Most people love their cars to the extreme, but with the constant skyrocketing of gasoline prices, a lot of people are pressed to think of alternatives. For those who want to cut back on fuel money, they may consider buying hybrid cars.

Hybrid cars are a combination of the features of gasoline-powered vehicles and electric cars. The advantage that hybrid cars hold over conventional cars is that they produce fewer emissions and adds considerable mileage.

But first, where did these cars came from and how are they made?

The very first electric vehicle was created by Robert Anderson from Aberdeen, Scotland in 1839. Later in 1870, Sir David Salomon came up with a vehicle equipped with a lightweight electric motor, along with storage batteries that were much too heavy. Predictably, the speed and the range of the car were not so desirable.

Over the years, several automobile manufacturers such as General Motors have improved on the concept of the electric cars, which later evolved into the hybrids that we know today. The most popular of these hybrids are the Insight from Honda and the Prius from Toyota.

These two exceptional vehicles can be used to explain the intricate and sophisticated technology of hybrid cars.

1. Honda Insight

The Insight runs on a system called “Integrated Motor Assist,” a term coined by Honda to describe its electric motor attached to the engine at the position usually occupied by the flywheel. This model has two kinds of transmission, the regular, manual transmission and the automatic one.

The advantages of the electric motor on the Insight are the following:

-It can support the gasoline engine by giving off additional power while the vehicle is climbing up or going down a hill.

-The motor can start the engine by itself without the aid of a starter.

-Captures energy while on the process of braking.

The Insight relies on three main areas for efficiency:

-It makes use of lightweight aluminum for its body to reduce the total weight of the vehicle.

-Utilizes a small engine which operates efficiently, which weighs around 124 pounds only.

-It makes use of advanced aerodynamics. The teardrop shape of the car has a lot to do with its performance.

2. Toyota Prius

The Prius utilizes the power split device, an ingenious gearbox that connects the gasoline engine with the electric motor and generator. This allows the car to function like both parallel and series hybrids. The car does not need a starter also, because the device can make the generator start the engine.

Since the vehicle is on planetary gear set, the speed of the electric motor combined with the ring gear spin decides how fast the car will run.

These cars does not require their batteries to be recharged, because the generator located onboard the vehicles monitors the right amount of energy in the batteries.

Both Toyota and Honda allot long warranties for their hybrid models. Both the Insight and the Prius are on eight-year warranties, and their batteries and motors usually do not need maintenance over the duration of the vehicle.

Since its first production commercially in the 1990’s, the number of hybrid cars models had swollen into gargantuan volumes.

In 2004, some 80,000 hybrid vehicles (cars and trucks included) were sold, reaching a some 17 million USD in total sales, in the US alone. In 2005, about 200,000 hybrids cars, with different models, were sold. This singular sale represented the total of 1.2 percent of all cars sold in the US, in the same year. Some authorities believe that that by 2007, some 400,000 hybrid vehicles will be sold in the US.

The Toyota Prius, however, rules supreme over other hybrid car models. With 107,897 units sold for the year 2005, which represented 52% of the total hybrid market, Toyota Prius is currently unbeatable. The next most popular hybrid was the Honda Civic Hybrid, which sold over 25,000 vehicles.

Here’s a look at different models of hybrid cars

2005 Honda Civic Hybrid. This is a 4 door/5 seat sedan, with automatic or manual CVT for its transmission. MPG is 47city/ 48 hwy, while the range per fillup is 650 miles. Base on 2005 pricing, this model is worth $19,800 per unit in the US.

This model boasts of such features as full climate control, a Micron air filtration, and built with an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). It has Cruise Control, Power windows, mirrors and door locks, together with AM/FM/CD audio system with 4 speakers.

2005 Honda Accord Hybrid. This one is4 door and 5 seat midsize sedan. Transmission is 5-speed automatic, while the mileage (mpg) is 29 city/ 37 hwy. Range per fillup is 600 miles (1000 km). Based on the 2005 Base Retail Price, this car worth $30,000 in the US.

This hybrid car model’s notable features are its unique hybrid air-conditioning system, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Grade logic control, a Driver’s seat with 8-way power adjustment, and a Satellite-linked navigation system. The last feature, though, is optional for the owner.

Another hybrid car model from Honda that made it to the list is its 2005 Insight. It has 3 doors and two seat coupe. Transmission is CVT automatic or 5-speed manual. Mileage (mpg) is 60 city/ 70 hwy (3.2L/100km), while its range per fillup is 600 miles (1000 km).

