Protect the carpet from dirt and moisture by adding all weather floor mats to your car. These are typically made with ridges to trap mud, dirt, sand and water and keep them away from the carpet. B20, B100: Seen at diesel pumps, these designations indicate the amount of biodiesel blended with petroleum-based diesel. So B20 is 20% biodiesel, 80% low-sulfur diesel, while B100 is 100% biodiesel.
Backup Sensor Backup sensors can be audible or visual and help eliminate the risk of hitting or running over things.
BEV - Battery Electric Vehicle A battery-electric vehicles uses an electric motor for power source. The electricity powering the motor is stored in a battery pack that must be recharged from an electric power source.
Biodiesel Diesel fuel made at least partly from non-petroleum sources, such as used restaurant grease. Most diesel-powered vehicles can use biodiesel without conversion or alteration of the engine.
Bioethanol A vehicle fuel based on starchy plant materials, commonly corn in the U.S. It has a lower emissions rating than petroleum. Also known as ethanol.
Bumper Guards Protect your bumpers with bumper guards. Bumpers can get banged up when you're loading and unloading your trunk. Protect your bumper from nicks and scratches.
By-Wire Technology Similarly to "Fly-by-Wire" technology found in fighter planes, hybrid car "Drive-by-Wire" technology replaces mechanical connections with electrical connections to reduce weight and provide more sophisticated and reliable responsiveness.
CAFE Standards Corporate Average Fuel Economy. Each automaker must average the mileage of every vehicle it builds. The standards were enacted in 1975 to increase overall fuel efficiency. The standard for 2009 is 27.5 mpg for cars, 20.7 mpg for light trucks, and 23.1 mpg for trucks under 8500 pounds.
Cargo Net A cargo net helps keep your groceries and other items from rolling around in the trunk. They are typically very easy to install. You'll wonder how you ever lived without one!
CBG - Cleaner Burning Gasoline Cleaner-burning gasoline is fuel that meets requirements established by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). All gasoline sold in California for use in motor vehicles must meet these requirements, which have been in effect since Spring 1996.
Chassis Stiffener A chassis stiffener bolts on to the subframe to make the unibody stiffer. Your car will feel more stable an will turn sharper and be more responsive.
Diesel This petroleum-based fuel gets higher fuel efficiency than gasoline. It used to have more tailpipe emissions, but technological innovations in the past decade have nearly erased this concern and dropped diesel emissions to near gasoline levels.
E85 A fuel blend that contains 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline.
Engine Block Heater Engine block heaters let you start your car quicker in freezing weather. This saves fuel and battery power for your hybrid cars.
EPA Environmental Protection Agency. Together with the Department of Energy, the EPA issues mileage and emissions ratings for all cars sold in the U.S. See FuelEconomy.gov.
Extended Range Electric Vehicle A type of PHEV where the car drives entirely on electric power, but there is a small gasoline engine on board that runs a generator to provide electricity for the batteries and electric motor. The addition of the gasoline engine allows the electric motor to go further on a charge.
Ethanol A high-octane, low-emissions fuel long used in racing. Now it's made from renewable plant materials and can be used in regular vehicles, though it gets lower fuel economy ratings than gasoline.
EV Electric Vehicle. These cars have only batteries and an electric motor'no gasoline or other fuel required, and no emissions are released into the air. They are refueled by plugging the batteries into an outlet.
Electric-Only Mode Also known as Stealth Mode. In full hybrid cars, electric-only mode allows the vehicle to drive at low speeds without the engine turning on.
EV Mode An EV mode switch lets you run your Prius in electric only mode up to 34 mph to increase your hybrid mpg and performance. While this option is built into every Prius, it is disabled for North American hybrids. An EV Mode Option lets you turn this option back on.
Flex Fuel A vehicle that can accept regular gasoline or an ethanol blend, such as E85.
FCEV - Fuel Cell Vehicle A fuel cell vehicle is an electric vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel instead of a battery to produce electricity. There are no moving parts, as the fuel cell utilizes a catalyst to perform a chemical process that combines oxygen from the air with hydrogen fuel to produce electricity.
Fuel Efficiency Using the least amount of fuel to drive the farthest number of miles. This can be measured miles per gallon, which is standard in the U.S., or in gallons per mile, which is more common in the rest of the world.
Gas Mileage Devices There are a variety of gas mileage devices on the market. Popular items include the EV Mode Option, the Kiwi dashboard plug-in which teaches you how to drive more efficiently, and Juiced Hybrid's custom Voltage System GT, which stabilizes the voltage in your car.
Green Car Cleaners From car wax to green towels, various green car cleaners and supplies help you keep your ride looking good while still being environmentally friendly.
Hybrid Car A hybrid car refers to a vehicle that has two sources of power: gasoline and electricity. Today's hybrids combine a gasoline engine with one or more electric motors (and a traction battery pack). In the automotive sense, this is a vehicle that has a gasoline-powered engine and an electric engine that work together to deliver better gas mileage, usually 40+ mpg. The batteries are recharged by systems like regenerative braking. The 1999 Honda Insight was the first commercially available hybrid; the Toyota Prius became the first popular hybrid car.
Hybrid Car battery There are two batteries on hybrid vehicles, the traction battery and the auxiliary 12-volt battery, which powers accessories and the car's computer.
Hybrid Car Engine In hybrid cars, engine refers to the gasoline combustion engine, not the electric motor.
