By Frederick Musser
For the past couple -three years, there has been much buzz going on about Hybrid Cars and the many benefits they seem to offer. It seems that Hybrid Cars may be the solution to both major problems we face in the United States today when it comes to transportation...
What are those two problems facing the United States when it comes to transportation?
1. Surging Oil Prices
2. Concern about the environment
So, how do you know which hybrid car to buy?
Compare your options and the benefits.
Owning a Hybrid car will offer you many, many benefits.
To name a few hybrid benefits:
Tax breaks by many states and Federal GovernmentFuel cost savings - Hybrids use less fuelHybrid Cars are better for the environment producing less emissionsFor these reasons and the never ending surge of gas pump prices, hybrid cars have experienced a sharp increase in sales.
More and more car manufacturers are joining the hybrid vehicle arena with their own versions. Both the old stand by companies that have been around for ever as well as many new "green car" companies are popping up to enter into the Hybrid Car Revolution. This is wonderful for those of you who are planning to buy a hybrid car, you now have so many choices it's almost unbelievable, that’s why you really need to compare hybrid cars to see which one would fit perfectly with your needs.
In this article we will only compare two of the worlds leading hybrid car manufactures, the Japanese giant's Toyota and Honda.
Toyota and Honda are credited with producing many top innovations of hybrid technology and their hybrid cars are the most popular, most awarded hybrid vehicles on the hybrid market today.
Here, in this article we will compare the hybrid cars they are offering for 2007 year, these will include the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus GS 450H, Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.
Their fuel efficiency can be compared through their average consumption per mile in different situations, like; City Driving – where the traffic is constantly stopping, Highway Driving – where the engine can freely operate at maximum level and their combined average usage.
Miles Per Gallon and Average Used Per Gallon
Honda Accord Hybrid – 28 MPG (city), 35 MPG (Highway) and 31 MPG (Combined Average)Honda Civic - 49 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 50 MPG (Combined Average)Lexus GS 450H - 25 MPG (city), 28 MPG (Highway) and 26 MPG (Combined Average)Toyota Camry Hybrid - 40 MPG (city), 38 MPG (Highway) and 39 MPG (Combined Average)Toyota Prius - 60 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 55 MPG (Combined Average)
Before you just go out and pick the one with the highest MPG average, you need to consider something else.
Fuel type.
All of these vehicles use regular gasoline except for the Lexus which uses Premium Gasoline that is much pricier per gallon.
You also need to compare the size class of each hybrid car as well as the engine size and liters of the engine.
Accord Hybrid is a midsize car with a 3 liter - 6 cylinder engine. Civic Hybrid is a compact car with a 1.3 liter – 4 cylinder engine. Lexus GS 450H is another compact car with a 3.5 liter – 6 cylinder engine.Toyota Camry Hybrid is a midsize sedan equipped with a 2.4 liter – 4 cylinder engineToyota Prius is a compact car with a 1.5 liter – 4 cylinder engine.The bigger the car and the more powerful the engine is, the more fuel will be consumed. Considering all these aspects and doing your homework can lead to a fantastic hybrid vehicle purchase.
You have to put all of the considerations on the table when searching for the best hybrid to buy.
So, before you rush right out an get that shiny new hybrid car, compare first and do your homework. Find the one that will suit your needs and fit your personality best and you will be on your way to helping save the environment as well as saving yourself some money on fuel.
Frederick Musser is the owner of e85 Tips. A site dedicated to informing the world about alternative fuels and energy and their many benefits.
For more information on e85 and alternative fuels please visit e85Tips.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frederick_Musser
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
DaimlerChrysler's Stockholders Want Chrysler Out For Good
By Dwayne Thomas
DaimlerChrysler AG’s annual general meetings have always been a stormy event in recent years with stockholders hammering out at the transatlantic car giant’s management over the group’s declining share price plus the failure of its ambitious global expansion to produce positive results.
And now after nine years of spending money into the troubled Chrysler operations, what the company’s shareholders and investors would like to know from DaimlerChrysler’s Chief Dieter Zetsche are his plans for the next stage of rolling back the group’s international empire specifically the disposal of the loss-making US arm---Chrysler AG.