Retail price is pegged at 2003 Price: $19,080 – $21,280 in the US.

In terms of features, this hybrid car model has full climate control, a CFC-Free Air Conditioning, with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), and an Electronic instrument display. It also has a tachometer, power windows and mirrors; door locks; and AM/FM Stereo/Cassette System.

2005 Toyota Prius. Of course, the first among the hybrid car models to successfully reached the US market is included among the best. This one is 4 door and a 5 seat sedan with a liftback. Transmission is CVT automatic, while mileage (mpg) is 60 city/ 51 hwy. range per fillup is 566 miles. Based on the 2005 Base Retail Price, this model is $20,875 per unit, in the US.

This one has a full climate control, a CFC-Free Air Conditioning and an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). Also comes with central instrument display, LCD energy monitor, power windows and mirrors, door locks with deluxe AM/FM ETR/Cassette with 4 speakers.

2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. The Ford answer with Japanese cars is this 4 door/5 seat SUV unit. Transmission is CVT automatic with a mileage (city/hwy) of 2wd 31/36 | 4wd 29/33. Range per fillup is 400 to 600 miles. It has manual Air Conditioning, with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), a roof rack with 2 horizontal bars and also comes with power windows and mirrors, door locks, and AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD system. The price based on 2005 $26,970

2006 Lexus RX 400h. This hybrid car model is a 4 door/5 seat SUV unit. Transmission is ECVT automatic, a 31city/ 27hwy mileage (mpg), and the range per fillup is 450 to 530 miles. The retail price is $48,500

This one has dual-zone automatic climate control, and an exclusive Lexus 8-speaker sound system, 6-disk CD, power tilt and slide moon roof, transceiver to operate garage doors, lights, and part-time all-wheel drive (AWD).

The 2005 hybrid car models include some of the best and ingenious ones. Car experts believe that other models in the future will just take their improvement from this most productive year in the history of hybrid cars.

Hybrid vehicles boast of an all-encompassing operational system. They operate by combining an electricity-run motor, a diesel engine and maximum-powered batteries. The battery gives off energy for the electric motor and recharges when it recaptures the energy that is usually lost when the car is lessening its acceleration or while it is coasting.

How Hybrid Cars Work

The distinction of the full hybrid from the mild variety is that the electric motor and the diesel engine can operate on its own. In most instances, the electric motor can function by itself in low speed, and once it picks up, the diesel engine automatically takes over. Both the motor and the engine can function together if the car is in hard acceleration.

This combined effort provides the car the power that it needs for that situation. Full hybrid cars can consume and build up electricity simultaneously. The full hybrid setup can be found in models such as the popular Toyota Prius, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, and the Escape hybrid from Ford.

For instance, one can look at the way the Toyota Prius works. The Prius runs on a technology called the Hyrbid Synergy Drive, which involves a power split device to combine the energy of the electric motor and the gas engine. The HSD enables a effortless switching of power sources that the car driver would not notice in the slightest while driving.

Unlike the other mild hybrid types, the Prius can be operated by the electric motor alone powered by the battery pack. As a result, a motorist can drive silently for short amounts of time. The Honda hybrids on this level cannot function just by the electric motor.

While speeding up a highway, the Prius utilizes the diesel engine as its main operator, and can get assistance from the generator if needed. Then this hybrid car shuts off the gas engine automatically during stops. This contributes greatly in mileage improvement and produces less emission.

Diesel VS Hybrid

A good case in point is Ford’s hybrid version of the Escape SUV, which boasted of emitting less than a pound of smog substances for every 15,000 miles the vehicle runs. This is a great improvement considering that traditional diesel-powered light trucks emit around 105 pounds of smog pollutants for the same 15,000-mile distance. Even regular cars produce 67 pounds!

So really, there isn’t going to be much argument over the great savings a consumer can gain with a hybrid vehicles. Sure, it comes at a cost, but its long term gains truly outweigh the initial price shock. After, over time, when more people realize the merits of hybrid vehicles, supply will definitely go up and push prices down.

Environmentally-conscious individuals would find heaven with hybrid cars. However, since they are just being introduced in the market, they can come at quite an expense. With increased patronage, it is hoped that more hybrid cars will become accessible to everyone in the future.

Robert Kelly smiles when you call him a tinkerer. The evidence is plain to see.

Inside the kitchen of Kelly’s home, a converted school house built in the late 18th century, is a large island with a granite countertop that is located in the middle of the room.

“That was last year’s project,” Kelly says.

Outside his house are large piles of wood, fuel for the wood stove he plans to install. Walk over to the garage, and you’ll see Kelly’s latest project, one that took all summer.

