Five years ago, most motorists viewed hybrid cars somewhere between unknown commodity and contraption. Today vehicles powered by a combination of gasoline and electricity are all the rage. Like any new technology, until you get your hands on it—in this case, on the steering wheel—it’s hard to wrap your mind around it.

Having a tough time separating hybrid truth from reality? You’re not alone. The warp-speed adoption of hybrids into popular culture—and into hundreds of thousands of American driveways—has produced more than a little confusion and misinformation. Most industry analysts predict the continued growth of gas-electric vehicles, with estimates ranging from 600,000 to 800,000 hybrid sales in the United States by 2013, so this is a good time to debunk the 10 most prevalent myths about hybrid cars.

1. You need to plug in a hybrid car.

As soon as the word “electricity” is spoken, you think of plugs, cords, and wall sockets. But today’s hybrid cars don’t need to be plugged in. Auto engineers have developed an ingenious system known as regenerative braking. (Actually, they borrowed the concept from locomotive technology.) Energy usually lost when a vehicle is slowing down or stopping is reclaimed and routed to the hybrid’s rechargeable batteries. The gas engine is also used to transfer energy to the batteries. The process is automatic, so no special requirements are placed on the driver.

Ironically, while car companies used to spend time and money explaining that hybrids need not be plugged in, a growing number of the major automakers are now introducing plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars. The ability to plug a hybrid into the electric grid overnight to charge a larger set of batteries would mean that most city driving could be done without burning a single drop of gasoline.

2. Hybrid batteries need to be replaced.

Worries about an expensive replacement of a hybrid car’s batteries continue to nag many potential buyers. Those worries are unfounded. By keeping the charge between 40 percent and 60 percent—never fully charged, yet never fully drained—carmakers have greatly extended the longevity of nickel metal hydride batteries.

The standard warranty on hybrid batteries and other components is between 80,000 and 100,000 miles, depending on the manufacturer and your location. But that doesn’t mean the batteries will die at 100,000 miles. The U.S. Department of Energy stopped its tests of hybrid battery packs—when the capacity remained almost like new—after 160,000 miles. A taxi driver in Vancouver drove his Toyota Prius more than 200,000 miles in 25 months, and after that time and mileage the batteries remained strong.

3. Hybrids are a new phenomenon.

In 1900, American car companies produced steam, electric, and gasoline cars in almost equal numbers. It wasn’t long before enterprising engineers figured out that multiple sources of power could be combined. A young Ferdinand Porsche produced the first known hybrid gas-electric prototypes…in 1900. In 1905 American engineer H. Piper filed the first patent for a gas-electric hybrid vehicle.

4. People buy hybrids only to save money on gas.

Hybrid cars top the list of the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road. Going farther on a gallon of gas—and thus reducing a car owner’s tab at the pump—is a logical advantage of a hybrid car. But car shoppers seldom buy based purely on a logical economic equation. Besides, as critics of hybrid technology frequently point out, those savings seldom add up to the extra cost of buying a hybrid over a comparable conventional vehicle.

So, if it’s not to save money, why are more and more shoppers going hybrid? Many reasons: To minimize their impact on the environment, to help reduce the world’s addiction to oil, and to earn technology bragging rights.

5. Hybrids are expensive.

Hybrids are currently available in 25 different models ranging in price from $22,000 to $103,000. The most efficient models—the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius—are available well below $30,000. By the middle of this decade, more than 50 models are expected. By that point, hybrids will represent the full range of sizes, shapes, and costs.

Rechargeable batteries, electric motors, and sophisticated computer controls do add to the cost of producing a hybrid car. However, as production numbers increase, economies of scale are expected to reduce those costs. Toyota plans to offer hybrid versions of all its most popular models and thus cut in half the incremental cost of hybrids.

6. Hybrids are small and underpowered.

The Lexus Rx400h and Toyota Highlander Hybrid share the same 270 horsepower system. The Lexus GS 450h hybrid sedan exceeds 300 horsepower and will go from 0 to 60 mph in less than six seconds.

