1917 Woods Dual Power

The first hybrid gas electric car did not come out in 1983, but in 1917. The Woods Dual Power was built by the Woods Motor Vehicle Company of Chicago. Because the gas engine was so rough, but supplied more power and electric cars were smoother, but had limited range, the Woods Motor Vehicle Company wanted to supply a car that gave you the best of both worlds. The best part is, it was a full hybrid (listen up GM) with regenerative braking. The engine was a parallel hybrid that included a 12-hp, 4-cylinder gasoline engine as an auxiliary drive system in addition to the electric drive train. The electric engine could propel the car up to 20 mph. Together with the gas engine, the dual wood power could get up to 35 mph. The gas engine and electric engine were connected using a magnetic clutch. The gas engine became magnetized when activated (by a lever controlled by the driver). The copper disk was pulled against the flywheel connecting the electric motor to the gas engine. Only the electric motor could be used while going in reverse. Why? Because the engine had no clutch and so the gas engine had no gears! The car battery designed for this car was about half the size of the batteries in other electric cars of the time. Once the car got up to 20 mph, the gas engine could be engaged, allowing the electric motor and gas motor to work together. The battery could be recharged or discharged by another lever. Recharging was done by the gas motor (at speeds over 6 mph) or by braking on level ground or when coasting down hills. A conventional brake pedal was only used at speeds of less than 6 mph. Available for only $2650 (remember this was 1917). Wire wheels were a luxury, costing an extra $25. Or you could 'pimp' your vehicle out for another $100 (paint and trim). Ultimately, the first hybrid was a commercial failure. It was built only in 1917 and 1918. It was too expensive, too slow, and too difficult to service to be a commercial success.

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3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars

Due to the rising cost of fuel and the environmental damage it causes to our planet, many car owners or buyers are looking for an alternative way to save money. Let's face it, fuel supply is finite and the prices of gas is only going to rise higher and higher. That is where a hybrid car has its advantages Hybrid cars have been gaining in popularity in recent years. With lower cost of production and new hybrid car technology being developed, owning a hybrid car is becoming affordable to everyone. Hybrid Cars Saves Gas The obvious advantage of using hybrid cars is that it saves gas. Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon. One feature of hybrid cars is that the gasoline engine is shut off automatically when the car stops. This also helps in saving fuel. That is also the reason why hybrid cars are so quiet why it is stationary. The gasoline engine is automatically turned on when you step on the accelerator pedal. Hybrid Cars Are Environment Friendly Hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned. It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you do not know, carbon dioxide is one of the primary reasons for rising global warming. For example, the Toyota Prius can reduce tailpipe emissions by up to ninety percent and the greenhouse gas emissions by as much as fifty percent. Tax Incentives For Hybrid Cars Due to world political pressures around the world to reduce greenhouse emissions, President Bush signed an agreement in 2005 to provide huge tax relief to hybrid car buyers. The tax incentive varies by model and are based on two factors 1. How fuel efficient the hybrid car is compared to a conventional car in 2002 with the same weight class. 2. How much gasoline the hybrid car can save in its lifetime compared with an equivalent conventional car For example, a Honda Accord hybrid car have reduced tax credits of $600 while a Toyota Prius has a tax credit of $3150. Do note that the tax credits do expire after 2010 for most hybrid cars. Hybrid car manufacturers are continually researching for more ways to reduce fuel consumption and better fuel efficiency. Also as more hybrid cars are being adopted, the cost of hybrid cars will reduce making it more affordable for everyone.

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Ford to Exit the Minivan Market?

All the car blogs lately have been speculating on the direction that the Ford Motor Company is going to take in the wake of declining sales and stiff competition. We know that Ford has too much capacity and we know that the company will be closing some key plants and laying off an as yet to be determined number of employees. What hadn’t been clear is which models would be cut from the line up. Now, it appears that Ford will exit the lucrative minivan market. That’s right, Ford apparently will stick with building cars, trucks, and SUVs, and leave the minivan market to the other players. Ever since the Chrysler Corporation invented the minivan market back in the early 1980s with its line of “K-car” derived minivans – the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, and the Chrysler Town & Country – Ford has been playing catch up. Indeed, a series of forgettable “star” named minivans were served up by Ford and summarily rejected by consumers: the Aerostar, Windstar, and the Freestar. Later, both Honda and Toyota brought out their own entries and Ford, along with Chevrolet found themselves trailing badly in an overcrowded segment. Indeed, several GM divisions sell minivans, as does Kia and Nissan, making the market especially tight. Should Ford decide to go ahead with plans to ditch the minivan market, it wouldn’t be a complete retreat. For one, many consumers prefer the automaker’s popular Ford Explorer SUV while its all wheel drive Freestyle wagon/crossover competes well too. Finally, another vehicle – the Edge – will soon make its debut and likely pull many minivan customers over. The Edge will be yet another crossover vehicle – somewhat of a SUV/wagon hybrid – and fill the need for consumers. Yes, Ford appears ready to ditch the minivan market. No loss to consumers and probably a smart move for the beleaguered automaker.

