...now is a hybrid vehicle. The question that comes to mind is, are hybrid vehicles worth it? With record high gas prices due to the price of oil, most car owners out there have major concerns over their gas usage. Over the past ten years, the cost of gasoline has grown 250%! The price of oil has doubled since January of this year. The high prices of oil and gas is the driving factor for most of the people to trade their gas powered vehicles for hybrid vehicles. These vehicles promise to give consumers more mileage per gallon, the truth is that only a few vehicles currently in the market actually make any sort of financial sense. There are quite a few issues with buying hybrid vehicles, even with gas prices at more than $4 a gallon. First, these vehicles are much higher in price than their gas powered counter part so, the premiums attached to their price tags do not justify extra mileage that you get. In some cases car dealers are selling popular vehicles at much higher prices than MSRP. Second, there are no laws and regulations controlling the technology, price, and the mileage per gallon required out of these vehicles. Currently, there are hybrid vehicles in the market that offer an improvement of 3MPG to 18 MPG over their gas powered counterpart. This is a huge range that needs to be controlled. Third, the demand of these vehicles is driving the prices of the vehicles even higher, if people knew that it would take many years for fuel savings to pay back the hybrid premium...
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...do not develop any substitutes to burning fossil fuels in the next few decades, people will experience a new and large-scale energy crisis. In the U.S., there is a high demand for gasoline. However, if people start to use alternatives fuel vehicles, it can lower the demand of oil, which will in turn minimize the oil-dependence and potential environmental problems. Jim Motavalli, the editor of E: The Environmental Magazine, once said in his book Forward Drive, that “At long last, technological wizardry is being applied to the automobile, with the result being a new generation of cleaner cars. The gasoline engine represents yesterday’s solution to our transportation problems” (Motavalli, XIII) Today, hybrid cars are the best solution for America’s addiction to fossil fuels because they use clean energy to power vehicles, have compatible performance compared to conventional gasoline and diesel cars, and provide economic incentive for buyers. People believe that carbon dioxide (CO2) is one the causes of greenhouse effects. Scientists claim that CO2 accumulates in the atmosphere and traps the heat from getting out of the Earth. Thus, global temperature is increasing. As the problem of global warming and greenhouse effect become more evident, Americans have to find more renewable and cleaner energy sources...
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...Hybrid Cars Hybrid Cars “Some hybrid cars are ahead of our current times. Others tend to turn heads because of their cut and dry appearance as they travel the streets. Either way, they are becoming increasingly popular. Many drivers have decided that hybrid cars are more adept because of their fuel efficiency and their ability to conserve our environment. Others appreciate the savings at the pump and admire the convenience of filling up less often” (Hewitt, Lyons, Suchocki, & Yeh, 2007). So which hybrid cars have the best technology, manufacturing, price, and impact on our environment? According to Kelley Blue Book, as of June 2012, the highest consumer rated hybrids are listed below along with their scores: 1. 2012 Toyota Prius C 9.7 / 10 2. 2011 BMW X6 9.5 / 10 3. 2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 9.4 / 10 4. 2011 Lincoln MKZ 9.2 / 10 5. 2011 Honda CR-Z 9.2 / 10 (Listing provided by Kelley Blue Book, www.kbb.com, 2012) “The 2012 Toyota Prius C is the number one choice of consumers. The biggest advantages begin with the low starting price below $20,000. It has an augmented body and great battery and powertrain position. It is great for fuel economy as it allows better than 50 miles per gallon. The size of this vehicle is also admirable because it is convenient when trying to find a place to park. The gas engine is conjoined with an electric motor and the system also holds braking energy in a nickel metal hydride battery...