These vehicles prove that adding an electric motor and batteries to the drivetrain does not intrinsically mean diminished performance. Combining a gasoline engine and electric motors gives engineers more control to emphasize fuel parsimony or speed, urban driving or highway cruising, large vehicles or small.

7. Only liberals buy hybrids.

The list of celebrity hybrid drivers is long. They zip around Hollywood in their Priuses and appear on talk shows extolling the virtues of hybrid vehicles. These celebrities, and other early adopters of hybrid technology, were primarily motivated by the environmental benefits. As a result, they created an easy target for naysayers to brand all hybrid drivers as tree-huggers.

In the ensuing years, Americans of all political stripes have become more aware of the economic and political costs of oil dependency. Conservative pundits claim that our petrodollars end up in the hands of repressive Middle East regimes and their patrons. As a result, we fund both sides of the war on terror. In addition, autoworkers have grown more interested in fuel-saving technologies, recognizing that they bear the brunt of Detroit’s reluctance to abandon once-profitable SUVs.

8. Hybrids pose a threat to first responders.

Now that hundreds more hybrid cars take to our roads each day, some critics have wondered if public safety agencies should be concerned about all those high-voltage battery packs zipping along at freeway speeds. Yes and no.

A first responder is often in a mad race to save the lives of accident victims. In that rush, the responder has to make dozens of rapid technical decisions about how to safely remove the passengers from the vehicle. Adding the complication of unfamiliar hybrid technology can slow things down. So, it’s the worry about potential dangers—primarily when and where to cut power—rather than the system itself that can cause a problem.

Turns out that a good amount of training—and, in case of fire, lots of water—should be most of what a first responder needs upon arriving at an accident involving a hybrid. Firefighters have coped with advancing automotive technologies for years, and they will skillfully deal with hybrid cars.

See our list of other unfounded health risks posed by hybrids.

9. Hybrids will solve all our transportation, energy, and environmental problems.

The hybrid car market is ramping up. Hybrid sales in the US grew exponentially, from 9,500 in 2000 to 350,000 in 2007.

The numbers are encouraging but must be viewed in the context of the overall car market. The 350,000 hybrid car sales in 2007 represent only 2.5 percent of the 17 million new cars sold last year. If every new hybrid driver doubled fuel economy from 20 mpg to 40 mpg for 40 miles of daily driving—an optimistic estimate—then a gallon per hybrid car would be saved every day. That’s a whopping 350,000 gallons per day saved by hybrid car drivers. But we’ve only reduced our daily US consumption from 400 million gallons to 399,650,000 gallons. Hybrid cars can only be viewed as a partial solution.

10. Hybrid technology is only a fad.

Hybrid technology is often pitted against fuel cells, diesel engines, pure electric cars and/or hydrogen as the silver bullet approach to sustainable mobility. Sustainable mobility advocates don’t see these approaches as an either-or proposition. It’s all of the above.

The ability for automotive engineers to combine systems and fuels in a single hybrid vehicle gives great flexibility in finding the greatest efficiencies at the lowest cost.

By TOM KRISHER – Businessweek.com

The Pontiac name plate is is going out of business.

The General Motors brand was known for muscle cars drag-raced down boulevards, parked at drive-ins and roared across movie screens.

The 84-year-old brand has been moribund since GM decided to kill it last year as it collapsed into bankruptcy and was in decline for years before that.

It was undone by a combination of poor corporate strategy and changing driver tastes.

GM’s agreements with Pontiac dealers expire Sunday.

Pontiac’s sales peaked at about 1 million in 1968, when the brand’s speedier models were prized for their powerful engines and scowling grills.

Chevrolet Volt

By Anil Das – IBTimes

As major automakers are planning to bring out an electric car in the near future. While the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt will be the first to enter the market, Mitsubishi and SMART’s EVs will join the fray soon. So, here are few myths about electric car befor they hit the roads.

Myth 1: Electric cars won’t be able to go far enough on a single charge.

Fact: The new Chevy Volt which will be available in 2010 will be able to go 35-40 miles before fuel is used for the electrical charge. However, many estimate that the range will be improved to 80 miles before any gasoline will be burned. The cars can be plugged in and recharged during the day for a gasoline-free commute home in the evening.

