Hybrid Cars Information Future Green Cars

he Mercury Mariner Hybrid combines the most robust gas-electric system available today—it will stay in electric mode longer than any competitor—with the body of a stylish yet rugged-looking sport utility. With its mix of digital-era sophistication and creature comforts, the Mariner Hybrid works so well that one wonders whether, if it had been more aggressively marketed since its debut in late 2004, it could have been the hit that the ailing Ford Motor Company so desperately needs.

Does the Mariner Hybrid have the rugged sex appeal of other S.U.V.’s? Is that even possible? Until now, hybrids could hardly be considered babe magnets or or hunk attractors. The comedic actor Will Ferrell, a Prius owner, has said, “In addition to being obviously economical and environmentally friendly, they drive great and are just plain sexy.” He tells jokes for a living.

Consider my brother. Fed up with the cost of feeding a gallon of imported fuel into his Range Rover for every 11 miles driven, he picked up a hybrid crossover utility, a Lexus RX 400h, instead. A year later, the drumbeat of teasing from friends and loved ones—they accused him of driving a girlie car—compelled him to ditch the Lexus and get another Range Rover.

He should have held out for the Mariner Hybrid. Its shape is pugilistic, like the Escape’s. It is square and muscular but has flourishes like accent grilles on the taillights and gauges rimmed in chrome. The Mariner is technically a crossover, but it seems solid and upright like a real S.U.V. Although the ’07 model comes only with all-wheel drive, a front-drive version will be offered for 2008.

Instrumentation is crucial to the hybrid experience, because the fun of a hybrid is using all available tools to get the maximum mileage. Ford’s system beats Toyota’s hands-down in its ability to stay in all-electric mode for extended periods. The Mariner Hybrid, like the Escape Hybrid, offers an expanded opportunity to use the gas pedal, brake and gears to juggle energy into and out of the rechargeable batteries. Want to get a full charge to the batteries? Accelerate to about 30 m.p.h. and slip the shifter into low (not actually a gear, but a tighter engagement of the motor-generator). How long do you want to stay in E.V. (electric) mode? If you use some Astaire footwork to accelerate slowly and evenly, you can nudge the Mariner to 30 m.p.h. without using a drop of gas. If you slip out of E.V. mode at speeds as high as 40 m.p.h., and your battery is adequately charged, you can give the brake two quick taps and slip right back into E.V. mode.

Certainly, few hybrid owners will take the time to learn all the tricks, but even the most absent-minded motorists are constantly reminded that they are piloting some seriously geeky-cool technology. When I employed all the advanced techniques of an experienced hybrid driver, I achieved highway and city mileage in the mid-30’s—not bad for an S.U.V. But when I drove like a fool, overall mileage fell to the mid-20s. The ultimate benefits of hybrid technology—savings at the pump, a poke at OPEC, reduced emissions, whatever—are personal. That gives much more meaning to the Mariner’s ability to stay in all-electric mode longer than any other hybrid. Ford’s engineers outdid Toyota’s in pushing the technology to the limit.

Unfortunately, Ford’s marketing department overlooked the potential of the Mariner Hybrid as a lean, mean, digital-era machismo machine. It made its debut under the same tired green banners and slipped into obscurity almost immediately. True, the Mariner Hybrid hit its sales target without breaking a sweat, but that is an exceedingly modest 2,000 a year. In September, former President Bill Clinton took delivery of a “Presidential Edition” Mariner Hybrid, inspiring this flight of fancy: What if Mr. Clinton was Ford’s hybrid pitchman rather than Kermit the Frog? A suave but serious spokesman might have let the American public see the Mariner Hybrid for what it is: a well-appointed, well-priced S.U.V. with best-in-class fuel economy and groundbreaking technology. It might even have gained recognition as the first great American vehicle of the 21st century.

Consider one simple fact: The Ford Escape Hybrid is the most efficient hybrid SUV on the market. The front-drive Escape Hybrid has government fuel economy ratings of 34 city/31 highway, while the AWD version offers 29 city/27 highway. What else do you need to know, except that the Ford Escape Hybrid offers plenty of space, comfort, and versatility?