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You Can Install A "Green" Air Filter!

All right now, no laughing. Probably the easiest part to swap out in a car is the air filter. A quick pop of the hood and the loosening of a couple of clamps or a wing nut and you simply reach in and pull out the old air filter. Next, open the box up containing your new air filter, pop it into place, secure everything and you are done. Five, maybe ten minutes to accomplish the easiest job going. So, why doesn't everyone change their own air filter? More importantly, why don't more people opt for environmentally friendly air filters, commonly known as "green" air filters? You can install a green air filter yourself and do much more than keep the air clean in the process. So, what is a "green" air filter? A green air filter is an environmentally friendly air filter. No, they aren't usually green as the color green is what signifies that the product works in harmony with nature. Now go hug a tree. Seriously, there are several advantages to owning a green or reusable air filter: Once is Enough. With a reusable air filter, you never have to buy another air filter again for your car. Periodically, all you would have to do is take the air filter out, clean it, and then reinstall it. Reusable air filters, such as an AFE air filter, are made of a washable cotton gauze material. As you probably know, cotton is one of the most durable materials on God's green earth. Save the Landfills. In many states, disposing of trash is a big problem. You can do your part by not adding to the problem. Just think about it: over the lifespan of a car you could easily add 8, 10, 15 or more air filters and boxes to the city dump. With a reusable air filter, less is actually more. Engine Runs Better. A deep pleat in a reusable air filter means better filtration: your car's engine "breathes" better with a higher quality, natural product. As you may know, an efficient engine uses less fuel too. Sure, a reusable air filter will cost you more, approximately 2-4 times the price of a throw away air filter. However, you will recoup that money over time and do your part in showing environmental responsibility. Who can put a price on all of that? Go with green and make a difference today!

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Performance Parts 101

In the automotive industry, the term ‘performance parts’ is used for a variety of car and truck parts or accessories, that are designed to enhance a vehicle’s performance. The term is generally tied to the aftermarket industry which makes sense considering that car or truck enhancement parts or accessories are typically purchased after the original purchase. This is not to say that O.E.M. manufacturers won’t create performance parts, because they often do. Products such as Borla Exhausts, K&N Air Intake filters, ReadyLift Suspension Kits, or Bilstein shocks are considered performance parts because they are created to enhance car or truck performance. On the other hand, the O.E.M. exhaust, intake filter, suspension kit, or shocks that come with the newly purchased vehicles are generally stock parts designed to meet standards at a reasonable price. Someone looking to boost their car or truck’s performance will then purchase an aftermarket part designed to boost performance. Strictly being aftermarket however, does not categorize a car or truck part or accessory as a performance part. Aftermarket products may include seat covers, car covers, bumpers, sun visors, make-specific paraphernalia (such as TRD’s line of Toyota® accessories), and steering wheel covers. These products are based on aesthetics, comfort, or brand loyalty, not performance. This would make them a car or truck accessory, but not a performance part. Performance Parts may also play slightly different but overlapping roles from one car or truck to another. For example, K&N’s quality oil and air filtration products are available for virtually every modern vehicle under the sun. However, while lift kits tend to be popular among Ford®, Chevy®, Dodge® and Toyota® truck owners, you are unlikely to see a demand from Mercedes-Benz® or Porsche® owners. This isn’t to say that popular Porsche® and Mercedes® parts (aftermarket at least) are always different from the more popular truck performance parts. Manufacturers are starting to notice and react to new consumer demands. For example, Borla, known for its quality SUV and Truck exhausts, made the cross over and began to offer exhaust systems for Porsche® and Corvette® a few years ago.

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Happy Honda Days, Eh?

