Ford Motor Co. is slated to release its first ever hybrid sedan, the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid within the next year. This will be a vehicle that company spokesmen say, features new hybrid technology that will enable it to surpass the fuel economy of other competitive hybrids such as the Toyota Camry. The Fusion hybrid will get 41 miles per gallon in cities and 36 miles per gallon on highways; 8 miles per gallon more in the city and 2 miles per gallon on highways more than the Camry hybrid, the closest competitive midsize sedan to the Fusion.

The 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid features a revamped battery, and overall a powerful, lighter structure, which allows the vehicle to operate purely on electrical power of up to 47 miles per hour, after which the four-cylinder gasoline engine will switch on as the main power source in order to recharge the battery. This is almost twice the speed at which the Toyota Camry hybrid transitions to gasoline power, making the Fusion much more efficient and environment-friendly. It’s estimated that this could potentially allow Fusion drivers to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 miles per tank while driving in the city; according to Ford’s Hybrid Applications Manager, Gil Portalatin, “Under the right conditions, you can drive in your neighborhood or mall parking lots without using a drop of gasoline.”

Another significant upgrade in Ford’s hybrid technology comes in the form of improved regenerative braking. This is a process which allows the energy that is normally lost during breaking, to be harnessed as usable energy by the car’s electric battery, which will become more efficient. According to Ford, it’s estimated that as much as 94 percent of the braking energy will be harnessed in the Fusion hybrid, elevating it significantly above its competitors.

Perhaps the most innovative upgrade featured in the Fusion’s new hybrid technology is Ford’s SmartGuage with EcoGuide, an LCD display located on either side of the speedometer that’s intended to coach drivers for optimal fuel efficiency. The displays will provide information pertaining to fuel economy, battery and fuel levels, while also featuring a screen that will show either growing or withering green vines according to the efficiency of the driving, offering drivers a simple way to determine whether or not their driving habits are saving or burning fuel.

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The fact cannot be denied that electrical and electronic components are needed in a car. Auto parts like the Volvo relay which performs a variety of operations that is needed in order for the car to perform efficiently is quite indispensable.

While the use of electricity in a car is a common knowledge, another application of electricity on cars is just recently developed. This is in the form of hybrid electric vehicles that not only uses the stored electricity in its battery to operate some features of the car but also uses it to drive the car. Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius is already enjoying success in the market due to the fact that hybrid cars are more fuel efficient than conventional vehicles.

Odyne Corporation is one of the principal developers of innovative plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – this means cars that can be charged via a common household socket. The corporation though is known for integrating this technology on trucks and buses.

And recently, the corporation presented their technology to fleet managers in the New York and California areas. Roger M. Slotkin, chief executive officer of the company, was given the honor of presenting their innovative technology on different alternative energy forums. Slotkin emphasized on his talks the distinct advantages of their technology in terms of the powertrain involved and battery management. He recently made an appearance at the Western Riverside Clean Cities Coalition’s 8th Annual “Advancing the Choice” affair.

At the said event, Slotkin addressed a host of fleet managers from the Southern California area. He talked about the present problem of fleet managers in meeting tough emission standards. The advantages of using their plug-in hybrid technology were given emphasis and how it can solve the current problem on emission of fleet managers. Slotkin also pointed out that their technology will help in boosting the growing compressed natural gas fuel infrastructure. He stated that CNG fuel hybrids with plug-in capability will not only reduce the emission of buses and truck but will also help another growing sector which focuses on alleviating the countries dependence on imported fossil fuel based gasoline and diesel fuels.

Slotkin also presented their technology’s benefits to fleet managers in New York on January 31 of this year. The event is a hybrid truck technology seminar and Odyne Corporation presented during the event their current lineup of hybrid vehicles. Slotkin also tackled their company’s dedication in the development of the technology for use in the transportation and sanitation markets.

Another advantage of the plug-in hybrid technology is that it reduces fuel consumption by as much as 50 percent. That figure, of course, depends on several factors like road and driving conditions and load that is carried by the trucks or buses. Plug-in hybrid vehicles also have relatively lower operating and maintenance costs. The cut in expenditures in maintaining a truck or bus will surely be good news to fleet managers since any money saved in maintenance can go to other areas of their business.

While hybrid vehicles can be easily outperformed by conventional ones at constant speed, Odyne Corporation claims that their hybrid technology will be helpful on driving conditions where numerous acceleration and deceleration is required.

The presentation of Odyne Corporation of their developed technology to fleet managers is vital in promoting cleaner trucks and buses. This is in consonance with the effort of the government and the global community as a whole in reducing dependence on the fossil fuel reserves. While the technology alone cannot wipe away the reliance of the automotive industry on fossil fuel, it is a step in the right direction.

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A hybrid-electric vehicle, or HEV, combines an electrical energy storage system with an occupied means of generating electrical energy, usually through the consumption of some type of fuel. Each type of HEV has its own operating quality and chosen design practices, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

The development of interior ignition engine vehicles, especially in automobiles, is one of the supreme achievements of modern technology as a new rising energy saving and environment -friendly vehicle, that is why the hybrid-electric vehicles were created to give convenience to every human.

In the process of creating the hybrid electric car, the most important is the energy saving and the environmental protection. Wherein nowadays this are the common problems faced by the society.

Having the hybrid-electric car evolved from the electric car. However, the main disadvantage of the electric car is that it is mainly dependent on the batteries. Therefore, has limited range.

First of all, the hybrid electric car was supposed to be an electric vehicle with batteries for power storage and is also equipped with an on-board heat engine-powered generator. This means that this type of hybrid has an extended range.

The heat engine power and the battery power are specifically intended as an important scheme that constantly modulates the excess between the heat engine and the battery power systems. This will also depend on the driving schedule.

Since the beginning of the use of automobiles, electric cars have been already recognized and conceptualized. Even though the electric power train is better in various aspects, as an energy source, the battery was unequal to the superior-energy content, easiness in terms of the handling, and inexpensive and profuse supplies of motor fuel.

Now, it has almost been a century since the electric car has been popularly discussed, but recent developments in the HEV technology and the growing concerns for the environment has revived the drive for an HEV and this has become a realization today.

We can consider the personal means of transportation as a very important bond in the economic chain of current modern societies and that a private vehicle appears to be the popular choice.

Electric vehicles are more energy efficient than the contemporary vehicles wherein the electric vehicles operates at approximately 46 percent of effectiveness, while a contemporary vehicle operates at about 18 percent only.

There are studies that generally concludes that electric cars with batteries are approximately 10 to 30 percent more efficient with energy than the usual gasoline cars, depending on the exact assumptions of the vehicles energy usage and energy chain efficiency.

Certainly, the comparisons of the electric vehicles and the conventional vehicles are comparisons between an extremely developed power system that is nearly in the end of its research and development, and the innovative power system in the beginning stages of the development wherein important development can be expected as the new technology evolves.

Furthermore, the advantages of electric powered modes of transportation extends beyond the true outlook of economizing energy. Electric generation plants can use substitute fuels that are not adaptable to portable power systems.

Electric vehicles are the definitive alternative fuel vehicles because their power is taken from the source fuels utilized to produce electricity. Aside from that, the flexibility of the fuel alone can offer important useful and economic advantages especially in relation to a variety of energy resources.

The electric car is truly a promising technology that could transform one’s means of transportation into a far more environmentally type of commodity. Through this innovation emission controls become more important, effective and economically beneficial.

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