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Hydrogen or Hybrids?

The future of powering our automobiles.

extended warrantyJust yesterday I wrote about the need for hybrid cars to become cheaper if they are going to take hold in the auto market.  As of now, the cost of upgrading to a hybrid off sets the gas you will save.  However, this may change soon.  

Right now, the great hope of the auto industry is the hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle.  However, that is still far away.  It may be 20 years before that technology arrives.  This means that the hybrid has a chance to rule right now.  Many auto makers are focusing on helping it achieve that status.  
            
Toyota is leading the hybrid wave at the moment and it plans to stay at its fore front. 

Toyota is practically the lone player in the hybrid car business. In 2005, the company sold about 250,000 hybrid cars, taking up some 80% market share. Currently, only such luxury cars made by Toyota as the Alfard, Prius, Estima and Harrier are equipped with the hybrid system. By reducing the production cost, however, the company plans to install the system on such popular cars as the Carolla and Vitz.


As I said, the key to Toyota’s plans is to make the hybrid cheaper.  They hope to accomplish this with further development of the lithium cell battery. 

The lithium ion battery is a type of the secondary battery that can be charged and used repeatedly. Compared with the nickel-cadmium and nickel-hydrogen cells, lithium ion battery is lighter in weight and its voltage is three times higher. It can be charged and store more electricity and thus it is more suitable for producing smaller and lighter batteries.


Toyota hopes to drastically cut the costs of producing hybrid models over the next three years.  And it looks like several others are looking to get in the hybrid game as well.  Hydrogen fuel-cells may be the way of the future but it looks like the next two decades will belong to the hybrids.

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Posted on Wednesday, May 10th, 2006 at 5:09 am In Auto Warranty  


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