Myth 2: Electric cars will still harm the the environment.

Fact: As electric cars are more efficient, even with 52 percent of our electricity being generated by coal-fired power plants, plug-in cars reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and most other pollutants compared with conventional gas or hybrid vehicles. Besides, on a daily basis consumers are moving towards using more renewable energy to power our electricity.

Myth 3: They are too slow to be on the roads.

Fact: Electric vehicles can be fast. The linear power delivery characteristics of electric vehicles can make them extremely quick. Torque is instantly available at all RPM ranges, without the usual lag we are used to with combustion engines. Currently, Tesla roadster, which is under production can reach 0-60 kms in flat 3.9 seconds

Myth 4: Customers won’t buy cars with less than 200 miles range.

Fact: So-called ‘range anxiety’ disappears, when people get used to driving EVs on a daily basis. It’s just like charging a cell phone overnight. You plug it in, and in the morning it’s ready to go, fully charged. Recently, electric vehicle portal THINK announced a new standard for fast charging – zero to 80% charged in just 15 minutes – to help cover those rare situations when an EV will be needed for more than 100 miles in a single day.

Myth 5: The batteries won’t last.

Fact: EV batteries are designed to last at least 10 years and more than 100,000 miles. Electric vehicle portal THINK has cars on the road in Europe with batteries approaching the 10-year mark and brings that experience to modern Lithium batteries to ensure they meet that target.

Nissan LEAF

Myth 6: The technology is too complicated

Fact: A modern electric car has only about five main moving parts compared with hundreds in an internal combustion engine. There are no regular visits to the dealership for an EV. No oil changes, no filters – even brake pads last two-to-three times longer than in conventional cars, because electric vehicles use regenerative braking to recapture the energy that would otherwise be lost while braking.

Myth 8: I don’t have the right kind of plug for an electric car

Fact: Plug-In Electric Hybrid Vehicles are plugged right into ordinary household outlets (120 volts). Most can be re-charged in 30 minutes or less. Government agencies and employers are leading the charge to install re-charging stations on streets, in parking garages and at park-and-ride facilities to increase convenience.

Myth 9: Fast charging EV batteries will wear them out quickly.

Fact: Modern prismatic lithium batteries can be developed with fast-charging. The critical technology is in the cell design to manage battery temperature during charging. Limiting fast charging to the 0-80% range also protects battery life. The view is that 95% or more of all EV miles will be driven on EVs charged during overnight off-peak periods when electricity is cheaper and readily available.

Myth 10: The hype over electric cars will pass and then I’ll have an obsolete vehicle.

Fact: No, this time electric cars will not be killed. Gas prices have gone up too much and dependency oil has also gone to high. The governemnt has also made an investment of $2.85 billion in electric vehicles. Department of Energy is investing $2 billion in US-based manufacturers to produce advanced vehicle batteries and drive train components, $400 million to purchase, test, and deploy different types of electric vehicles to test their viability in the marketplace, and $300 million in cost-share projects under the “Clean Cities” program

Myth 11: Plug in hybrids are the best solution.

Fact: Carrying around the extra weight and cost of two powertrains makes little sense. In some ways, a ‘hybrid garage’ (where one car is an EV and the other a relatively fuel-efficient ‘normal car’) is probably most economical for a typical family. As plug-in hybrids get bigger and heavier, they need more batteries and stronger gas- or diesel-powered generators or engines. It becomes a ‘vicious circle’ of more cost and more weight to achieve acceptable range and performance in both modes.

Enjoy this Gallery of Strange and Unusual Custom Vehicles!

• Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber in 1844 that was later used for tires.
• In 1888, John Dunlop invented the air-filled or pneumatic tires, however, his were for bicycles. 
• In 1895, André Michelin was the first person to use pneumatic tires on an automobile, however, not successfully. 
• In 1911, Philip Strauss invented the first successful tire, which was a combination tire and air filled inner tube. Strauss’ company the Hardman Tire & Rubber Company marketed the tires. 
• In 1903, P.W. Litchfield of the Goodyear Tire Company patented the first tubeless tire, however, it was never commercially exploited until the 1954 Packard. 
• In 1904, mountable rims were introduced that allowed drivers to fix their own flats. In 1908, Frank Seiberling invented grooved tires with improved road traction. 
• In 1910, B.F. Goodrich Company invented longer life tires by adding carbon to the rubber. 
• Goodrich also invented the first synthetic rubber tires in 1937 made of a patented substance called Chemigum.

