With the rise of gas prices Americans have been searching for alternatives to the normal gas-powered vehicle. With the emergence of hybrid vehicles and the newer innovation, electric, there are now alternatives to the norm. One question is, how exactly do they work? In today’s blog we discuss how these two alternatives function.
Electric cars are literally ‘plugged in’ to juice up the engine. Electric cars with a battery use an electrical outlet to charge before they are operated. Another way is the hydrogen fuel cell. Fuel cells work when pure hydrogen combines with oxygen to create electricity. The only byproduct of hydrogen fuel cells is water. Yet another way is a solar power. Solar panels on a car collect energy from the sun and store it into the car's battery for later use.
Hybrids use traditional gas engines and an alternative power plant. There are two types: electric hybrids and hydrogen hybrids. Electric hybrids use an electric motor as their alternative energy source. Hydrogen hybrids extract the element from water and add the hydrogen to the fuel-air mixture of the vehicle. So how do hybrids help the environment? It’s important to know that oil is a limited resource; also carbon dioxide is produced when it’s burned. In addition, the oil that is extracted from the Earth damages the environment from drilling. Although hybrids still use gas, they achieve higher gas mileage than a regular vehicle because of the secondary power source. The average estimate is a five-mpg improvement in fuel economy.
The ultimate decision is up to you!
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
How to Be a Rock Star Commuter
Everyone has a moment in time when they THINK they’re musically inclined. You believe for a second you have the voice of an angel. There are only several moments like that however, in the shower, in the confines of your room (ALONE), or in your vehicle. In your car, your personal space is confined to the comfort of your seat. It’s like a personal vocal booth. You croon and bellow until your heart is content. You might also have some onlookers, fans, looking at you strangely from their car as you sing your life away. You want to have the best possible options when you’re doing so, in our latest blog we go over the best options for listening to music in your car besides the FM tuner.
iPod/Mp3 Player – If you have your favorite tunes locked in on your iPod/smartphone/Mp3 Player-a-majig and your car has an Auxiliary connection, (most cars after 2006 have them) then you’re in luck. You can purchase an auxiliary cable online (eBay has them as low as 1$) plug it into the car and the other end into the headphone jack of your device. Push play on your device and viola, HD music directly from your favorite jukebox.
Satellite Radio – satellite radio is commercial and static free, music is beamed directly from satellites in space. Two big companies, XM and Sirius, have paid subscriptions with countless radio stations to choose from. Music from all genres, sports, traffic, talk shows (Howard Stern) and weather are all included. Purchasing the tuner for your car starts around $75 bucks, with a monthly subscription of around $15. One drawback is that reception can be deterred in cities with skyscrapers, but purchasing an external antenna will fix the problem.
Car Audio w/Cassette Adapter – if you own an older car, don’t panic! You can still play your mp3’s on the road. By purchasing a cassette adapter, you can play your tunes via a headphone jack. First, plug your cassette adapter into your player’s headphone jack. Then, insert the dummy tape into your car’s cassette player. With $20 dollars you can use your modern mp3 player to play your tunes, rock on!!
iPod/Mp3 Player – If you have your favorite tunes locked in on your iPod/smartphone/Mp3 Player-a-majig and your car has an Auxiliary connection, (most cars after 2006 have them) then you’re in luck. You can purchase an auxiliary cable online (eBay has them as low as 1$) plug it into the car and the other end into the headphone jack of your device. Push play on your device and viola, HD music directly from your favorite jukebox.
Satellite Radio – satellite radio is commercial and static free, music is beamed directly from satellites in space. Two big companies, XM and Sirius, have paid subscriptions with countless radio stations to choose from. Music from all genres, sports, traffic, talk shows (Howard Stern) and weather are all included. Purchasing the tuner for your car starts around $75 bucks, with a monthly subscription of around $15. One drawback is that reception can be deterred in cities with skyscrapers, but purchasing an external antenna will fix the problem.
Car Audio w/Cassette Adapter – if you own an older car, don’t panic! You can still play your mp3’s on the road. By purchasing a cassette adapter, you can play your tunes via a headphone jack. First, plug your cassette adapter into your player’s headphone jack. Then, insert the dummy tape into your car’s cassette player. With $20 dollars you can use your modern mp3 player to play your tunes, rock on!!
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
3 Car Innovations that Changed the Way You Drive
Who said we can’t live a life of luxury…while driving 51 MPH in your innovative vehicle? Our cars are an extension of ourselves; they provide us comfort, style, and a vehicle to connect us between two points. In today’s blog we discuss the coolest car innovations to date. Don’t see your favorite on our list? Add yours!
1) Heated and cooled seats – Heated seats have been around for a while, however, cooled seats made their debut in the mid 1990’s. Electric coils warm the seat while air circulates to cool it. This is seen in countless luxury vehicles as well as sedans and SUV’s
2) Navigation Systems – Honda claims it was the first to implement Navigation in the 1990 Acura legend. The ‘co-pilot’ of your daily commute, navigation can guide you step-by-step to your destination.
3) Hybrid drivetrains – this innovation began in 2000. They combine gas engines with electric motors for power. On a gallon of gas you can travel longer, which is ideal when gas prices are on the rise.
These innovations have revolutionized cars, and will continue to spawn further technologies. Do you have a favorite? Leave your comment below:
1) Heated and cooled seats – Heated seats have been around for a while, however, cooled seats made their debut in the mid 1990’s. Electric coils warm the seat while air circulates to cool it. This is seen in countless luxury vehicles as well as sedans and SUV’s
2) Navigation Systems – Honda claims it was the first to implement Navigation in the 1990 Acura legend. The ‘co-pilot’ of your daily commute, navigation can guide you step-by-step to your destination.
