Mercury Milan Hybrid and the Ford Fusion Hybrid are cool with attractive styling, around 40 mpg in-town, and a great driving experience. The 2010 editions of the Fusion and its Mercury cousin, the Milan, are updated, more stylish than their predecessors, with updated instrument panels and the Sync voice-activated entertainment and communication system. The instrument panel sports a "green" leaf-sprouting display when you are saving fuel. The switch-over between the gas engine and the electrical system is said to the most seamless of any car on the road, making virtually no noise and no jolt that has become rather typical for these cars. At around $30K, both cars are somewhat steep buys, but the cool styling and peppy performance are worth the price.

Other possibilities in your search for the best hybrid cars might include the Chevy Malibu Hybrid, advertised as getting 29 mpg and going for $22,800, the Honda Civic Hybrid, at $22,600, the Honda Insight, selling for $19,800, with a promised 41mpg, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, advertising 34 mpg at $26,800, or perhaps the 2010 VW Touareg, for which the specs are not yet out. Test drive them all, and get a feel for hybrids. Everybody's getting into the field, and there's no time like the present.

If qualification for hybrid tax credit is considered as a factor in the competition for best hybrid cars, then some of the favorite models, such as the Prius, Camry and Civic, will no longer qualify. This is the qualifying 2009 hybrid car tax credit chart from the IRS site:

Chrysler Aspen Hybrid-- $2200 tax credit
Dodge Durango Hybrid-- $2200 tax credit
Ford Escape Hybrid, 2 WD-- $ 3000 tax credit
Ford Escape Hybrid, 4 WD-- $1950 tax credit
Mazda Tribute Hybrid, 2 WD-- $3000 tax credit
Mazda Tribute Hybrid, 4 WD-- $1950 tax credit
Mercury Mariner Hybrid, 2 WD-- $3000 tax credit
Mercury Mariner Hybrid, 4 WD-- $1950 tax credit
Nissan Altima Hybrid-- $2350 tax credit

The Best Hybrid Car In The Market - A Green Quandary

The envelope is in, and the winner is...? The judges are getting their honoraria's worth with the kind of decision they need to make to come up with in their selection of the best hybrid car there is. But it seems they'd really have a hard time deciding, what with the array of hybrid cars that are now on offer to, competing to be the top car in terms of safety, fuel efficiency, emission, comfort and technological innovations.

 

The Criteria

In choosing a hybrid car, what considerations will you look at? Of course one will not opt for a hybrid if not for the fuel efficiency, otherwise, any other stylish sedan notwithstanding how much gallons of fuel it consumes will be a candidate for one's choice. So the kind of fuel consumption savings and efficiency will definitely be a prime consideration. Relative to this, the best hybrid car will have to have the lowest, if not zero, emission of toxic waste gases. So this criterion is in.

But how will we choose the best hybrid car then? We can probably start by segregating these hybrids, say separate the coupes and sedans from the SUVs and vans. Then segregate them further by dividing the cars into compacts, mid-sized sedans, and so forth. Segregate the pickups from mid- to full-sized trucks. Separate the vans from the mini-vans. The lists goes and on just as the list of available hybrid cars continues to lengthen.

Then you can probably go to the level of body styles, drivetrains, engine power, transmission size and drive, and a host of performance criteria to look for.

Price may be farther down the list, as hybrid cars will almost surely compensate for the initial higher cost through fuel savings and other economy features.

The Semi-Finalists

Some say the Toyota Prius actually started the race and all, and as such a pioneer deserves a place in the hall of fame of hybrids. The Prius starts at a suggested retail of $22,175, and comes with a savings bonus as an ECO-nomic car of around $2,000. Then there are tax benefits, too, for choosing an environmental-friendly car. EPA estimates come in at 55 miles per gallon for combined city and highway driving, and the AT-PZEV (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) rating.

What about the mid-size sedans, with more room than the Prius? There is the 2007 Hybrid version of Toyota Camry, which starts at around $26,000. Although the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Honda Civic Hybrid are also in the running, the Toyota Camry consistently figures in surveys made of satisfied hybrid users. The Camry Hybrid attains 34 miles to the gallon as far as EPA ratings go.