For 2009, the Ford Escape Hybrid replaces a 2.3-liter engine with a 2.5—boosting net horsepower from 155 to 177. Ford engineers refined the Escape hybrid’s braking system to allows for better traction and stability control, and a smoother feel to the brakes, previously not incorporated into the hybrid system. Noise and vibrations have been reduced in the process. This is especially evident when the engine shuts off and the vehicle moves into all-electric mode.

Another really nice feature for 2009: A 110-volt AC power outlet now comes standard in the Escape Hybrid.

These upgrades go a long way toward making up any shortcomings in the previous Escape Hybrid. Still, the Ford Escape Hybrid’s extra 300 pounds of weight as compared to the regular gas-powered Escape, gives it a feeling of heaviness. In addition, the Ford Escape Hybrid may not be the ideal choice if battling harsh weather and road conditions are your top priority. Other hybrid SUVs on the market are better suited for off-road travel and towing, although the Ford Escape Hybrid’s ride quality is more than adequate for both commuting and carting the family.

These pet peeves aside, the Ford Escape Hybrid is a capable, versatile, and efficient vehicle—perhaps the most realized expression so far of the combined benefits and capabilities of an SUV, and the fuel parsimony of a hybrid.

You’ll never get accused of recklessness for buying a Toyota Camry. It’s safe, comfortable, dependable, relatively attractive and altogether predictable. And based on the overwhelming sales numbers, Americans are happy with a reliable and affordable set of wheels for the family. The Camry has been America’s top-selling passenger vehicle for eight of the past nine years.

As long as you’re being practical, then why not invest a few extra dollars for the Camry with a hybrid drive that offers an EPA rating of 33 miles to the gallon, and gives you around 700 miles between visits to the gas station?

In the Toyota Prius, the hybrid system was a bold move into unknown technology. The hybrid option on the Camry seems like a common sense choice for an era when one storm—meteorological or political—could send gas prices toward $4 per gallon. Consumers who care about fuel economy can choose between the standard Camry’s four-cylinder combined highway/city mpg rating of 25 mpg; the V6’s mpg rating of 23; or the hybrid’s 33 mpg.

The first half of the Camry Hybrid drivetrain is a 147 horsepower version of the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. The second half is a 105-kW electric motor and 244-volt battery pack that delivers a peak of 45 hp. The battery pack consists of 34 nickel metal hydride modules, each of which contains six 1.2-volt cells. Run it all through a continuously variable transmission, and it adds up to 192 horsepower, versus the standard Camry’s 158 hp. For a point of comparison, the Camry Hybrid moves from 0 – 60 in about 8.9 seconds, nearly a second faster than the Toyota Prius.

Toyota employs the full regimen of safety features for the Camry Hybrid, from the standard Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) system, which orchestrates antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, and steering boost—to the Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) seat design found in the Prius.

Toyota set the price for the Camry Hybrid at $25,200. The first set of Camry Hybrids were all produced in Japan. In 2007, Toyota began producing approximately 4,000 Camry Hybrids per month in its Georgetown, KY, plant, where it currently turns out Camrys at the rate of 30,000 per month.

Toyota plans to sell 60,000 Camry Hybrids, or 15 percent of all Camry sales. Naysayers believe gas-electric hybrids will reach the limit of their market potential when the East Coast and West Coast fringe have bought their Priuses. The Camry Hybrid will test that premise like never before. Are 15 percent of mainstream American buyers willing to invest in a technology that will help the United States wean itself off oil, reduce our environmental impact, and protect us against price shocks at the pumps? Are you in the 15th percentile?

If you’ve been intrigued by the fuel savings and advanced technology of a hybrid, but find a lack of styling in other hybrid offerings, then the Nissan Altima Hybrid might be the hybrid that puts you behind the wheel of a gas-electric vehicle.

Before we get too far, stop reading this article unless you live in one of these states: California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island or Vermont. The Altima Hybrid is available only in these eight states. (This move helps Nissan meet stricter emissions standards in these eight states, all of which follow California tailpipe regulations.)

