Alternative Fuel For
Vehicles
*Hybrid Vehicles*
Lauren Del Vecchio
Ashley Gavin
Mr. Dawson
Earth Science
May 12, 2006
Period:5
Introduction
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Hybrid cars have been around for hundreds of years. But
only recently have they perfected. They offer a new way of
living a cleaner less expensive life.
What is a Hybrid Car?
A hybrid car is a vehicle that runs on ,not only
gasoline but a rechargeable battery. These batteries help
to reduce fuel emissions because the hybrid engine
takes energy from that battery when it is accelerating.
Also, hybrid gasoline engines can shut off when the car
is fully stopped and run off the electricity gained from
the battery. Picture: Honda Civic Hybrid
Why was the hybrid car developed?
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The hybrid car was invented
to help people save money
when the gas prices get to
high for them to handle. The
hybrids car was also invented
to protect the quality of air
because it lets out less
harmful emissions and to
save natural and
nonrenewable resources.
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Picture: Hybrid Vehicle
How dose a Hybrid Car Work ?
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A gasoline-electric hybrid car has both an electric motor and a gasoline
motor, it also consists of a rechargeable battery for the electric engine.
Inside the hybrid car the two motors that work together to put the vehicle
in motion. The gas in the car is used to power the gasoline engine and the
“electric batteries supply power to the car’s electric motors”. Some of the
new hybrids are now converting kinetic energy into electric energy to
power than batteries.
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“ABC News: See How a Hybrid Car Works”
Hybrid Timeline
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1839: Robert Anderson invents the first electric vehicle
1870: Sir David Salomon invented a car with a light
electric motor with very heavy storage batteries.
1886: The first electric Taxi Cab is invented in England
1888: Immisch & Company built a four-passenger
carriage powered by one-horsepower motor and 24-cell
battery. Magnus Volk in England made a three-wheeled
electric car.
1890-1910: Improvements in the batteries used were
taking place.
The first picture on the left is an electric car from the 1900’s. On the left is a hybrid car
from 2000.
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1898: Ferdinand Porsche built the first hybrid
car.
1900: American companies made 1,575 electric
and 936 electric cars. Pieper introduced a hybrid
car with a gasoline engine and an electric engine
under the seat.
1905: H. Piper filed a patent for a petrol-electric
hybrid vehicle.
1966: U.S. Congress made the first bill
recommending the use of electric cars to save
the environment.
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1970: The hybrid “VW Taxi” was invented due
to high costs of oil .
1979: A hybrid car was built out of a
lawnmower engine.
1991: The United States Advanced Battery
Consortium (USABC) launched a program to
make a “super” battery for the hybrid car to run
off of.
1991: The Toyota Pruis went public in Japan.
Sold nearly 18,000
1999: Honda Insight was released in the U.S.
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2000: Toyota Prius was the first four –door
sedan available in the U.S.
2002: The Honda Civic Hybrid was invented in
the U.S.
2004: Toyota Pruis 2 won 2004 Car of the Year
Awards from Trend Magazine. Ford released the
Ford Escape Hybrid.
What makes a Hybrid Car Unique?
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What makes a hybrid car
unique is that it consists of a
gasoline engine, electric
engine and rechargeable
batteries. All of these items
work together to form a fuel
efficient car that produces
less pollution.
Picture: Toyota Prius
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
“*Tax savings, free entry to car pool lanes, free parking
*Saving of fuel due to battery assisted engine therefore their is less dependence
on foreign countries for fuels.
*When the car is stopped the kinetic energy gained is stored in the battery and
used for later
*Less exhaust therefore it is environment friendly
*Money is saved due to less fuel use for cars
*Less trips to gas stations”
Disadvantages:
“*High cost
*Heavy because of heavy batteries used in these cars
*Risky in accidents because of the high volt wires exposed in accidents”
Would you buy a Hybrid Car?
Yes: 11
No: 21
Total Votes: 32
From the 32 people we asked 21 said no they wouldn’t
buy a hybrid car because they though it was to
expensive compared to the small amount of money it
saves on gas.
The other 11 said they would buy a hybrid car because
in the long run it would save money and the
environment.
Real Hybrid Cars
Lexus RX 400H
$45,355
MPG: 33/28
City/Highway
Honda Accord
$30,990
MPG: 25/34
City/Highway
Future of Hybrid Cars
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Toyota Volta Hybrid Sports Car
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408 Horsepower
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3.3 liter V6 Gas Engine
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30 Miles per gallon
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In the future hybrid cars will save
citizens all over the world hundreds of
dollars on gas because knowing that
our oil will soon run out the price of
gas will be at very high prices. The
Hybrid car will help to save oil and
money for people who can’t afford
such high gas prices.
Hybrid Carmakers
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Daimler Chrysler
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Ford
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General Motors
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Honda
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Hyundai
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Toyota
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Volkswagen
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Lexus
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Picture: Lexus RX 400H
Hybrid Car Sales
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This graph shows the
Hybrid car sales from
2000 to 2005. As you can
see the sales have risen as
the years progress. This
suggests that people are
beginning to understand
the problems with oil
and are trying to
conserve.
Conclusion
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Most hybrid cars may cost a lot, but it’s a good
price to pay for something that will save you
even more money in the long run. It will save
the environment even more. Most people
wouldn’t buy a hybrid car because or the cost or
how they look, but sooner or later it will be the
car of choice.
Work Cited
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Internet:
2006 Edhelper. "Hybrid Cars." EdHelper. 1 May 2006
<http://www.edhelper.com/ReadingComprehension_24_99.html>.
"Frequently Asked Questions About Hybrid Cars." All About Hybrid Cars. All About
Hybrid Cars.com | San Diego, CA. 1 May 2006
<http://www.allabouthybridcars.com/suv-hybrid-autos.htm#hybridhistory>.
"Global Warming." The Green Life. 9 May 2006
<http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thegreenlife.org/images/hyb
rid%2520car.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thegreenlife.org/globalwarming.html&h=22
7&w=322&sz=15&tbnid=5MFY3ICTnbiiNM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=114&hl=en&start=
1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhybrid%2Bcar%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3
D>.
"Hybrid Car Pros and Cons, Hybrid Cars Advantage and Disvantages." New Car Park.
Toyota San Diego. 1 May 2006 <http://www.newcarpark.com/hybridcars/hybridcars-advantage-disadvantage.php>.
"Hybrid Cars -- Pros and Cons." Physorg. 19 Jan. 2006. 1 May 2006
<http://www.physorg.com/news10031.html>.
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Hybrid Cars. Hybrid Cars. 1 May 2006 <http://www.hybridcars.com/hybridinvest.html>.
"The Hybrid Engine: How It Works." ABC News. 7 May 2006
<http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Autos/popup?id=267041>.
Television
HBO: Too hot to Handle : 8 May, 2006
Books:
Hybrids: Azure IRC