I love this time of year! The seasonal music, the lights, manger scenes, and the silly ads on television. No, I am not talking about ads pitching products to put in your stocking or to set under your Christmas tree. Instead, what I like is all the car ads cleverly designed to get you to leave the mall and hit dealer showrooms. There is a lot more then meets the eye when a car ad makes its appearance during the holiday season. It isn’t all ho, ho, ho either! Read on and I will tell you what it is all about. Happy Honda Days! Yes, playing on the “Happy Holidays” theme the group of five or six “carolers” singing Honda songs are doing what they can do to get you to buy a new Honda. So, why this pitch and why this time of year? For two reasons: consumers are buying Christmas presents, so purchasing a new car is nowhere near the top of anyone’s priorities, and Toyota. Toyota?! Yes, that is right. Toyota and Honda are once again battling for the top spot for the best selling car in America. Long ceded by American automakers who sell more trucks than cars, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are the two top selling cars. Guess what? December 31st marks the final day that cars sold can be tabulated as 2005 sales. Honda wants you in their showrooms and they want you to buy. Move over, Toyota! Don’t think for a moment that Honda is the only manufacturer with a big year end sales drive in place. Virtually all manufacturers are in a race to get you to buy a new car now. Each is hoping that you aren’t too busy to watch a little bit of television, listen to the radio, scour the newspaper, or search the internet in hopes that an ad promoting their product will find its way before your eyes. You can’t shop all the time, right? Right? To help you out, the following are some of the current campaigns already under way and the brand they are touting:

December to Remember; Lexus

Toyotathon; Toyota

Miles of Freedom Plan; Dodge

Keep It Simple; Ford, Lincoln, Mercury

Red Tag Sale; GM

A to Z Year End Event; Nissan

The Cadillac Season’s Best Sales Event; Cadillac

Winter Event; Mercedes There is no telling what other sales events are being planned. By the time the new year rolls in, you are likely to be as sick of them as you will be of all the tinsel, the egg nog, and your 47th viewing of “A Christmas Story.” Happy holidays to you and yours; Happy Honda Days if you are choose to purchase a new car during this already overstressed time of the year!

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Discount Auto Parts: 4 Ways to Save!

If you are in the market to purchase replacement or performance automobile parts, you have several options before you in order to get what you want. Thanks to the internet, you can research your options and narrow down what you need right online. In fact, in many cases, you can order what you need right from the ease of your desktop. Still, some sources are better than others and you really need to know what you are buying before purchasing parts from anyone.

The following are four options for finding parts:

Salvage Yards. Also known as junk yards, salvage yards provide cheap parts for just about any type of vehicle. You just need to know if the particular make/model you own is sitting somewhere on site. The larger junkyards inventory their cars and with that information you can find exactly where the vehicle is located. Prices are usually very reasonably, but you must remember that the part you are purchasing is used and quality levels can vary from junker to junker. Salvage yards are a particularly good place to shop if you need a door panel, fender, or other body component.

Retail Stores. The large chain stores typically have something for everyone. Sale prices can be good, but selection may be limited to a few key brands. Replacement parts for less common vehicles can be harder to find. Some parts are subject to big mark ups, particularly with retailers who rely upon intermediary suppliers for their entire inventory.

Car Dealers. New car dealers are an excellent place to find replacement parts. They should be if they feature your particular make/model vehicle. The larger dealers generally have well stocked parts departments right on site. The drawback is often their prices typically reflect big mark ups. You’ll pay through the nose if you have a dealer install anything for you too.

Wholesalers. Most reputable wholesalers are now marketing their inventory right online. The advantage to you is a wider product selection, lower prices, ease of ordering, and quick service. Shop only with those wholesalers who have a toll free number listed where you can contact a live person, if needed. Go with those wholesalers offering free shipping, typically available on orders exceeding $50. You can save big with a well known wholesaler, such as the Auto Parts Warehouse, as they cut out the middle man to offer you the lowest prices across the board.

As with any transaction, check your parts carefully as some retailers unknowingly stock counterfeit parts. Make certain that you can return whatever you purchase if a problem comes up. Use a credit card to back up with your purchase with the credit card issuer’s guarantee.

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Cargo Liner Essentials and Information

The proliferation of available pick up trucks on the market has yielded quite a few useful aftermarket accessories to enhance the ownership experience. Trucks from Ford, Chevrolet/GMC, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are all being marketed to businesses as well as to individuals who prize the versality of these types of vehicles. If you own a pick up truck, more than likely you extensively use the cargo bed as you transport wood, gravel, home supplies, or other heavy duty items. To protect your cargo bed from damage, quality custom made cargo liners offer ample protection for your vehicle that no off the shelf product can possibly equal. Let's take a look at some key features that make custom made liners a smart buy.