The Altima Hybrid is essentially a Toyota hybrid wrapped in Nissan’s attractive packaging. Nissan licensed Toyota’s hybrid technology, and except for a few key adjustments along the way, has simply transplanted the hybrid system and drivability into its own product.

The Altima carries a 2.5-liter engine versus the Camry’s 2.4-liter version, but the relative difference in performance between the vehicles is mostly a product of software. Nissan engineers inherited Toyota’s computer control system, but didn’t leave it entirely alone. Toyota opted for calm and comfort, the signature qualities of the Camry, while Nissan allowed a little more noise and rumble in exchange for more power in passing. The Altima Hybrid’s fuel tank, at 20 gallons, is almost three gallons larger than the Camry, boosting the driving range another 100 miles or so.

The Altima Hybrid is noticeably more responsive than the Camry Hybrid. If the extra pep is essential to you, and you’re willing to sacrifice the ultra-quiet (some may call it “numb”) ride of the Camry, then your decision is made.

As soon as the second-generation Prius arrived on the scene in 2003, the Civic Hybrid was cast in its role as runner-up in the hybrid world. It’s true that the Civic Hybrid is not quite as fuel-efficient, not quite as comfortable and roomy, and not quite as powerful as the Prius. But the gas-electric Civic, like Rodney Dangerfield, deserves more respect than it receives.

In fact, it’s the Civic Hybrid’s un-hybrid-like looks and sticker price that makes it such a compelling proposition. Prius buyers usually spend at least a couple thousand more dollars to buy Toyota’s celebrity hybrid than those who drive off with a Civic. And yet the Civic’s 40-mpg in the city and 45-mpg on the highway, places it right next to the Prius as the only two vehicles with average fuel economy in the 40s.

Perhaps more importantly, the Civic Hybrid looks like a cool car, not a cutesy electronic device. Auto critics have heaped praise on the Civic’s design, calling it “gorgeous” and “head-turning.”

The Civic matches a sporty design with all of Honda’s engineering prowess put to action. Honda is on the fourth generation of its integrated engine/motor hybrid design. The system combines a 1.3 liter iVTEC 4-cylinder engine with a 20-hp electric motor to deliver a total of 110 hp. The Civic can save gas by de-activating all of its cylinders when they are not needed, and uses eight spark plugs to allow greater flexibility with the firing order for more complete combustion of fuel in the cylinder. Add improved battery packs and regenerative braking from the previous generation to produce a hybrid with Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions status. The feather in its cap is top safety rankings from NHTSA and IIHS.

So if the Prius design is not your cup of tea, and you can live with a compact rather than a mid-size sedan, then the Honda Civic Hybrid is worth a little respect and consideration.

Video Review Honda Civic Hybrid

The 2010 Toyota Prius was officially unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January 2009. The third-generation Prius will be bigger and more powerful. The engine grew from 1.5 liters to 1.8 liters—giving a boost in horsepower from 110 to 160—and the body will be three to four inches longer and about an inch wider. The combined US fuel economy rating will hit 50 mpg, by keeping the weight down to current levels and re-engineering the powertrain to extend the range of all-electric gas-free driving.

The next Prius will not offer plug-in capabilities and will continue to use nickel metal hydride batteries, rather than switching to lithium ion batteries. The talk will continue about Toyota offering the Prius in a range of models—from compact to wagon to small SUV and pickup—but don’t expect those models to hit showrooms in 2009.

Toyota Prius Legacy

The Toyota Prius has sold more than all other hybrids combined—and for good reason. Since the debut of the second generation Prius in 2003 (as a 2004 model), the midsize hatchback sedan has racked up award after award. The Prius continued to be a red-hot seller for years, until rapid drop in gas prices and the economic downturn took its toll.

The Toyota Prius inspires a cult-like devotion from its drivers. Satisfaction rates, consistently at 98 percent, are unparalleled. Prius owners are already looking 20 years ahead, when they can claim with great pride, “Yes. I drove one of the first Priuses.”