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...following as the 5 top rated Hybrid cars. 1. 2016 Ford Fusion Hybrid 2. 2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid 3. 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid 4. 2016 Chevrolet Volt 5. 2016 Toyota Prius US News & World report ranking and reviews, new car rankings are based on a consensus of America's top automotive experts, as well as safety and reliability data. The reliability score contributing to the U.S. News rankings is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS).The rankings do not rely on our own tests or U.S. News editors' preferences. They combine two types of information: published reviews from respected automotive critics and safety and reliability data from third-party sources. Source: US News & World report. In analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each cars technology, price, manufacturing, and the impact on the Environment, I find that the comparisons of the 5 different models may vary slightly, but the end goal of the manufacturer is to produce a vehicle that is high on Safety and the impact on the Environment. Hybrid cars, the combination of an electric and gasoline powered car, function based upon certain principles that govern their operation. All gasoline vehicles utilize a battery, and the hybrid is no different except for the...
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...M3_A2 “A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fuel based power source for vehicle propulsion. These vehicles use much less fuel than their counterparts and produce less emissions. Hybrid vehicles recharge their batteries by capturing kinetic energy through regenerative braking. Some hybrids use the combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning a generator to either recharge the battery or directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. This takes place when cruising or in other situations where just light thrust is needed.” (Orloff) Hybrid Car Advantages Clean energy. An electric motor together with a gas powered engine make a vehicle that has lower emissions and better gas mileage. It conserves energy while having the power of a standard engine. Performance improvements. New technologies allow hybrids the same kind of performance as normal cars, and they are continuing to develop, improving efficiency, getting better mileage, and reducing emissions even further. Incentives. Varying from state to state and federally, hybrids may come with a tax benefit and savings in the form of much less money spent on fuel. Regenerative braking. Each time you brake, the battery is recharged a little, eliminating the need for stopping to recharge the battery periodically. Lower fossil fuel dependence. Because hybrids are much cleaner and require...
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...Sales of hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles fell to a 16-month low in May, dragged down by real and imagined supply constraints and increased competition from lower-priced gas-powered small cars, reports Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com, the premier online resource for automotive industry analysis. May sales of hybrid and electric-drive vehicles were off 35.8 percent from a year earlier, lead by dramatic declines in sales of Toyota and Honda models. Overall, Toyota and Lexus hybrids dropped 45.1 percent for the month. Honda, the second-largest producer of hybrids, saw its sales in the segment fall 29 percent in May. "For those selling hybrids, it is incredibly bad luck that the Japanese earthquake and associated production disruptions occurred as gas prices were reaching their highest levels in three years," said Edmunds.com Chief Economist Lacey Plache. "While Japanese automakers may well gain back their lost share on other vehicles, hybrids will face an even steeper climb back to previous levels, given the greater and growing competition from fuel-efficient, non-hybrid vehicles." Leading the slump was the decline in Toyota Prius sales, which traditionally account for about half of the hybrid market. A total of 6,924 Priuses were sold in May, down 51 percent from the same month last year. Low supply and higher prices have made the popular hybrid less palatable to consumers. A pricing analysis by Edmunds.com found that the effective cost of a new Prius was $2,500 more in May than...
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...A hybrid car is a motor vehicle that uses two or more different sources of power. In most hybrids, you will find an internal combustion engine in addition to an electrical motor. Depending on how the vehicle is driven and the availability of power, the car uses gasoline and battery power alternately. In this assignment, you will research five different hybrid cars and evaluate their impact on the environment. Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, do the following: * Identify the top five most popular choices of hybrid cars. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each car’s technology, price, manufacturing, and impact on environment. Include the scientific principles involved in the technology. * Determine which type of car would work best for you and your family. Justify your decision based on your analysis of the five hybrid cars. * Explain the impact these cars will have on the United States’ economy. Consider the following issues in your analysis: consumer buying, sustainability, recycling, and fuel economy. * Evaluate the impact that hybrid-car technology has had or could have on the United States’ political relationships with oil-producing countries. Be sure to include an analysis of economic issues such as production, supply, and trade. Describe how this technology will influence world politics. Include an analysis of economic issues such as production, supply, and trade. The top...