Discarding Chrysler AG would take DaimlerChrysler back to the year 1998 when its former chief Juergen Schrempp introduce his vision to covert the Stuttgart-based company and maker of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars and auto components such as Mercedes steering rack----into a Welt AG or World Inc.
It was also Schrempp that spearheaded the union between Germany’s Daimler and US-based Chrysler which the former chief hailed as a “marriage made in heaven’”. But just like any marriage that doesn’t “work” the union of Daimler and Chrysler has to end. Since staying married to each other would only cause both parties more damage than good.
It should be noted that starting last February the company’s share price has recovered after DaimlerChrysler Chief Zetsche has announced that all options were on the table for its US-based arm. According to Unio Investment funds manager Ingo Speich in an interview with the German business daily Handelsblatt, "Splitting off Chrysler appears to us as appropriate." This statement made by Speich reflects the views of other fund management groups attending Wednesday’s AGM.
Last February Zetsche also unveiled another plan to revamp Chrysler including cutting 13,000 jobs after fierce competition in the US resulted in the American carmaker to obtain an astounding 1.92 million euros (2.6 billion USD) loss last 2006. There are already couples of equity firms and carmakers that are looking at the possibility of taking over Chrysler and one of which is General Motors Corp which have been sizing up Daimler’s loss-making US arm. The news of a possible buyout from GM has helped increase the shares of DaimlerChrysler to more than 30 percent obtaining 1.3 million for the DCX stockholders.
In fairness to DaimlerChrysler it has exert all efforts as well as resources in trying to turnaround Chrysler to the extent that it has unintentionally neglected the company’s flagship Mercedes Benz cars which were suddenly bombarded with complaints about deteriorating quality and mounting losses.
It would have been easier for Mercedes Benz to address such problems if only its arch rival BMW has not emerged as the world’s premium car brand. The disposal of Chrysler would once and for all help ease the pressure on DaimlerChrysler. Chrysler on its part is continuing to struggle to deal with its loss-making Smart minicars which unfortunately form part of the Mercedes Benz Group.
Actually the first time that Daimler pulled an alliance with Chrysler, analysts were forecasting a bleak future which they based on the previously failed partnership between Daimler and Mitsubishi Motors Corp especially when the German automaker refused to help its debt-ridden Japanese auto group.
The tie-up with Mitsubishi formed a key pillar of Schrempp’s vision to build a global empire with operations across Daimler’s home base in Europe expanding to the world’s biggest car market in the US up to Asia’s fast-paced economy.
The countdown for the disposal of the Chrysler AG has increased the stock of DaimlerChrysler’s by 1.4 percent to 62.26 euros in a trading conducted last Monday following media reports that the carmaker has been able to acquire bids totaling to 9.0 billion dollars.
Last month US investment house Morgan Stanley has increase its price estimate for DaimlerChrysler shares by more than 20 percent to 75 euros on the grounds that basis that the group manages to split off Chrysler. According to the report written by Adam Jonas, an analyst from Morgan Stanley to clients, “We are prepared to value it under the assumption that it extricates itself from Chrysler.”
Similarly most analysts also share the same opinion that DaimlerChrysler would not sustained rebound in its share price if it will not dump Chrysler. There are three private equity firms that are lining up to take Chrysler off Daimler’s hands and these are the Cerberus Capital Management LP, Centerbridge Partners LP, and the Blackstone Group.
Cerberus has already asked the help of former Chrysler chief operating officer Wolfgang Bernhard, who after leaving Volkswagen AG in January resurfaced shortly after as an adviser to Cerberus.
Other carmakers such as Renault, Nissan, VW, and Toyota have ruled out bidding for Chrysler.
For more about you Mercedes parts needs like Mercedes steering rack, visit your trusted online source.
Dwyane Thomas is a part time cook and full-time auto-enthusiast. This 31-year old Civil and Environmental graduate is a consultant at one of the engineering firms in Pennsylvania.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dwayne_Thomas
DaimlerChrysler AG’s annual general meetings have always been a stormy event in recent years with stockholders hammering out at the transatlantic car giant’s management over the group’s declining share price plus the failure of its ambitious global expansion to produce positive results.