Let us go now to sport utility vehicles. The Ford Escape Hybrid is great, but price considerations and its full-SUV features make it less popular than the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, a more compact contemporary, that's priced reasonably at around $23,000, not to mention the tax benefits it gets for being a "green" SUV. Surveys show that this hybrid is comparable to other same-sized SUVs in terms of fuel efficiency and emission-levels.

Compare the Ford Escape Hybrid now to another Toyota SUV, and you get the 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid winning by an edge, if car reviews are to be believed. Reviewers say the performance and efficiency of the Highlander makes it a number one contender for the best large-type SUV of the hybrid kind. At estimated price of $32,500, the EPA ratings of 25 or 26 miles to the gallon for city and highway driving are manageable, if one looks at the long-term fuel savings.

Hybrid Car For Sale - A Review Of The Different Models

Want to ride on the wave sweeping the car market during these times of climate change and global warming? Go green, by riding environmental-friendly, fuel-saving hybrid vehicles. A lot of models are available in the market, from several car makers, each one suitable to your budget, your size, your preference. There's always a Nissan, Honda, or Toyota hybrid sedan out there waiting for you. The list for hybrid car for sale is long; it's up to you which suits your fancy.

Nissan Hybrid

Nissan redesigned its Altima sedan and combined Toyota's hybrid technology with this sedan to rate an advanced technology partial zero-emission rating. This car was introduced in 2007 with an improved rating for the model in as far as environmental protection standards are concerned. This sedan incorporates hybrid technology and standard Nissan features to come up with this affordable hybrid version of the Altima.

Honda Hybrid

The Accord and Civic hybrids are two of Honda's entries in the hybrid car for sale market. The 2007 Civic Hybrid is features a lightweight 4-cylinder engine with i-VTEC. A direct current electric motor complements the engine. A compact battery pack stores power for the motor and comes with an 8-year warranty. The Civic Hybrid comes with maneuverability and efficiency rolled into functionality and features. City driving uses about 49 miles to the gallon, and 51 MPG on the highway.

The Honda Accord Hybrid attains 25 miles to the gallon at city driving, up to 34 miles per gallon on the highway, and around 28 miles per gallon combined.

Toyota Hybrid

Another choice on the list of hybrid cars for sale is the Toyota Camry Hybrid. This compact hybrid has a reasonable price and achieves 39 miles per gallon in combined city and highway travels. It goes as high as 40 miles per gallon for city driving and 38 miles per gallon for highway running. Combined, that's around 39 miles per gallon.

GMC hybrid

The GMC Sierra Hybrid is a 2-wheel drive pickup priced from a base of 31,000 dollars. GM's lines of hybrid car for sale are not that many as of today, but the company aims to catch up with its rivals.

Lexus Hybrid

Lexus offers two hybrid models, the GS 450h and the RX 400h. The GS 450h is sports car without the gas-guzzling, as it is reasonably efficient fuel-wise, not to mention the EPA standards-achieved hybrid emissions.

The Lexus RX 400h is good for city and highway driving at 33 MPG in the suburbs and 28 miles to the gallon in the freeway.

These are but a few of the hybrid cars for sale available in the market. Of course there are a host of other hybrids - from SUVs to pickup trucks to transit buses. Ford has its Escape Hybrid SUV. GM has its hybrid buses and pick up trucks.

Whichever manufacturer you choose, the overriding concern in the choice of the hybrid you acquire will be its environmental impact in terms of fuel efficiency and particle emissions, its safety features, its long-term wear considering the hybrid technology incorporated, and the cost considerations. Find one hybrid that's reasonably priced yet power-packed in fuel efficiency and safety features and you go green not only vehicle-wise, but in your pocket just as well.

Electric Hybrid Car

Time to get started on this topic. Take a few moments to read every aspect of this paper hopefully it will be of great help.

There are unlike modes of travel that people use. Among these is the alternative of the electric Hybrid car. The diverse Hybrid car brands allow people the alternative of having a fashionable sounding vehicle which at the same time preserve fuel. In addition the surroundings is kept pollution free by these Hybrid electric cars. The diverse cars which you will see included in the range of Hybrid cars will include the popular SUVs, sports cars and pickup trucks.

