Honda's hopes are to take current hybrid solutions and truly bring them into vehicles in the mid to larger size range. This will provide a good short term solution to reduction carbon dioxide emissions. The lithium ion battery packs being built will provide the power needed for hybrids in these sizes of vehicles, but the technology and powered density of these batteries will be too much for the purely electric cars. This will be the first time that Honda will offer lithium packs in hybrid vehicles, given that lithium ion batteries are smaller and lighter for a given energy density (but are more expensive).

The Toyota Prius will be under going numerous tests for a lithium ion, plug in only car model in 2009, while GM hopes to release plug in volts by 2010. In 2010, Nissan has plans to introduce a new model of plug in cars that have the ability to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge.

Setup and finalizing the venture with GS Yuasa has caused a set back in Honda's other plans for clean-diesel autos, and has suspended for an indeterminate amount of time the plans for the release of fuel efficient diesel cars in 2009. The reasoning is that cleaning up diesel is a much more expensive process, especially with the ever increasing gap between gas and diesel prices. Honda's plans for offering more hybrids are expected to bring down the price of individual components, which may ultimately help in working with diesel and using its cleaner carbon content with out extra cost.

Current hybrids utilize nickel-metal-hydride batteries, which are heavier and only hold little more than half of what lithium ion battery can provide. The problem lies in the difficulty in producing large lithium ion packs, which is a more costly than other batteries. GS Yuasa is a supplier for lead-acid batteries and lithium ion packs for the Asimo robots. The batteries of today are not good enough to make the electric hybrid a viable option for electrical cars. The technology has to move forward, taking batteries with it.

Honda is looking to obtain aid from the government as the current economy is crumbling all over. This has cut into car production and profits for the automaker. Honda's profits have dropped by a third over the last fiscal year. With the development of these new lithium ion packs, a venture that will begin in the spring 2009 it is hopeful that Honda can pull itself out of a tough place.

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Originally posted 2008-12-31 05:38:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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When automobile owners hear the word hybrid, their thoughts immediately go to gasoline. Those gallons of gas will be saved in the switch to hybrid vehicles. Take for example the Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode hybrid. The 2-mode system gives the Tahoe dynamic control over two or four wheel drives. This imparts a forty percent improvement to mileage, at an MSRP of over fifty thousand. This is the problem with the vehicle as a hybrid. Despite the extent of improvement in fuel economy, the total benefit to the driver will not match the benefits for other hybrids. Worse yet, it will be unlikely that an SUV such as the Tahoe would not come close to meeting or exceeding the benefits from other vehicles. It is for this reason that consumers should investigate all variables when looking into a hybrid to purchase. These include prices, mileage for the hybrid and non-hybrid version, internal space, vehicle weight, and so on.

Another way that hybrids are not the best choice is when they fail tests that should not be failed. Vehicles like the Honda Accord Hybrid were not able to pass their initial emissions test. After Honda pulled the car and worked the internals to address the problem, the hybrid once again failed the test. All of this equates to costs for the owner, because not only will their vehicle fail emissions, but they will have to pay for the fix, and then pay for retesting. Before the retest, the driver can not legally drive the vehicle. This situation shows how vital it is to research not only the specifications provided by the manufacturer, but also news reports regarding the vehicle and issues it may have. The manufacturer can edit their web page, but not online news sources will forever exist in the digital ether. Honda's website shows their non standard hybrid on the webpage, while information on the Accord is hard to come by. A hybrid which fails emissions is not really getting the point.

Most hybrids on the market have passed their emissions, and are true deals for their owners. These hybrids will have passed emissions tests in many states and high mileages. Despite this, there are a few bad apples. These bad apples hurt the environment, with their failing emissions, and hurt the wallets of their owners. These hybrids serve as poor investments, and for those consumers looking for a hybrid that is eco-friendly as well as good for the wallet, then a good deal of research into the best hybrid is necessary. Look at manufacturer specifications as well as news reports into the reliability and any press worthy issues that may arise.

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Originally posted 2009-01-16 05:00:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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