And now after nine years of spending money into the troubled Chrysler operations, what the company’s shareholders and investors would like to know from DaimlerChrysler’s Chief Dieter Zetsche are his plans for the next stage of rolling back the group’s international empire specifically the disposal of the loss-making US arm---Chrysler AG.
Discarding Chrysler AG would take DaimlerChrysler back to the year 1998 when its former chief Juergen Schrempp introduce his vision to covert the Stuttgart-based company and maker of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars and auto components such as Mercedes steering rack----into a Welt AG or World Inc.
It was also Schrempp that spearheaded the union between Germany’s Daimler and US-based Chrysler which the former chief hailed as a “marriage made in heaven’”. But just like any marriage that doesn’t “work” the union of Daimler and Chrysler has to end. Since staying married to each other would only cause both parties more damage than good.
It should be noted that starting last February the company’s share price has recovered after DaimlerChrysler Chief Zetsche has announced that all options were on the table for its US-based arm. According to Unio Investment funds manager Ingo Speich in an interview with the German business daily Handelsblatt, "Splitting off Chrysler appears to us as appropriate." This statement made by Speich reflects the views of other fund management groups attending Wednesday’s AGM.
Last February Zetsche also unveiled another plan to revamp Chrysler including cutting 13,000 jobs after fierce competition in the US resulted in the American carmaker to obtain an astounding 1.92 million euros (2.6 billion USD) loss last 2006. There are already couples of equity firms and carmakers that are looking at the possibility of taking over Chrysler and one of which is General Motors Corp which have been sizing up Daimler’s loss-making US arm. The news of a possible buyout from GM has helped increase the shares of DaimlerChrysler to more than 30 percent obtaining 1.3 million for the DCX stockholders.
In fairness to DaimlerChrysler it has exert all efforts as well as resources in trying to turnaround Chrysler to the extent that it has unintentionally neglected the company’s flagship Mercedes Benz cars which were suddenly bombarded with complaints about deteriorating quality and mounting losses.
It would have been easier for Mercedes Benz to address such problems if only its arch rival BMW has not emerged as the world’s premium car brand. The disposal of Chrysler would once and for all help ease the pressure on DaimlerChrysler. Chrysler on its part is continuing to struggle to deal with its loss-making Smart minicars which unfortunately form part of the Mercedes Benz Group.
Actually the first time that Daimler pulled an alliance with Chrysler, analysts were forecasting a bleak future which they based on the previously failed partnership between Daimler and Mitsubishi Motors Corp especially when the German automaker refused to help its debt-ridden Japanese auto group.
The tie-up with Mitsubishi formed a key pillar of Schrempp’s vision to build a global empire with operations across Daimler’s home base in Europe expanding to the world’s biggest car market in the US up to Asia’s fast-paced economy.
The countdown for the disposal of the Chrysler AG has increased the stock of DaimlerChrysler’s by 1.4 percent to 62.26 euros in a trading conducted last Monday following media reports that the carmaker has been able to acquire bids totaling to 9.0 billion dollars.
Last month US investment house Morgan Stanley has increase its price estimate for DaimlerChrysler shares by more than 20 percent to 75 euros on the grounds that basis that the group manages to split off Chrysler. According to the report written by Adam Jonas, an analyst from Morgan Stanley to clients, “We are prepared to value it under the assumption that it extricates itself from Chrysler.”
Similarly most analysts also share the same opinion that DaimlerChrysler would not sustained rebound in its share price if it will not dump Chrysler. There are three private equity firms that are lining up to take Chrysler off Daimler’s hands and these are the Cerberus Capital Management LP, Centerbridge Partners LP, and the Blackstone Group.
Cerberus has already asked the help of former Chrysler chief operating officer Wolfgang Bernhard, who after leaving Volkswagen AG in January resurfaced shortly after as an adviser to Cerberus.
Other carmakers such as Renault, Nissan, VW, and Toyota have ruled out bidding for Chrysler.
For more about you Mercedes parts needs like Mercedes steering rack, visit your trusted online source.
Dwyane Thomas is a part time cook and full-time auto-enthusiast. This 31-year old Civil and Environmental graduate is a consultant at one of the engineering firms in Pennsylvania.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dwayne_Thomas
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