3) Hybrid drivetrains – this innovation began in 2000. They combine gas engines with electric motors for power. On a gallon of gas you can travel longer, which is ideal when gas prices are on the rise.
These innovations have revolutionized cars, and will continue to spawn further technologies. Do you have a favorite? Leave your comment below:
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Doggie Safety Tips (Car Edition)
A wagging tail is a smile in dog form. Man’s best friend has been keeping us company since the beginning of companionship. In the age of the modern consumer it gets more and more difficult to keep your pet safe. In our recent blog post we discuss some great tips for keeping your ‘Lassie’ safe during a car ride. Below, we’ve provided a quick list of options:
1) Restrain your dog – We know dogs want to have their freedom, however it’s so much safer to keep them restrained while in the car. If your pet is unrestrained it can cause distractions and injury. Imagine making a sudden stop. Even at low speeds this can be very dangerous for your pet. For small and medium sized dogs a crate, or a harness works wonders in the back seat. Now, if you’re Great Mastiff is riding with you today (some grow up to 7 ft. in length) we suggest you have a big enough rear area to contain them. The Front seats can be used to block them in.
2) Don’t put your dog on your lap – Having your dog on your lap is like driving while using a Tablet computer. Huge distraction!! Your reaction time is substantially slowed and if the window is open, an extremely curious dog could run out into traffic.
3) Create a ‘pet friendly’ car – some items for a dog car utopia would be: a cushioned pet bed, extendable cargo area, rear ventilation (A/C or fan), rubber floor mats, and a spill-resistant water bowl. There are several vehicles ideal for dog lovers out there. A lot of car manufacturers are chasing dog lovers with new technology and innovations.
4) Don’t let your dog ride with their head out of the window – I know it’s tempting, but they can be easily injured by debris flying in their eyes.
5) Keep proper ID – just in case your dog gets lost while traveling, you want to make sure you have emergency contact info and up to date ID tags.
6) Prepare a doggie bag – make sure it contains clean up supplies, towel, feeding watering bowl, food, and toys to keep them well behaved
A pet is a family member, lets keep ours safe by practicing great car etiquette, while making the trip fun and exciting for our canine companions.
1) Restrain your dog – We know dogs want to have their freedom, however it’s so much safer to keep them restrained while in the car. If your pet is unrestrained it can cause distractions and injury. Imagine making a sudden stop. Even at low speeds this can be very dangerous for your pet. For small and medium sized dogs a crate, or a harness works wonders in the back seat. Now, if you’re Great Mastiff is riding with you today (some grow up to 7 ft. in length) we suggest you have a big enough rear area to contain them. The Front seats can be used to block them in.
2) Don’t put your dog on your lap – Having your dog on your lap is like driving while using a Tablet computer. Huge distraction!! Your reaction time is substantially slowed and if the window is open, an extremely curious dog could run out into traffic.
3) Create a ‘pet friendly’ car – some items for a dog car utopia would be: a cushioned pet bed, extendable cargo area, rear ventilation (A/C or fan), rubber floor mats, and a spill-resistant water bowl. There are several vehicles ideal for dog lovers out there. A lot of car manufacturers are chasing dog lovers with new technology and innovations.
4) Don’t let your dog ride with their head out of the window – I know it’s tempting, but they can be easily injured by debris flying in their eyes.
5) Keep proper ID – just in case your dog gets lost while traveling, you want to make sure you have emergency contact info and up to date ID tags.
6) Prepare a doggie bag – make sure it contains clean up supplies, towel, feeding watering bowl, food, and toys to keep them well behaved
A pet is a family member, lets keep ours safe by practicing great car etiquette, while making the trip fun and exciting for our canine companions.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Don’t Leave Your Wallet at the Gas Pump
The Jetsons have it too good. Floating space age hovercrafts are great for the environment (no emissions), make traveling efficient, and most importantly: they don’t use GAS! However, it’s not 2062, and in 2010, gas prices have taken an unexpected turn toward increased money signs. As the price of gas slowly rises, we provide several options to help you get your money’s worth in this week’s blog.
One obvious way to improve gas mileage is by purchasing a fuel-efficient vehicle. There are countless vehicles to choose from: the Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Chevy Sonic, Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra to name a few. In the era of the smartphone, it’s easy to find an app that utilizes your local GPS to find the best surrounding gas prices. Try using Gasbuddy, a free app that checks local gas prices through a network of community users that keep in touch with real-time updates. Another great alternative is to keep up with vehicle maintenance. Check your tire pressure, receive oil changes regularly, flush your radiator, and keep your oil level reasonably leveled. This decreases wear and tear, and increases gas mileage. Also, Do not IDLE! Idling is a waste (unless you’re at a red light, we do advise you to obey traffic laws…hehe) Park your vehicle and go into a restaurant rather than idling in the drive-thru. It usually saves time, and definitely saves gas. Do you have any tips for us? Feel free to comment! We could all use the help!
One obvious way to improve gas mileage is by purchasing a fuel-efficient vehicle. There are countless vehicles to choose from: the Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Chevy Sonic, Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra to name a few. In the era of the smartphone, it’s easy to find an app that utilizes your local GPS to find the best surrounding gas prices. Try using Gasbuddy, a free app that checks local gas prices through a network of community users that keep in touch with real-time updates. Another great alternative is to keep up with vehicle maintenance. Check your tire pressure, receive oil changes regularly, flush your radiator, and keep your oil level reasonably leveled. This decreases wear and tear, and increases gas mileage. Also, Do not IDLE! Idling is a waste (unless you’re at a red light, we do advise you to obey traffic laws…hehe) Park your vehicle and go into a restaurant rather than idling in the drive-thru. It usually saves time, and definitely saves gas. Do you have any tips for us? Feel free to comment! We could all use the help!
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