An electric car.

Home-made

But this isn’t some store-bought electric vehicle. It’s home-made. Kelly, a builder and musician, bought a 1997 Volkswagon Jetta for $1,000 from a local auto dealer last spring and spent the whole summer converting it from gas to electric power.

Although he’s still putting the finishing touches on his car, the vehicle is operational, and has a range of between 30 and 50 miles.

“I’ve been to Lee,” Kelly said. “But the speedometer isn’t working, so I’m guessing at my mileage.”

A former mechanic, Kelly said he has always been interested in finding alternative ways to make things operate.

“That’s always fascinated me,” he said.

Research

While spending the last few years researching different vehicles that use alternative fuels, Kelly learned of clubs that have been formed by car converters.

Last spring, he attended a meeting of the New England Electric Auto Association in Killingworth, Conn., which has around 30 members. (Another electric car association is based in Amherst).

“I was pleased to find a support group to deal with all of this,” Kelly said. “Lots of times I head into a project and I don’t know if it will work or not.”

Encouraged by what he learned at the meeting, Kelly said he purchased the Jetta a week after returning to Great Barrington.

“Jettas are pretty solid cars,” he said. “They have a strong frame. People I know have done Jettas before.”

Launching the project

He began converting the car at the end of May. The biggest challenge, Kelly said, was removing all of the car’s internal combustion mechanisms, including the engine and the gas tank. The car still has it’s original transmission, but it’s powered now by a series of 12-volt batteries, the majority of which are located in the trunk for balance.

NEEAA president Bob Rice, a retired Amtrak engineer who lives in Connecticut, sold Kelly an electric motor for $1,500. He said Kelly struggled mightily with a device that powers the electric motor.

“It kept shorting out, but apparently he got it going,” Rice said. “A lot of us are shade-tree mechanics. We’re sort of like Henry Ford except we don’t go into this to make money.”

“When he came here, he started cold,” Rice said, referring to Kelly’s first trip to an association meeting last spring. “But he never gave up. He stuck it out.”

Rice said interest in converting cars from gas to electricity is growing, especially with the increase in gas prices.

“I worked for electric car companies, and when gas was 23 cents a gallon no one cared,” Rice said. “Now it’s a different thing.”

Kelly said the entire conversion cost him $10,000, a price that Rice said is not unusual.

“I tell people that electric cars are an expensive hobby, like gambling, women and boats,” he said.

The flip side is Kelly believes using the electric car will save him around $800 in fuel costs per year.

Local trips

Kelly, who has two other cars, said he plans to use the electric vehicle for local trips. He said his wife, Melinda, a counselor at Muddy Brook Regional Elementary School in Great Barrington, could use the vehicle to drive to and from work.

Melinda Kelly said the conversion project is part of the family’s decision to become more in synch with the environment. Installing the woodstove is another piece of that plan, she said.

She’s not surprised Robert decided to convert a car.

“When he takes something on he really tries to do it the best he can,” she said. “He likes projects like that.”

“This is something he has a mind for,” Melinda said. “I can’t comprehend it, but sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and he’s up studying diagrams that I can’t figure out.”

At this morning’s preview to the 2008 Sydney motor show at Darling Harbour, Holden confirmed the Chevrolet Volt electric car will be on sale in Australia in 2012.

The announcement came as a shock from a car maker whose previous show stoppers were defined by their big V8s and sporty looks. At this year’s Melbourne motor show, for example, Holden unveiled a souped up Monaro powered by a massive V8.

The local unveiling of the Volt marks a turning point for the world’s biggest car maker which in January predicted the end of cheap oil was imminent and sent the rest of the car world into a spin – and engineers into their laboratories.

Almost every major car maker has since confirmed it is working on a plug-in electric car or some other fuel efficient vehicle.

The price of the Volt would not be confirmed until it goes on sale but it is expected to cost in excess of $30,000.

The Volt is about the same size as a Holden Astra sedan and can run on battery power alone for 64km. Studies in the US show that this covers the average daily commute for 78 per cent of drivers in North America. The Volt takes between three and eight hours to recharge and GM estimates the energy bill is equivalent to a household refrigerator.

However, the Volt has a total driving range of more than 1000km because a small petrol-powered motor is used to run a generator which, in turn, recharges the car’s battery pack while on the move.

Holden’s chairman and managing director, American Mark Reuss, who has been in the job for only eight months, used his contacts in Detroit to fast-track the Volt coming to Australia.

Indeed, the Volt’s Sydney appearance is its first outside the US and only the second public showing globally.