Hybrid Synergy Drive Toyota's next generation hybrid powertrain, improving upon the Toyota Hybrid System in the original Prius.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell These cells use hydrogen gas and air to create an electrical current to power a vehicle, with only water as a byproduct. Creating an infrastructure of hydrogen fueling stations has been an obstacle to the manufacture of hydrogen-powered cars.
ICE Internal Combustion Engine. The same old gasoline-powered engine we've been driving all our lives.
Liquified Natural Gas Natural gas that has been cooled to form a transportable liquid. Vehicles that run on LNG cannot use any other type of fuel without major modifications.
Lithium Ion A type of battery used in cell phones, laptops, and electric cars. These batteries store a lot of energy for their weight.
Low-Emission Level Standards There are several measurement standards for low-emission cars, including California Air Resources Board standards known as LEV II, Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) and Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) standards. There is also a Federal standard called Tier 2-Bin 3.
LNG Liquified Natural Gas. See above.
MPG Miles per gallon. The number of miles a car can travel on one gallon of gasoline or other liquid fuel.
NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA administrates the CAFE Standards, based on fuel efficiency data from the EPA.
NiCd Nickel Cadmium sometimes called NiCad. A type of rechargeable battery used in electric cars.
NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride. A type of rechargeable battery used in electric cars.
PHEV Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. See Plug-in Hybrid.
Plug-in Hybrid A vehicle that has a gasoline-powered engine and a bank of batteries that can be recharged by plugging them into an outlet. These vehicles usually use the electric motor for 40 or so miles, then the gasoline engine as a backup. The supposedly forthcoming Chevy Volt is a PHEV.
Receiver Drop Hitch Alternately called trailer hitches, a receiver drop hitch lets you tow trailers with your car.
Regenerative braking Regenerative braking is a feature in hybrid cars that allows the motor to act as a generator when braking. The process converts kinetic energy of the car's motion into electric energy that recharges the battery.
Vehicle to Grid Technology that allows electric utility companies to reclaim small amounts of energy from plugged-in EVs. Boulder, Colorado, has a pioneering VtG program.
Water Car Proponents of the idea of running a car on water say it's a similar energy conversion process to hydrogen fuel cells. The conversion of energy, though, seems to lose a lot along the way, making any benefit null.
Window Deflectors Add window deflectors to reduce wind noise while still allowing fresh air to come into your car.
Those who are unfamiliar with hybrid cars may not know that most come with new innovative tire designs. When replacing your tires on your hybrid car, you should stick with the low-rolling resistance tires. Those who own hybrid cars however know that these special low-rolling resistance tires are the best thing since the hybrid design itself. Consumers are definitely not the only ones with their eyes on the new low-rolling resistance tires however. Every major tire maker is getting in on the trend with new tires coming out frequently.
You may wonder what low-rolling resistance actually means. The name is a measurement of how tires roll on the road. If the tire rolls easily, then it is considered a low-rolling resistant tire. One benefit of these innovative tires is that they minimize the energy used by the tire. Tires use energy as heat in three different locations. First, there is heat between the tire and the road. Secondly, there is heat between the tire and the sidewall. Lastly, there is heat between the tire and the rim. The great thing about the low-rolling resistance tires is that they maintain traction, handling, and durability. When used with special suspension and brakes, they reduce resistance even more. The tires go through all of the approval standards of normal tires, so you can be sure they are safe to use.
Now that you know more about tires, you may wonder how they can make tires that reduce the energy usage. The answer is that tire manufacturers are using several different elements to create low-rolling resistance tires. First, they focus on the design of the tread. Different companies are using different designs, so you may seem many different designs coming to the consumer soon. After choosing a great design, they also choose lighter and stronger materials and reduce the sidewall to reduce flexing of the tire. The tires are made to run without air pressure. Most of them can still be used for up to 50 miles with no air pressure whatsoever. This is an amazing trait of these tires. With tires that can run without air pressure, you really have no need to carry around a jack or other tools for changing tires. You would have plenty of time to get to the mechanic shop or home before your tire would be useless.
Studies have shown that using low-rolling resistant tires on your vehicle can save on your gas budget. These efficient tires are fitted for each vehicle, which in turn will make your vehicle run smoother and more efficiently. It is estimated that you can save up to 6% on gas usage when using low-rolling resistance tires on your car. When considering these tires, which tend to cost about $40 more than regular tires for a complete set, think about what you could save at the pump. You may be spending a little more when purchasing the tire set, but you will save more than you are spending in the long run.
Although these great tires can save you bundles, low-rolling resistance tires have had a few complaints. Some drivers don't like the way they handle on the road. But most low-rolling resistance tires have great tread, if you are a wild driver, they may not be as great for handling. However, slow or cautious drivers have seen no negative change. It is more of a personal preference when it comes to how they handle.
Consumers are taking the benefits of the new low-rolling resistance tires very seriously. California has even passed legislation that requires all replacement tires sold in the state to be as efficient as tires on new vehicles, which are mostly low-rolling resistance tires. This is a huge step toward the low-rolling resistance trend. More states are considering legislation as well.
When looking for new tires for your hybrid, be sure to check out the low-rolling resistance options. It is likely that your old tires were low-rolling resistance tires, so you will be used to the features they offer, whether or not you knew about their benefits before. You may be spending a little more in the beginning, but you will make up the upfront cost in gas savings almost immediately.
Both Sarah Collins & Gregg Hall are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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