Car Insurance

Used for plating cheap jewelry, the battery cell was known in Egypt in 250 A.D. The basis for the common lead acid battery found in most cars was discovered by Volta in the seventeenth century. Electric automobiles were common in the early nineteen hundreds but they could never match the power and distances covered by internal combustion engines.

The main problem with inventing a practical electric car was the weight of the batteries. Powerful but heavy electric motors were available but relatively short distances on a charge marred their usefulness. One advantage of an all electric vehicle aside from its quietness and independence from transmissions is its zero emissions.

Ever since then, more powerful and lighter rechargeable batteries were high on the list to be invented. Early radios used wet cells to power their filaments and primitive dry cells to activate their circuits. The common carbon zinc flashlight batteries were much lighter than lead acid wet cells, but were sadly weak in the power department. Alkaline batteries improved their performance four fold but similarly could not be recharged.

The nickel cadmium batteries could be recharged but lacked the high drain power required by an electric motor. Recent advances in nickel metal hydride batteries were found sufficiently long lasting for use in high drain electronics, laptops and cameras but still were not what was needed for a practical electric vehicle.

The most recent advances in battery technology involve the use of lithium and various chemicals such as titanium, disulfide and manganese. These Li-Ion batteries are fully charged in an hour, are half the weight of NiMH batteries and have plenty of power. One company in Berkley, CA has patented a Lithium Sulfur battery that boasts a voltage of 2.1V, an amperage rating of 400 Watt hours, a weight one quarter of a NiMH battery and a charge time of only five minutes.

It seems that whether it’s a movie star talking about their new electric-gas hybrid car or a politician proclaiming the virtues of biodiesel, alternative-fuel powered vehicles are all the rage right now. There are many claims about these vehicles ranging from astounding miles per gallon (mpg) to the peace of mind it gives the driver, but why should someone buy an alternative-fuel powered vehicle?

Many alt-fuel vehicle owners speak of the financial benefits of owning such a vehicle. It is true that you can save money on your monthly fuel bill, depending on what choice of alt-fuel vehicle you drive. Because of the relatively new technology involved, many alt-fuels are just as expensive as or more expensive than traditional petroleum based fuels. It seems that the most money saving option is an electric-hybrid engine, but you usually end up paying more upfront for these as the cost for an electric-hybrid car is greater from the dealership than a standard car.

Another reason some drivers choose so-called “green” cars is because of their positive effect on the environment. The thinking is that if the emissions released by the car are cleaner, then it is more environmentally friendly to drive it than a standard engine. Without a doubt this is true for almost all forms of alternative fuel. Still, attention has to be paid to the fuel manufacturing and consumption process as a whole. There is scientific evidence that the current method of extracting hydrogen from natural gas can create far worse emissions than extraction from petroleum.

Developing new technology, such as alternative-fuel use, costs a great deal of money. Some alt-fuel vehicle drivers purchase their vehicles so that they feel they have helped an industry they believe in. By infusing money into the industry via the purchase of the vehicle itself, additional options, and the fuel supply needed they are contributing to the further development of that technology.

Drivers have also been known to turn to alternative-fuel vehicles as a way of helping or encouraging their country to eliminate its need of foreign oil. Many people feel that western countries have become dangerously dependent on oil producing nations. At a time when wars have been fought over, among other things, the protection of oil interests, some citizens have been looking for a way to make their country more able to support itself. When a country is not completely dependent on it’s trading partner, it has the advantage when it comes to international trading.

There will always be a certain segment of society that likes to do the “in” thing. They were the first ones to wear bell-bottom pants in the 1970’s, Members Only jackets in the 1980’s, and baggy pants in the 1990’s. There will also always be people who want the newest “toy” or technology because it’s a status symbol, especially when it’s something being used by celebrities. Alternative-fuel vehicles definitely are no exception to this market. Whether these buyers continue to own alt-fuel cars after the fad have passed on or it’s no longer a status symbol is anyone’s guess.

Similar to the people trying to reduce their country’s dependency on foreign oil are a group of people, whose main reason for owning alternative-fuel vehicles is to support the agricultural industry in their own country. This would mainly include the alternative fuels known to as Biodiesel and Ethanol. Both Biodiesel and Ethanol are somewhat made from vegetable oil. Usually for a car to run on Biodiesel or Ethanol there has to be some minor modifications done to the engine. If the Biodiesel is made from used vegetable oil, then it has to be refined first to clear it of impurities.