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...production system and lean manufacturing practice or also referred to as Toyota Production System (TPS) has been adopted by many organizations which demand sustainable high quality in their production and continual improvement (Liker, 2004). In 2014, Toyota has an estimated increase of net revenue (16.4%) from automotive sector (Toyota Motor Corporation, 2014). Besides automotive, Toyota also makes investment in other nonautomotive activities. For example, Toyota invests USD67.2 million in aerospace technology under a joint venture with Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (Xinhuanet, 2008). Product Overview Hybrid electric car (HEV) is one of the most innovative product in automotive field. It uses at least two power supplies (internal combustion engine and electric motor) to run the vehicle. Toyota is the first automaker to mass produce hybrid car, Toyota Prius in 1997 and commercialized them worldwide in 2000 (Toyota.com, 2015). As of July 2015, more than three million Toyota Prius has been sold worldwide (Toyota Global Newsroom, 2015). Toyota is going to launch the fourth generation of Toyota Prius in March 2016 and the pricing starts at £23,295. The new Prius is the first vehicle to implement Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA), an integrated development program used for cost savings and improve vehicle performance. As a result, the new Prius fuel efficiency has been increased by 10% and...
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...environment thinking about the future of our planet. In 1900 the first gas-electric hybrid car came to life and was driven at the first National Automobile Show in New York City, United States and surprisingly this car model was favored as patrons’ first choice. Unlike it was known the model came to life in 1900 but the idea was born in the early 20th century for reasons that are different than those famous in the 21st century. Feeling cars were too noisy and smelly Jacob Lohner from Vienna created the first hybrid car in coalition with the Austrian engineer, Ferdinand Porsche...
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...Expanding Hybrid Car Business in the United Arab Emirates Jason Maasen Athens State University March 5, 2013 Abstract This paper examines the subject of expanding the business of Toyota Motor Company’s hybrid vehicle, the Prius. The company is looking to expand the sales area of the Prius into what has become a highly developed and strengthening country that is open to the world of hybrid cars. The country that Toyota is targeting is the United Arab Emirates. With its quick pace and solid economic system, Toyota Motor Company believes this to be a perfect candidate for expansion. This paper will go into why this expansion will be a success. Expanding Hybrid Car Business in the United Arab Emirates Toyota Motor Company is looking to expand its hybrid car sales into new areas. As a whole, hybrid cards are beginning to gain more popularity. With higher gas prices worldwide, hybrid cars use less gasoline with advanced technology. Also, being more environmentally friendly has become more of a necessity with loss of natural resources, talk of global warming and damage to the ozone layer. The United Arab Emirates is a target that Toyota feels would be the perfect situation to expand the Prius footprint. An analysis of international business in the United Arab Emirates shows a nation that is exploding with new culture and opportunities to expand. With an influx of new architecture and businesses, and a country that is working to improve its environmental standards...
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...Research Paper on Hybrid Cars The cars we use all over the world are detrimental to our Earth’s environment. In the United States, air quality often fails to meet federal standards. Air pollution, water pollution, global warming, and ozone depletion are some of the problems we face each day that reflect the consequences of our actions. The cars we drive emit exhaust gas, whose harmful elements cause acid rain and global warming. As a result of growing environmental concerns, the US government has been trying to resolve these problems. One such solution is the Hybrid car, which can save resources by giving off less emission. However, among the many benefits of Hybrid cars, there are also some drawbacks as well. Hybrids still exhaust some emissions, and their large batteries require frequent replacement. Now, fortunately, many companies are thinking of ways to improve Hybrid cars because if we don‘t stop driving gasoline powered vehicles, the earth’s resources will be destroyed. Driving a car is the worst pollutant. Despite attempts to make engines more fuel efficient and the increase in antipollution devices, emissions from passenger vehicles are increasing in Canada and the US. The main cause of this problem is that cars are getting bigger and consumers are driving pick-up trucks and sports vehicles instead of smaller, lighter passenger vehicles. The average new car in 2001 consumed more fuel than the average car in 1988. In 1987 cars averaged 25.9 miles to the gallon in the...