The Prius drives like a charm, humming along silently in all-electric mode at low speeds and revving up its 110 combined gas-electric horsepower for a respectable 0-to-60 rate of 10.2 seconds.

Its stability control system makes it very safe. And the Prius, which had loads of bells and whistles, from keyless entry, a high-tech fuel use dash display, and a rear-view camera system, throws even more technology at the new model.

Prius Exterior

Toyota added a slightly sportier feel and more aggressive stance to the 2010 Prius—perhaps to disarm criticism that the Prius looks like a corrective appliance or a jellybean. The logo shifts from the hood to the top of the point of the grille. The crease in the doors has shifted lower, but a more pronounced angle is added above the door handles. The overall effect is to make the 2010 Prius stand taller—not as rounded and squat—as its predecessor. The 2010 model is a half-inch longer and a full inch wider than the previous generation.

The distinct space-age shape of the Prius is a deliberate statement on its next-generation approach to motoring. Its large, diamond-cut headlamps and snub-nose front-end are the starting point for the Prius’ pseudo-flying saucer appearance. Go ahead and look back at the sci-fi comic strips of the 40s and 50s and you’ll see exactly where Toyota got its inspiration. The angled hood seamlessly flows into the windshield, then to a flowing roofline that is sleek and low. Short overhangs and a sawed-off rear section finish off this hybrid’s futuristic character.

Of course, beauty is subjective, so the Prius has received mixed reviews on outward show. There are many who think the Prius looks gimmicky, if not entirely ugly. But for many hybrid owners, the distinctive look of the Prius sends a message, which declares that we must take steps to reduce our voracious thirst for oil—with all its negative consequences in terms of the environment and geo-politics. For this camp, the Prius is like a middle-finger-on-wheels aimed at Hummers, Suburbans, Escalades, and the like.

The toy and game-maker Hasbro recently added a game token in the shape of the Toyota Prius to the “here and now” version of Monopoly. In other words, the Prius is now officially an icon of our times. That distinction is earned because of the Prius’s technology, but also as a result of the look and style that is entirely its own.

Prius Interior

The success of the Toyota Prius is its ability to combine great fuel efficiency and utter practicality. Five adults can fit comfortably, with more than 16 cubic feet of cargo room left over in back. The 60/40 split rear seats also can be folded flat, creating a surprisingly large cargo space for hauling groceries, strollers, large boxes, and gardening supplies—all at the same time.

Short and tall drivers should feel equally comfortable behind the wheel. The back seat is roomy, beating the Toyota Camry by an inch and providing 2-1/2 inches more rear legroom than in the Civic Hybrid.

Interior storage spaces are abundant and flexible. The sound system is adequate, but not groundbreaking compared to other cars in this class. The stereo’s most-used functions are easy to see, read and use.

Many of the Prius’s standard features are either optional or unavailable on comparably priced competitive vehicles. Standard features include cloth seating, automatic, micron-filter air-conditioning, power windows, door locks, remote keyless entry, and cruise control. The optional navigation system, which is the best on the market, comes equipped with Bluetooth technology allowing drivers with Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to use the speakers and microphones for hands-free calling. Remote switches for the audio, climate and cruise controls are conveniently mounted on the steering wheel.

The most distinguishing feature of the Prius is the “Power” push-button—rather than a key to turn—and the joystick shifter which bounces back in place after selecting “D” to drive. These features are intuitive and partly contribute to the fun of driving the Prius—along with the large dashboard Energy Monitor, which shows the power flow between the hybrid battery pack, electric motor and gasoline engine.

Some Prius drivers complain that the hatchback design limits the visibility through the rear window. They refer to this drawback as the “Prius blind spot.” It makes some people crazy and is a non-issue for others. You have to take a test drive to see how it feels to you.

Hybrid gas-electric cars really aren’t that complicated. Add an electric motor and rechargeable batteries to the conventional gas engine—and see your efficiency increase by as much as 50 percent. The onboard computer does all the hard work of switching between gas and electric power.