Many people buy many different types of alternative-fuel vehicles for many different reasons. These people don’t as a group even agree on the reasons they do this, but they are united by their actions and they are encouraging the entire alternative-fuel industry to develop faster than if it was just developing on it’s own.

The following is a list of ten excuses that mechanics use to justify excessive car repair prices. This list is the result of numerous interviews and question and answer sessions with a variety of automotive technicians, shop owners, and managers across the world. A bit of humor is used to highlight the insanity of it all.

Number 1: The costs of doing business are outrageous!
The number one rationalization mechanics use to charge excessive car repair prices is their own costs. When the bills roll in for them, they roll them out to the service customer. Don’t get your car fixed during tax season.

Number 2: It’s not easy, you know!
After mechanics are done crying about how much it costs them to rip you off in the first place, they lament about how hard their jobs are. It’s dirty AND there’s so much technical mumbo jumbo to keep up with.

Number 3: Industry pricing guidelines are unfair!
Not satisfied with the industry experts, mechanics emphasize the “guide” in guidelines to justify their prices, and to guide them to ever increasing profits.

Number 4: The car’s rusty!
This unfortunate characteristic of metal is commonly used to defend a host of charges. Those pesky nuts and bolts accumulate a lot of rust, you know!

Number 5: The repair didn’t include that!
Mechanics frequently use this “hazy ignorance” when justifying multiple charges on a repair that was supposed to include the multiple charges.

Number 6: The guy’s a jerk!
There’s an old adage in the industry: Never Piss-off a tech!

Number 7: I can get away with it!
No remorse here.

Number 8: I screwed up!
Charging the client for mechanic errors…it’s like paid training!

Number 9: Somebody else screwed up!
I’m not paying for the wasted time! Damn parts guys, delivery guy, machine shop guy, owner guy….

Number 10: Everyone else is doing it!
Finally! The TRUTH!

Are the roads safe in Québec Canada? Why do I ask? Will simply because recently an overpass collapsed in Laval, Québec, Canada and 19 unsuspecting motorist drove off the edge and five people were killed and many hospitalized. The Laval overpass fell onto Highway 19 and cars just kept falling off and other cars hit the debris. When road workers came to the scene they tried to stop the cars and seal off the road, but even more cars kept coming.

One gentleman crossed the road and noticed it sank about 2 inches and he called authorities on his cell phone only minutes before the whole bridge went down at about 1 p.m. in the middle of the day. This is not the first time in her bridges gone down Canada. Another bridge collapsed in 2000 on Laval Island. Why do these bridges keep collapsing in Canada?

My guess is that it is because of the political correctness they use when awarding contracts to road construction companies. Rather than giving the company with the best credentials the job, they often allow minorities to get a discount in the bid or make special considerations for underprivileged businesses.

Contracts from the government should always be given to the very best contractor and not necessarily the one that is the most politically correct. But heck what you expect in Canada? It is too bad that political correctness is killing so many motorists these days in Canada.

For 2007, those who simply adore the Subaru Legacy can be on the look out for more exciting things and features. The company even says that they are sending out the new version of the Subaru Legacy with a new appeal and exterior as well as a new engine for better and greater power.

If you do take a look at the new 2007 Subaru Legacy, you would simply say that overall, the facelift and the changes that were done were really subtle. But subtle as they may seem, the company disclosed that the changes were extensive. And built using supreme Subaru performance parts, the 2007 Subaru Legacy is a vehicle that is sure going to last for years and years to come.

One of the things that the 2007 Subaru Legacy 245 PS 3.0 liter model is sporting around is the fact that it has been designed and built using the very innovative ‘three engines in one’ drive system. And this kind of drive system can be also seen in all of the 2007 range of the Subaru Legacy – the saloon, the Sports Tourer, and the crossover Outback versions.

The Subaru Legacy was first launched in the auto industry during the year 2004. And many experts in the field were surprised for Subaru really did launch such a vehicle so as to compete with all those leading and very popular European brands. But the Subaru Legacy proved everybody wrong for it still stands strong today and is making its way to the top. And for 2007, the Subaru Legacy would be seen sporting around with its all wheel drive chassis. It also has got all the best types of equipment one can find in the industry. The interiors are quite spacious compared to all other vehicles that the Subaru Legacy competes with. And when it comes to the vehicle’s price tag, this one is offered for a far much lower cost.