Pneumatic Tyre (Tire)
John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921) was a Scottish veterinarian and the recognized inventor of the first practical pneumatic or inflatable tyre/tire. His patent was for a bicycle tire, granted in 1888. However, Robert William Thomson (1822 – 1873) invented the actual first vulcanised rubber pneumatic tire. Thomson patented his pneumatic tire in 1845, his invention worked well but was to costly to catch on. Dunlop’s tire patented in 1888 did, and so he received the most recognition. William Thomson also patented a fountain pen (1849) and a steam traction engine (1867).

from About.com

The Inventor of the Traffic Light William L. Potts

Traffic Light Definition: A road signal for directing vehicular traffic by means of colored lights, typically red for stop, green for go, and yellow for proceed with caution.

At a Glance:

Police Officer William L. Potts of Detroit, Michigan, decided to do something about the problem caused by the ever increasing number of automobiles on the streets. What he had in mind was figuring out a way to adapt railroad signals for street use. Potts used red, amber, and green railroad lights and about thirty-seven dollars worth of wire and electrical controls to make the world’s first 4-way three color traffic light. It was installed in 1920 on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit. Within a year, Detroit had installed a total of fifteen of the new automatic lights.

The Story:
Even during the horse and buggy days, traffic in big cities was often heavy. Police officers had to be stationed full time directing traffic at busy intersections.
 
The world’s first traffic light came into being before the automobile was in use, and traffic consisted only of pedestrians, buggies, and wagons.  Installed at an intersection in London in 1868, it was a revolving lantern with red and green signals.  Red meant “stop” and green meant “caution.”  The lantern, illuminated by gas, was turned by means of a lever at its base so that the appropriate light faced traffic.  On January 2, 1869, this crude traffic light exploded, injuring the policeman who was operating it.

With the coming of automobiles, the situation got even worse. Police Officer William L.  Potts of Detroit, Michigan, decided to do something about the problem.  What he had in mind was figuring out a way to adapt railroad signals for street use.  The railroads were already utilizing automatic controls. But railroad traffic traveled along parallel lines.  Street traffic traveled at right angles. Potts used red, amber, and green railroad lights and about thirty-seven dollars worth of wire and electrical controls to make the world’s first 4-way three color traffic light. It was installed in 1920 on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit. Within a year, Detroit had installed a total of fifteen of the new automatic lights.

At about the same time, Garrett Morgan of Cleveland, Ohio realized the need to control the flow of traffic. A gifted inventor and reportedly the first African American to own an automobile in Cleveland, Ohio, he invented the electric automatic traffic light. Though it looked more like the semaphore signals you see at train crossings today.

Many others had obtained US Patents for Traffic Signals, some as early as 1918. But Morgan’s Patent was purchased by General Electric Corporation and provided the protection they needed to begin building a monopoly on traffic light manufacture.

The first signal tower with automatic lights, at Michigan and Woodward

Fun Facts:

The Morgan traffic signal was a T-shaped pole unit that featured three positions: Stop, Go and an all-directional stop position. This “third position” halted traffic in all directions to allow pedestrians to cross streets more safely.

Morgan’s traffic management device was used throughout North America until it was replaced by the red, yellow and green-light traffic signals currently used around the world.

Morganr sold the rights to his traffic signal to the General Electric Corporation for $40,000.

Shortly before his death, in 1963, Morgan was awarded a citation for his traffic signal by the United States Government.

Garrett Morgan earned US Patent No.1,475,024 issued November 20, 1923 fot his traffic signal

from autos.aol.com

People who get speeding tickets are often guilty of more than simply driving faster than the posted limit. Their chief offense? It’s getting noticed in the first place. That’s the first domino to fall in the ugly chain of events that leads to a piece of “payin’ paper.”

