Plug-in hybrid car’s test drive


Written on February 5, 2009 – 10:30 pm | by Terry

Toyota engineer Gerald Killmann test drives the UK’s first petrol-electric car that can be plugged in at home.

The launch could mark a dramatic change in how drivers spend money on automotive “juice”, as the power generation industry - be they coal fired power stations such as Drax or nuclear power firms such as British Energy - enters the market.

Electricity company EDF Energy is erecting “juice points”, or electric charging points, across London.

BBC NEWS | Business | Plug-in hybrid car’s test drive.

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fuel saving tips


Written on August 25, 2008 – 12:38 am | by Terry

I drive a lot, so i try to make sure that I spend as little as I can on fuel (because it costs so much).  Here are some of the things that I’ve learned that reduces fuel consumption, they really do work:

  • Drive a smaller (diesel) car, especially if you commute long distances (> 20 miles).
  • Remove the alloy wheels from your car, honestly, this is a big saver, use smaller rims instead, the car will move more easily with these, they don’t look the part beside alloy wheels, but this change alone could increase your fuel efficiency by 25%, depending on how you drive.
  • Change gear earlier, drive smoother.  When others told me about this, I often thought that I do drive smooth already.  I think the key to driving smoother is to make sure that the car changes gear earlier, say for example at 2000rpm instead of 3000rpm so the car isn’t working as hard, the key here is that because the hdi engine uses technology (not unlike a turbo) to produce more lift when you reach > 2000rpm, changing gear before this magical figure will reduce the amount of fuel being burned.
  • Like the previous tip, keep your rpms to below 2000, especially true of you drive a diesel car, except when in your highest gear.
  • When coming to a stop (at traffic lights for example), drop out of gear, coast to the lights.  If the lights change, don’t forget to change back into gear again!  I wouldn’t advise coasting at other times though.
  • Don’t over-take.

At times when trying to do all of the above, it might seem like it takes forever to get anywhere, people might beep at you, or even over-take aggressively, but guess who’ll be laughing at the end of the week!

Fancy sharing your own?

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Supplemental Hydrogen Injection is possible with a Hydrogen Generator


Written on July 31, 2008 – 8:40 pm | by Terry

So what exactly is a supplemental hydrogen generator?

Hydrogen engine performance boosting systems are known as Supplemental Hydrogen generators. A supplemental hydrogen generator is basically a tank that holds distilled water and an electrolyte, such as potassium hydroxide.

The water is charged to induce electrolysis, which separates the hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The hydrogen and oxygen that has been released is then collected and forced into the engine through the air intake system. The added oxygen increases the octane level of the fuel.

Once the supplemental hydrogen is in the engine, it helps increase the flame spread during the combustion process. In other words, the hydrogen makes the flame in your engine burn faster.

This, as with many other devices seems to be available on the other side of the water, what i can’t understand is how come there are so many devices designed to save fuel other there. but relatively few in europe, coupled with the fact that north american fuel prices are amongst the cheapest in the world.  it’s really quite mind boggling.

Supplemental Hydrogen Injection is possible with a Hydrogen Generator. (available in canada, no information on european availability)

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Turn your car into a hybrid!


Written on July 30, 2008 – 9:26 pm | by Terry

Turning your car into a hybrid brings several advantages, you could move your ar into a lower emissions bracket and pay less road tax in the uk, you could save money on fuel, especially in the current climate and you can also drive a much quieter car!

Get your oen car converted, turn it into a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, or PHEV, are electric vehicles with a safety net. Learn more about PHEVs at wikipedia.

Plug-In Supply Inc of Petaluma California. (only available in North America)

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Car tax changes to leave 9 million worse off


Written on July 21, 2008 – 2:17 am | by Terry

The drivers of nine million cars, nearly half of all those in Britain, will be worse off under government plans to raise vehicle duty for polluting cars, according to figures from the Treasury.

The news that so many hard-pressed drivers of older and second-hand cars will be hit has raised the spectre of another revolt by Labour MPs after the furore over the abolition of the lowest income tax band.

Sounds like more C02 friendly cars are the order of the day!  If this affects you, you should look at cars with smaller diesel engines like the Peugeot 206/207 1.4hdi and the Citroen c3/c4 1.4hdi (and others), with duty rates as low as £35 per year, it will leave you better off!

more: Car tax changes to leave 9 million worse off | Reuters.

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Cheap Petrol & Diesel: Cut your fuel spend by a third…


Written on July 18, 2008 – 3:44 pm | by Terry

It’s possible to cut your annual petrol/diesel bill by a third, saving £100s. Yet as most fuel costs go in tax as a deliberate result of Govt. enviromental and anti-congestion policies, it takes more than just finding the cheapest forecourt. It’s about pain-free, speedy ways to make your car and driving more efficient and pay the right way.

Cheap Petrol & Diesel: Cut your fuel spend by a third….

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bio fuels for less


Written on June 23, 2008 – 7:22 pm | by Terry

Not quite sure how the savings can be realised, but biofuels4less have some ideas on how you can save money by producing your own fuel, apparently you don’t have pay duty on the first 2,500 litres of fuel you make, that’s an even bigger saving!

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using water as fuel


Written on June 22, 2008 – 4:53 pm | by Terry

Using WATER as fuel?  I thought it was too good to be true, I mean how could we have a an almost free source of fuel that no one else had tapped into at this stage?

Well I got excited when I first seen this, I thought, great, i’ll be able to save lots at the pumps!  It turns out that this website sells plans for making your own machine that will create hydrogen to power your car, but instead of storing it, it creates it as it needs to!  Sounds like a great idea, but I’m sure the amount of water that your car would have to carry might be a bit excessive!

more info at fuelless usa >

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a whole lifetime cost?


Written on June 8, 2008 – 4:21 pm | by Terry

Ever wonder what the whole lifetime cost of owning your car is? Just how much money does a car really cost? Does having a diesel car actually save you money?

Recently, an article on the BBC News website highlighted a call by a govt advisor to show the cost of running a car for a much longer period of time than usual. The govt advisor had selected a 10 year period and the vehicles chosen for comparison were a 4.4i Range Rover vs a (probably) 2.0HDI Peugeot 307, each with an annual mileage of 12K, these vehicles are really at two ends of the scale, targetting two different demographics, but with the right figures, could provide a useful insight into how much we spend on our motors.

In the example quoted above, the savings over the 10 year period amounted to £24,000, this alarmed me, if I was drive may car for 10 years, the saving could be as much as £75,000 (I do 36K/miles a year).

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finally, an incentive to buy green?


Written on June 8, 2008 – 4:21 pm | by Terry

Cars that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) will be hit by new measures in Wednesday’s Budget, according to reports. Chancellor Alistair Darling is expected to introduce measures to encourage the use of cars with low CO2 emissions.

Weekend newspaper reports say the chancellor might introduce a levy on new, larger cars that could increase their price by £2,000. The tax would hit new saloons, estates and people carriers, the reports say.

More info >

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