Environment friendly vehicle now on market

By Francis Sembuya Motorists concerned about the environment or high fuel prices now have the earth friendly hybrid cars. They use a combination of electricity and internal combustion, unlike electric cars that have generally flopped. But what exactly is a hybrid car? A hybrid car uses two engines, combining the power and longevity of a piston engine with the zero emission efficiency of an electric motor. An electric drive unit powers the front wheels, while the piston engine drives the rear wheels from the back of the car. On board computers determine which is the most efficient mode at a given time, whether one or both engines should power the car. These hybrid cars use the piston engine and rear brakes in what the industry is calling ‘regenerative braking’ to recharge the vehicles’ battery packs. This means no time consuming or expensive plug-ins you have on an electric car, where you need to take a vehicle to charging booths or over night charging in your garage. So, unlike previous electric -powered experiments, they do not have to be re-charged separately, the car’s generator does that when the batteries are low. Some hybrid cars being sold today include the Toyota Prius and Honda’s Insight. The Toyota Prius is a four door sedan that costs between US$17,000-20,000, a real winner for the Ken Lukyamuzi-like environment friendly die hards: It is made of 90% recyclable materials, including ultra-light weight steel in the body frame and lead free rust-proofing agents and window paints. The Toyota travels 16 miles per litre of fuel and can travel up to 100 miles an hour and go 60 miles in 14 seconds. In Japan alone, there are over 35,000 such vehicles on the road. The Honda, which has versions of hybrid engines in more popular models like Accord and Civic for mass production and distribution. Generally, reviews on these vehicles have been good. Most people say they feel, look and act like standard cars. Other reviews however, suggest that hybrid cars are not likely to be a long term solution for those seeking energy efficiency. In this new century, the institutionalisation of the air friendly auto may finally have graduated from environmental fantasy and wish lists to the assembly line. ends