Here are some common sense ways to run under a cop’s radar — literally

Drive within 5-10 mph of surrounding traffic. Cops are usually looking for drivers who are going noticeably faster than the other cars on the road. If you’re within a pack of cars all going 5 to 10 mph over the limit, you’ve automatically improved your odds of not being the one that gets pulled over for a speeding ticket, even though you’re all technically speeding. The cop has to pick one car; if you go with the flow of traffic, it probably won’t be you. And it definitely won’t be you if you don’t speed in the first place.

Try to stay in the middle of the pack. If you’re the lead car, logic says you’ll be the first car to run past any cop’s radar trap up ahead and get a speeding ticket. And if you’re the last car, you’ll be the one the police officer rolls up behind. That means the safest place is in the middle — just like a gazelle fleeing a hungry lion by seeking safety in the middle of the herd.

Find a “rabbit.” If you can’t find a pack of cars going the speed you’d like to maintain, the next best thing is to find yourself a rabbit — a solitary driver traveling the speed you’d like to drive that you can follow discretely, about 50-100 yards back. If there’s a cop using radar, hopefully the rabbit will trip the trap and get a speeding ticket, not you. And if he brakes suddenly, you have just received your early warning in time to take defensive action.

Do not change lanes frequently, tailgate or otherwise drive aggressively. In addition to being rude and dangerous, you’re just asking for a trucker or someone with a cell phone to call the cops and give them a description of your vehicle and license plate number. Always use your signals and be courteous to fellow drivers. It’s safer, and it will help you fade into the background.

Avoid the fast lane. Use the far left lane to pass when necessary, but try to stay in the middle lanes when possible. Reason? If a cop is lurking in a cutout along the median strip (or coming at you from the opposite direction on a divided highway) the speeder in the far left lane is the one most likely to become the target. Drivers who get nailed with speeding tickets are often the type who rack it up to 10 or 15 over the limit and remain in the far left lane.

Watch for cutouts and modulate your speed accordingly. On many highways, there are cutouts in the median strip every couple of miles. Usually, you can see these in plenty of time to slow down a little bit in case there’s a cop lurking behind the bushes ready to give you a speeding ticket.

Don’t speed when you are the only car on the road. If you ignore this warning it’s the equivalent of plastering a “ticket me!” bumper sticker on your vehicle. Even if you’re only doing five mph over the posted limit, if there’s a cop using radar, he’s got nothing to look at but you. Lonesome speeding is even more dangerous in small towns, where radar traps and aggressive enforcement by cops can be common. And never speed late at night. Drunk-driving patrols are heavy and cops are more inclined to pull you over for any offense in order to check you for signs of alcohol. Don’t give them a reason.

If it’s OK legally, get a radar detector. Yes, they’re expensive (good ones, anyhow). But a one-time hit of, say, $300 for a decent radar detector is cheaper than even a single big speeding ticket and the higher insurance costs that will come with it. Radar detectors are legal in most states and well worth the investment to avoid a speeding ticket.

And Finally:

If possible, drive a nondescript vehicle. It may not be fair, but it’s human nature to notice things that stand out from the crowd. Bright-colored cars, those with loud exhaust or other pimped-out enhancements are the cars more likely to draw a cop’s initial attention than ordinary-looking, family-type cars. Since the cop has to single out one car, which car do you suppose is the likely candidate for a speeding ticket? The bright yellow Mustang GT with 20-inch chrome rims? Or the silver Taurus?

If you do get pulled over while driving a fancy, high-profile car, your odds of getting a speeding ticket versus a warning have probably gone up. If you’re driving a fast-looking hot rod, the cop is going to assume you use it and deserve a ticket more than the guy in a family-looking ride whose plea that he “didn’t realize he was speeding, officer” comes off as more believable.

Be aware that appearances count. That is, your appearance. If your appearance says, “Responsible member of the community,” you’re apt to get a more friendly response than if you look and act like trouble.

The worst possible thing you can do is combine all the no-no’s listed above by driving a flashy car too fast, late at night when you’re the only car on the road while looking like you just robbed a bank.

If you do that, expect a speeding ticket. And expect no mercy.