Liners from Husky are among the select brands on the market offering premium protection for your SUV or truck as they made to exacting specifications to produce the following importaint characteristics:

Every liner is designed to the precise specifications of your vehicle’s cargo bed. There is no "one-size-fits-all" style made.

Custom liners are produced from tough polyethylene materials to stay supple in a variety of weather conditions: from summer's intense heat to winter's extreme cold.

High quality liners contain molded-in tread patterns that grips onto cargo. This means that whatever you decide to place in the back of your truck will not shift around.

Many custom made liners not only cover the bed bottom but the interior sides as well.

Able to resist moisture including snow, ice, hail, sleet, and rain; can properly contain mud, dirt, gas, oil, even battery acid.

Quality cargo liners are available in three important colors: gray, black, and tan to match or pleasantly contrast just about any vehicle produced.

In addition, not like off the shelf models, custom made cargo liners are thicker, much more able to resist abuse, and even have a better look to them. Since you paid a lot of money for your vehicle, why would you select a product that is costly, won't last, and looks terrible? Instead, choose a custom designed cargo liner that is certain to hold up over time, through a variety of conditions, and still look great years later.

Finally, a cargo liner will add value to your truck. Once time comes for you to trade in your truck for the latest model, your cargo liner will be credited with helping you maximize your trade in value: no scratches, dents, or dings thanks to your properly fitted custom cargo liner!

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Buick’s Fabulous Five

The Buick Motor Division of the General Motors Corporation is in transition, much like the rest of the venerable auto company. Old models have been canceled, new models added, and the current line up is radically different from just three years earlier. Now down to five models, the remaining vehicles in the Buick line up are all winners. Let’s take a look at each model and what they have to offer to you, the consumer.

Lucerne – Buick’s Roadmaster and LeSabre are both gone, but the full size Lucerne have taken their place. Featuring V8 power and luxurious appointments such as heated and cooled seats, liquid heated windshield fluid, and leather appointments, the big Lucerne is based on the Cadillac DTS, but the car sells for more than $10,000 less than its up market Caddy cousin.

Lacrosse – This five seat sedan is sleek, aerodynamic, and quiet. With starting prices in the low 20 thousand dollar range, the car competes against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Rainier – The larger of two Buick SUVs, the Rainier comes standard with a 275hp I6, Stabitrak suspension/steering system, eight way driver powered seats, leather seating, and more.

Rendezvous – As Buick’s first SUV, the Rendezvous has succeeded where its Pontiac cousin, the Aztek, failed. Available in two or four wheel drive, the Rendezvous features seating for five [with available seating for seven], four wheel disc brakes, and a host of sought after outdoorsmen desired accessories.

Terraza – Is it a minivan or is it an SUV? The Terraza is part of a family of GM crossover vehicles introduced in the 2005 model year. This seven passenger vehicle comes equipped with a 3.5L I6 engine and is available in either front wheel drive or all wheel drive. As GM considers getting rid of its aging and unpopular line of minivans, the Terraza and its cousins will likely step in and fill the hole.

General Motors has been fairly silent regarding the future of the Buick division. Some have been concerned by the steady depletion of models while others are seeing Buick make a clean break from its past which has included several uninspiring models such as the Century and the Roadmaster.

In spite of everything, the Buick Enclave, featured at the recently ended Detroit Auto Show received rave reviews. The Enclave is yet another crossover vehicle and it should hit Buick showrooms by 2008.

Clearly, Buick could use a wider variety of vehicles to ensure its long term success. Perhaps the type of success the division had when the Regal was part of the fold would reinstate the division to its past glory, if a car matching the Regal’s caliber was developed.

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Beware of the Leaves!

It is fall and the trees are ablaze in all of their glory. Who isn’t in awe of this bountiful tapestry of red, gold, and orange leaves that adorn deciduous trees in neighborhoods, parks, and mountains from coast to coast? With an azure sky as a backdrop the colors are all the more magnified, your viewing pleasure increased. In the middle of all of this lurks a menace, one that can be both destructive and deadly. Please read on to discover the inherent dangers of the autumn season and what you must do to protect yourself and your property.

Anne Bridgeton was accustomed to taking her ’99 Camry on weekday excursions from her home in the Kentucky foothills to her job some thirty miles away. By traveling along narrow, twisting back roads and avoiding the interstate, Anne’s trip took an additional fifteen minutes each way but it was a small price to pay as one of the benefits included viewing a bucolic landscape replete with farms and forested areas, and pocketed by small stores. Somehow the sterile scenery of the interstate was more unnerving than calming, even unsettling at times. Besides, no tandem trailers took the Kentucky backgrounds unlike the interstate which was full of them. Staying out of their way was the chief reason Anne avoided the interstate.

