Hybrid is the way to go

When the hybrid technology was invented one hundred years ago by a man named Ferdinand Porsche, the world of automobiles has been changed forever. This is because there was another option to go into aside from the conventional vehicles. As defined, "hybrid cars " are those that have two or more power sources. The most usual ones are those that combine electric engine and gasoline engine in running a vehicle.

Because of its potential in helping promote reduced fuel emissions using lesser amount of fuel or gasoline, more and more people have been intrigued to try this type of vehicle and grown to love it over the years. Apart from saving the environment by cutting down your contribution on greenhouse gases, you can also save some money because you won’t be needing the same amount of fuel that you used to have in your conservational car. Since you can alternate the electric engine with the gasoline, you can save money on the liters of fuel that you will not be using.

Hybrid cars are known for using an energy storage system that is rechargeable. This is very vital to supplement the fuel energy needed for propulsion. When it comes to size, the engines of hybrids are relatively smaller compared to the traditional vehicles but they are more fuel efficient.

Many experts say that hybrid vehicles are the way to go in the world of automobiles. But, since man is insatiable for knowledge, discoveries, and innovations , there will be more to come in terms of hybrid cars and all of its possibilities.

Nature power

The power of the sun is probably the most abundant source of energy that the people of the Earth and its solar system have been blessed with. This is because solar power can be used from simple household chores to more complicated fields such as the automobile industry .

Note: Have you ever wanted to build a solar car ?

Long before the discovery of solar power’s potential in hybrid vehicles, people have been benefiting from it inside and outside their homes. In fact, there is a growing population in the world that has been relying so much on solar power that they built solar panels on their rooftops. To the parts of the world where the sun shines its brightest, people in these areas are trying to maximize its energy by creating gadgets and other things that can help them improver their lives.

Over the years, the solar power mania has also spread across the globe and encouraged more and more people to benefit from it. Today, solar power is not just used in simple chores inside the home but is also used in major industries such as in automobiles where its potential can be maximized.

When technology and nature collide

One of the most celebrated triumphs in automobile technology is when hybrid solar vehicles were introduced into the market — the "Astrolab ." It was named as such because the solar electric hybrid car takes energy from the sun to operate.

Considered as "the worldís first commercial solar hybrid car," "Astrolab" was designed by Sacha Lakic , an automobile designer. Developed by Venturi, a French manufacturer, "Astrolab" uses the power of the sun to operate. A hybrid solar car, the 16kW electric motor that is built with is only needs very little amount of energy to start propulsion.

"Astrolab" which was set to be launched early this year has the capability to travel a minimum distance of about 110 to 120 kilometers using the 120kp as top speed. A high-tech lightweight carbon monocoque material was used as a mold to its chassis — that used around 4 meters of photovoltaic cells — to ensure that it will stay in top form. The car’s performance can be compared to a Formula 1 car because it very similar to a petrol-engined vehicle.

Although there is no definite target market for the solar hybrid vehicles such as the "Astrolab" yet, experts are hopeful that the day will come that people in the world will realize how cost and energy efficient this project could be.

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."

Note: Do you instead want to convert a car to electric ?

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To build a solar car, you need a group of people you can work with and a significant amount of cash to buy the parts. You need money.

The main component of any solar car is the solar array. This is what collects the energy from the sun and converts this into electrical energy. Part of the energy collected is also stored into the carís battery but before that can happen this has to first be converted to the proper voltage so this can also be used by the car’s motor. When enough energy is collected, the car can already move.

There are many types of solar arrays in the market. There are prefabricated solar panels and individual solar cells. You can get these from companies like Siemens or ASE Americas. They have the terrestrial grade cells and the space grade cells.

If there are budget constrictions, you can settle for the terrestrial grade version which some say are not that efficient. Despite that, it can still produce .5 volts at about 3 amps at peak sunlight. That may not see as much which is why you have to buy more to power your car.

These should be wired in series on a panel and then divided into several zones. The reason for this is so that in the event that you lose power in one zone, there will still be enough to power the rest of your vehicle.

You should take note that the solar array voltage does not need to match the system voltage of the motor if you are using power trackers. This is because the power trackers convert the solar array voltage to the system voltage.

Just be sure that the right array voltage will be able to feed the power trackers so your solar car will still be able to operate even if you are driving through a shady area.

Now that you know what the solar arrays are, you will also need to get some hybrid batteries . A lot of people use the lead acid batteries because these are cheap. You can also try lithium-ion or nickel-cadmium .

If you want to use a battery similar to what you have in your car, try the flooded-cell batteries or gel-cell batteries . The advantage of using the flooded cell is that it can be overcharged without the risk of it exploding but these are quite heavy. For those who donít want the excess weight, go for the gel cell battery. Just monitor the battery voltage regularly.

How many batteries do you need to build a solar car? This depends not on the size of the solar car but the motor voltage.

Now that you can collect the sun’s rays, it is time now to hook this up with the motor and controller. You can make a solar car using a DC brush permanent magnet motor since it is cheap and easy to hook up. You can buy this either from Solectria and Advanced DC Motors .

You need instrumentation in your solar car to tell you how much juice is left in the battery, if this is running smoothly, what is your the system voltage and how fast you are traveling. To do that, you have to get various instruments like a speedometer or voltmeter. You can get an all in one system for that called the E-meter manufactured by Cruising Equipment .

All cars need steering and suspension so you can drive your car safely . You just have to input this into the design of your car so there is balance especially when you make turns.

So you are able to slow down your solar car, naturally you will need to install some brakes. While you can use disc brakes like conventional cars, it is best to use brake calipers that are spring loaded to move the pads away from the rotors.

The last thing you need to build your solar car is the tires and hubs. The best kind tires to get are those that are thin as these operate at over one hundred pounds/inch pressure which can only work by ordering custom made hubs. Since the tires on the rear and front are connected, you also have to put a chassis underneath.

Build a solar car starts first by drawing up the plans and then getting all the necessary materials. Once you put it together, go for test drives so any problems that occur can be solved.

More Information on Green Living

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."