You will have the chance to see the newest Hybrid cars which are due to come on to the market. As there are many types of Hybrid cars you should see if there are any performance reviews available. This information will help you in the conclusion fashioning process of which electric Hybrid car to pick out from. You will need to acquire that some of the Hybrid cars will not be that well-situated to repair nor have their parts replaced.

There is one component that you should keep in mind when you are shopping for the right electric Hybrid car

that you want. There will be multiplication when you will not be able to find the accurate car model that you want. To keep this frustration out of the way, make a list of several dissimilar Hybrid car types. Include the known best Hybrid car types. You may also want to list down other qualities that you are looking for from a Hybrid electric car.

While you can call in any of the car showrooms to see the electric Hybrid car of your choice, you may identify seeing what kind of cars are useable before you purchase one. As there are times when you will not see all of the cars which can be bought you should find some way of getting this opportunity.

Of the many dissimilar n-ways that you can look at the diverse electric Hybrid car the Net can provide you with pictures, descriptions and reviews of unlike cars types. You can access data for the current crop of Hybrid Honda cars or the previous models. Among the many details that you can find are the seating, safety and engine specifications of these cars.

There are as we know many dissimilar types of Hybrid cars that can be bought. These will for the most part be well car brands. You will find that Honda which is a known producer of cars also has their version of a Hybrid car. The electric Hybrid car is one such Hybrid that people like to buy.

The assorted ways and substance to finding the right electric Hybrid car can be difficult as there are many choices with which to overpower you...

I'm glad you have found this article I hope you found the information useful.

Future of Hybrid Cars

There are many design concepts being considered for maximum public exposure and benefits on the drawing board of car designers today that look to the future hybrid car needs and considerations that will serve the public well in the course of the next century. Many of these hybrid car designers are taking past and proven sales performers and have begun reworking their designs from the ground up.

Instead of a front wheel drive platform, there are automobile designers that are building on a rear platform design for one of the nation's best selling and widely recognized car frames in America and worldwide. The hybrid car designs of the future are including sports car models that have been all-time favorites with the world in the past and are now being revived with the brand new hybrid engine in mind.

There is an aggressive training program in place at one of Americas largest car manufacturing companies that is preparing their technicians to repair the growing styles and variations of hybrid cars that are emerging onto the automobile market.

With the extreme difference in battery features and dramatic variance in voltage levels, there is a void that needs to be filled by someone who is equipped with the necessary battery cabling devices that can handle 270 volts instead of the normal 12 volt battery systems. Regular car technicians are typically capable of handling battery recharging requirements, but with the futuristic applications that are applied in hybrid battery design, the best service these car technicians can provide at present is that they can still provide oil changes and tire rotations should the need arise.

With a mindset of grasping and expanding the propulsion features that are somewhat limited in today's hybrid car designs, there are retro styling efforts that are focusing on providing hybrid cars with optional V8 engine capacities.

There are considerations in place to use solar cells in the framework of hybrid automobiles. The electrical power will be produced through the boot lids and bonnet placement of these solar cell modules. Through the use of solar cells it will then be possible to utilize the battery charging capabilities when the car is not turned on or in motion to replenish batteries that have been depleted through the use of air conditioning or through continuous operation when the hybrid automobile is delayed in traffic jams at different times of the day. This lightweight body structure design would benefit the energy savings to the consumer and make the car more manageable on the highway.

There is an effort in hybrid car design that is turning the out of the ordinary hybrid vehicle into a replica of what is parked in the driveway every day of our life. This blending in effect is meant to bring the hybrid full circle into the acceptable graces of the American public.

The future hybrid car will need to focus more on greenhouse gases that negatively effect the environment as well as a hybrid car that will be even more fuel efficient. Without these changes, the production and sales of any type of vehicle will not be possible due to the degradation of our atmosphere.

There are many views about hybrid cars in the futures that will change its fuel source from the heavy duty batteries in use today, to hydrogen-power fuel cell. This will take away the need for hybrid cars to have to use gasoline completely in order to transverse down the major highways.