This past October all of that changed for Anne and dramatically so. It had been a dry summer and autumn seemed to have arrived earlier than usual as the leaves changed and fell well before the month ended. In some sections along the back roads, particularly in more residential areas, leaves were piled up alongside the curb for removal by the local sanitation crews. It reminded Anne of the snowdrifts that she would soon see all winter long on her way back and forth to work.

When the phone rang, Anne assumed that it was someone at her place of work calling to ask her if she would stop by at a local farm and pick up cider and donuts. Several times during the year Anne would visit a nearby farm and pick up a treat for her office staff. As it turned out it was her mother calling to remind Anne that today was her younger sister’s birthday.

Pulling off to the side of the road, Anne turned on her emergency flashers, shut off the engine, and engaged her mother in conversation. Not three minutes went by when Anne noticed a plume of smoke rising up outside of the front passenger window. Alarmed, she cut off conversation with her mother, exited her Camry to investigate and soon saw flames shooting up from the ground. As she dialed 911 the Camry was quickly engulfed in an inferno and within moments it was destroyed. Fortunately for Anne she was unhurt -- deeply shaken -- but alive.

What happened to Anne occurs all too frequently to drivers who park their vehicles directly over leaves. Anne’s catalytic converter was the culprit and as with so many newer cars it can heat up to temperatures well over 1500 degrees. When Anne stopped her Camry right on top of the leaves, sparks from the Camry’s catalytic converter dropped down, the leaves caught fire, and her car was engulfed within minutes. Fortunately, Anne escaped with her life but her Camry was destroyed.

Take care to make sure that the season’s beauty does not lull you into forgetting potential hazards. Keep your vehicle far from leaves and only park on surfaces that are completely clear of all debris. Hundreds of fires each year are ignited by catalytic converters; remain vigilant and don’t fall prey to this deadly peril.

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Automotive Resource Guide

Finding information about past, current, and future car offerings used to be a task that involved wading through countless glossy magazines, perusing bulky sales brochures, shifting through inky newspapers, and skimming through a host of other print material of varying sizes and depths. How many of us have subscribed to 2, 4, or even 5 or more publications just to get the latest information about our favorite cars? Today, thanks to the internet, there are a host of sites available to learn more about your classic and to take a look at concept cars. I will list some of my favorites here; I hope that you will enjoy scrutinizing them as much as I have.

The Detroit News – I doubt that there is a single newspaper in the USA that matches the depth and breadth of coverage that The Detroit News provides on a daily basis about the automobile industry. It certainly makes sense that they are the leader, given that the Detroit area has long been the bastion of American automotive might. Visit www.detnews.com for more information.

Car and Driver – One of my favorite print magazines shares a lot of useful information right online. My favorite feature is their break down by make and model of every single car on the market. C&D even gives visitors full access to some really great road tests they have performed on a whole host of vehicles. Very informative: www.caranddriver.com

Auto Blog – Some of the best and most honest information can be read through this particular blog site. Vehicles of every stripe and persuasion are covered; breaking make/model information is shared, and readers are quick to add their personal comments. Sometimes the responses are hilarious, while other times they seem politically charged. No matter, the information given is certainly useful: www.autoblog.com

Edmunds – Good information on current models and they seem to have a grasp on upcoming offerings too. Compare what they write about future models and they generally have the best “off the record” information of anyone: www.edmunds.com

Car Survey – Similar to the Auto Blog, Car Survey allows users to blog in information about their vehicle. If you own a ’74 Monte Carlo, an ’83 Fairmount, or a ’95 Intrepid, then comments about your make/model are featured by owners who have the same car as you. A good place to trace the history of specific models, foreign and domestic too: www.carsurvey.com

Assorted Sites – Lastly, several smaller sites dedicated to specific car brands such as allpars.com can be extremely helpful as well as are certain commercial sites touting car parts. I also regularly refer to various car clubs and automaker sites for detailed information.

So, what is the best part of conducting research on the internet for car information? Well, two actually: it is both fast and it is usually free. Now, Google your way over and find out all the information you need about your cabriolet, your pocket rocket, your off-roader, or your minivan. Everything you need is right at your finger tips and certain to pique your interest.

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