A statement issued by Holden said: “It is a reflection of the importance of the Australian market for General Motors that a vehicle as significant as Volt has been provided for this show. This technology is potentially the most exciting addition to GM’s range of alternative fuels on the horizon … by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

At the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Hyundai displayed a hybrid version of its Santa Fe small SUV. This hybrid powertrain uses a 2.4-liter gas engine complemented by a 40 horsepower electric motor that generates 151 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission delivers this combined power to the wheels. But the real innovation in Hyundai’s hybrid system is the use of a 270 volt lithium polymer battery pack. Hyundai says that lithium polymer has greater energy density than lithium ion, can take more recharging cycles, and is cheaper to manufacture. In the Santa Fe Hybrid, this system returns 38 miles per gallon fuel economy.

The Santa Fe Hybrid demonstrates a hybrid powertrain that has been under development since 1999, although Hyundai introduced its current form in 2004. This hybrid system uses idle-stop to save gas, and recaptures energy from braking to recharge the battery. Hyundai intends to market its first hybrid, an Elantra, in Korea next year. No word on if or when Hyundai will make a hybrid available in the U.S.

See all coverage of the 2008 Paris Motor Show

Global auto makers are rushing to challenge the dominance of Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius hybrid with a slew of ecofriendly vehicles. But Honda Motor Co. is likely to pose the most formidable threat to Toyota when it unveils its new Insight hybrid car Thursday at the Paris Auto Show.

Honda is betting that the five-passenger hatchback, set to go on sale next spring, will steal away Prius buyers by delivering greenness for fewer greenbacks. Honda has yet to disclose many details about the car or its cost, and it calls the car to be shown in Paris a concept, but it says Insight “will be priced significantly lower than hybrids available today.” Analysts expect the model will cost less than $20,000, undercutting the current $22,000 starting price of the Prius.

“It will be the first affordable hybrid for everyone,” says Tatsuo Yoshida, an analyst for UBS Securities Research in Tokyo.

New hybrid models are also on the way from Nissan Motor Co., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., among others. But Honda and Toyota have an advantage thanks to their substantial lead in developing hybrid technology, analysts say. Toyota, including its luxury brand Lexus, had a 79% share of the U.S. hybrid car and light-truck market in the January-August period this year, according to Autodata Corp. Honda was a distant second with 11% of the market, followed by Ford with 6%.

Other auto companies are also coming up with different fuel-efficient technologies, such as GM’s Volt, a plug-in hybrid, and Nissan’s planned pure electric vehicle. Chrysler recently announced plans to release an electric vehicle by the end of 2010. But these newer technologies are still untested, expensive and will be available only in small volumes at first, compared with the basic gas-electric hybrids like the Prius and the new Insight.

Toyota says it aims to sell about 160,000 Priuses in the U.S. this year, while Honda expects to sell about 100,000 Insights domestically in that model’s first year.

Like the Prius, the Insight only will be available as a hybrid. That appeals to consumers who want to emphasize their ecofriendly credentials. By contrast, the hybrid versions of the Honda Civic, Ford Escape and Toyota Highlander look just like their gasoline-powered counterparts except for small badges saying “hybrid” on the side panels or rear.

Toyota and Honda designed different hybrid systems, each with different strengths. Toyota’s “full” hybrid setup weds a battery-powered vehicle with a gasoline engine. At slower speeds, the Prius can run on battery power alone. At higher speeds it switches mainly to gas power. In stop-and-go traffic in the city, the battery power gives it better mileage than on the highway.

Honda’s Insight will use a “mild” hybrid system. Its main power source will be a highly efficient, lightweight gasoline engine, but it will be assisted by battery power. Honda hasn’t released the projected mileage of the Insight, but it is expected to be higher than the Honda Civic hybrid, which gets 45 miles per gallon on the highway and 40 mpg in the city, according to Environmental Protection Agency ratings. The Prius also gets 45 mpg on the highway, but has a substantial edge in city driving with an EPA rating of 48 mpg.

Bruce Smith, a retired retailer in Orange County, Calif., who is a longtime owner of BMWs, drives 135 miles four times a week to look after his grandson, and wanted a fuel-efficient car. After doing research on the Prius and Honda’s Civic hybrid, which uses technology similar to what will be deployed in the Insight, he opted for the Toyota because it drives on battery power more than Honda’s offering.

“In stop-and-go traffic on our LA freeways, you can be going for five, 10 minutes or more just cruising along and the [gasoline] engine never starts” in the Prius, says the 55-year-old Mr. Smith. He says he gets 52 mpg on the highway and 54 mpg if traffic is heavy.