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...Hybrid cars are better than standard engine cars because they are effective, environmentally friendly and inexpensively than standard engine cars. Hybrid cars are better than standard engine cars because they are effective in every way impossible. This means that they use less gas when going low speeds and then when going really fast the engine kicks for the customer’s pleasure. Another reason why hybrid cars are effective is that the engine when not in use will shut down and save you money. A hybrid car has a regenerative braking for saving energy then slows down the car and restore and reuse it. Hybrid cars are better than standard engine cars because they are environmentally friendly. This means that not a lot of CO2 is given out from...
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...Hybrid cars are essential to today's society because of their gas mileage and there role in saving the environment. Calculating cars gas mileage is not a matter of technical or mechanical ability. It is a matter of sheer rationality. With gas prices fluctuating on a daily basis’s, it takes a savvy spender to understand that the more miles your car has to the gallon the better off your pockets will be. Hybrid vehicle are designed to reduce two things, fuel consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases from our cars are a major issue. These gases are released into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Hybrid vehicles can sustain an amount of level well below average. Hybrid car are more practical because they can travel longer distances. With Gas price affecting all aspects of life, the price of traveling has gone up to. If you have a family, there is a good chance you’re going to drive somewhere rather than fly. Hybrid car are able to drive long distances with the help the dual use of the engineering used. This allows consumers to travel with the space need with a vehicle and still benefit to the gas save privilege of a hybrid while saving the environment. Hybrid cars offer more for mile pre distance that and electric. Electric car are ideal to purchase only if they were able to drive longer than 300 miles per charge and take hours for them to charge. Hybrids cars are becoming full time family cars. Consumers are becoming more and more conscious...
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...Toyota Hybrid Cars and Legal Issues Introduction Automobile industry is a faster growing industry nowadays than any other industry. Most car manufacturers face the challenge of providing the best quality products to remain competitive to retain or regain market share during this tough economic times. Every organization has the opportunity to make more profit than their competitors do by improving delivery method and its impact on the company’s turnover. Toyota Corporation has implemented different plans and techniques to remain competitive and make profit. One of the innovative plans Toyota Corp. created is the Prius. The Prius brought about a major revolution in car manufacturing industry, and opened a place in the market for hybrid vehicles. Although Toyota experiences worldwide successes, they are constantly under the watch full eyes of the general public and the government because of the many serious allegations and lawsuits brought against the Company. This paper will examine the first mover advantage of Toyota got by launching Prius. The initiatives undertaken by Toyota to bring their environmental friendly hybrid into the market will be discussed. Additionally, we will point out the many legal issues Toyota currently facing in the marketing environment. These issues will be analyzed and discussed in further detail such as: (1) intellectual property protection; (2) the legal and business concepts of ethics; (3) and the product liabilities and warranties...
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...Why the Government Should Subsidize Hybrid Cars In the midst of an economic recovery and an energy crisis, the United States of America is at the brink of much political debate. One major political dispute arises as to whether or not hybrid cars should be subsidized. According to our research, the economy would be more sustainable and prosperous if the government subsidized the purchase of and research and development of hybrid vehicles. The sales of hybrid cars have steadily declined by 53% within the past year, which is rather detrimental to society. Incentives to buy hybrid cars are too insignificant because technology has not yet been able to produce them at affordable prices. Subsidies should be provided because positive externalities are not accurately reflected in the cost. America desperately needs to create solid energy policies in order to thrive domestically and internationally. With an inadequate amount of attention directed towards environmental and energy issues, America should embrace hybrid vehicles in order to reduce our consumption of foreign oil, thwart the threat of global warming, and implement innovative techniques to use energy more efficiently. To support our findings, we will explore the negative externalities associated with a petroleum-based economy and emphasize the magnitude of environmental benefits that could be reached with more hybrid vehicles. Further we will use economic analysis to justify that the implementation of these subsidies...
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