Toyota hasn’t been able to sate the market’s demand for the Prius and that should help Honda sell its Insight, says Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst at market researcher Global Insight Inc. “I think they’ll sell every one they make,” Mr. Bragman says.

For its part, Toyota says it welcomes the competition. “Any contribution heightening public awareness of alternative powertrains is welcome,” says Paul Nolasco, a spokesman for Toyota in Tokyo.

Honda was the first auto maker to introduce a hybrid to the U.S. with a two-seater, also called the Insight, in 1999. But it didn’t catch on like the four-seat Prius, and Honda eventually stopped producing the model.

Honda plans to introduce hybrid versions of other models, including a sporty compact car, with a goal of selling 500,000 hybrids a year world-wide by early next decade. Toyota, meanwhile, aims to reach annual sales of one million hybrids globally by the same time.

A Quick Look On 2006 Hybrid Cars

Demand for hybrid cars has sharply grown over the past three years, as pump prices continue to surge and eating a considerable part of the household budget.

Hybrid cars may not be the complete solution to rising oil prices but they are very economical, as they rely more on electricity instead of gas for power. For 2006, business conditions have remained turbulent. The current crisis in Israel and Lebanon will likely have an adverse effect on oil markets given that they are very near the world’s top oil producers.

Other issues that will keep gas prices high include China’s demand, terrorist attacks on refineries and volatility in stock markets. Is 2006 finally the right time to jump on the bandwagon for hybrid cars? For 2006, the top Japanese car makers Honda and Toyota have released an impressive line of hybrid cars that have been updated to conform with the demands of the daily driver.

The hybrid cars for 2006 promises more power behind the steering wheel but gas consumption will be comparable to a child guzzling a bad-tasting cough syrup.

Honda 2006 Accord Hybrid

The new Accord Hybrid from Honda is 4-door sedan ideal for families with 2-3 kids. This car comes in two trims and 5-speed automatic transmission. Overdrive option is standard equipment. For those that enjoy long and leisurely rides, Honda is offering a Accord Hybrid equipped with a Navigation system.

Both trims are powered by a standard V6, 3.0-liter, 253-horsepower engine. The Accord Hybrid is capable of 25-mpg in city driving and 34-mpg in highway driving.

The Honda Accord Hybrid is well suited for the highways and boasts of excellent responsiveness and outstanding acceleration.

Initial impressions

The 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid has been criticized for its disappointing fuel economy but lauded for its outstanding performance especially in fast-driving. The car battery used in the car is relatively low in power and supposed does not effectively maximize the hybrid technology unlike rival models.

Some users have also been critical over the “rough” automatic transmission shifting between gears and poor flawed synchronization between engine and battery.

Honda 2006 Civic Hybrid

The new Honda Civic Hybrid is a 4-door sedan ideal for small families. The vehicle comes in two trims namely the the CVT AT-PZEV w/ Navigation System and the CVT AT-PZEV

A standard I4 1.3-liter 110-horsepower hybrid engine powers the 2006 Civic Hybrid car. This model has the capability to run 49-mpg in city driving and 51-mpg in highway drives.

Initial impressions

The 2006 Civic Hybrid car is a top-notch performer especially for who are looking for the perfect driving experience. The interior has been lauded for its attractive lay-out and design. Gas consumption is exceptional, as delivers near or slightly above its specifications.

However, the 2006 Civic Hybrid has been criticized more on its ambitious despite. The digital speedometer is a nice new touch but can be distracting especially during night drives. The Civic Hybrid only comes with rear drum brakes, which is disappointing considering that the Civic has been named car of the year.

The hand brake is also placed on odd location and will be discomforting for those with large thighs. The 2006 Civic Hybrid is a “driver’s car” and will perform best when used in the highways.

2006 Toyota Prius

Updated for 2006, the new Toyota Prius is a 4-door sedan, ideal for small families. This hybrid car only comes in one trim has a 4-Door Liftback.

The 2006 Toyota Prius is powered with by a standard I4, 1.5-liter, hybrid engine running 110-horsepower. In city driving, the Prius can achieve 60-mpg and 51-mpg in highway driving.

Initial impressions

The Prius features a spacious interior that can easily fit small families. Ideal for pedestrian drivers but those conscious with performance should stay away, as acceleration is slow. In addition, consumers have also been disappointed over the inability of the car to reach its advertised consumption and high price. For those tht want to save the world the Prius is great but look the other way if you want to save money.